Introduction: Second Life of MFM Hard Drives - Iambic Telegraph Key
timelesson.blogspot.com/2010/02/second-life-of-dead-mfm-hard-drives.html
Do you remember a MFM hard drives? Not too fast, but very large - 20 Mb in the 5 inch rack, it was a something special! Times gone and those beautiful drives decided to rest in peace. In peace? No way!
One note - if you don't know wha-da-heck is Iambic Key, visit Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_key As for me, this key is my way to communicate World. Our Old Good World.
Step 1: Extracting Heads From Dead Drives
There are best-of-the-best bearings inside. Because it is.
Step 2: Cut Off Fag End
Step 3: Breadboarding and Making the Plastic Base.
Breadboarding - making something using wife's bread board en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadboard. In my case board was slightly rustic.
Step 4: Assembling and Assembled Views
Step 5: Comunicating Using New Keyer

Participated in the
Dead Computer Contest
7 Comments
10 years ago on Step 5
What are the pins on the front from? Is the speed adjustable? The two wire on top, what are the connected to on the top and bottom?
12 years ago on Introduction
Good idea!!!
13 years ago on Introduction
Have you got any videos of your telegraph key in use?
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Well, I'm trying - never did it before. Maybe hour or two later.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Cool. I suggest typing out a message in Morse code for us to decode!
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Enjoy!
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Hey, that sounds really nice! Of course I have no idea what the message was. ;)