Sturdy Radio Club

05/30/2026

Somebody gets it

05/15/2026

On May 4, 2007 this iconic audio recording was actually made at DX-World HQ in Scotland using a Kenwood TS-570 as the radio and an old mobile phone as the sound recorder. 20m was the band.

With a little bit of manipulation back then the file was given MP3 and / or WAV status and the rest is history.

While it has been well shared and played numerous times before, it's always worth a listen because there's never been a BS7 activity since.
.. 19 years and counting ...
.. audio in link below ...

https://audio.com/dx-world/audio/bs7h-scarborough-reef-20m-ssb-oh2bh-at-mic

05/13/2026

Ah Ha, the Dow key

Around 1942, Paul Dow began manufacturing Morse bugs in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Paul Dow believed operators deserved something more comfortable and adjustable.

His first major design became known as the “Bent Key,” a distinctive semi-automatic bug with its frame mounted at an angle to provide a more natural wrist and hand position. Although innovative, the angle itself remained fixed and could not be tailored to individual preference. Paul Dow continued refining the idea, and by 1949 he patented the Universal “Rotary” Speed Key, one of the most mechanically unique bugs ever produced. Unlike traditional bugs, the Universal allowed the entire lever assembly, k**b, and paddle to rotate left or right from vertical.

Among the most desirable versions was the Deluxe Universal model, produced around 1951. Manufactured in Winnipeg, this Deluxe version featured a polished chrome base and refined second-generation construction. In this improved design, the damper was mounted directly to the base rather than the rotating frame, helping provide smoother action and more stable high-speed performance.

Innovation in amateur radio often came from individual operators determined to improve the art of communication itself.