[GreenKeys] "Klein" Morse Perforator at KSM

[Richard Dillman]

Thanks to the good efforts of Paul "Mr. RTTY", one of our "Klein"* Morse perforators is back in service.  There's a story behind this of course.  I first saw a Klein being used in 1972 during a visit to KFS.  I had to have one but it wasn't until 20 years later that I saw one at the Foothill flea market in California.  I threw myself on it which is a poor opening position for negotiation.  But I made it mine and waddled off cackling to myself over the new acquisition.  

The Klein was a fixture at all coast stations.  It was used to make a loop that was used as the wheel.  Press and weather were punched on the Klein for transmission.  They have three speed transmissions and can be run at hundreds of words a minute.  This was used to push as much traffic across point to point circuits, especially during the war.

At KPH/KSM we like to use this kind of vintage gear and indeed once had a wheel of paper tape for use on KSM.  But the Klein and the Boehme keying head started developing problems.  Now with Paul's help (he'll be looking at the keying head too) we hope to run paper tape again.

See photos at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/richard.dillman/Klein?feat=directlink

VY 73,

RD

* Even though universally referred to as the "Klein", short for Kleinschmidt, all the ones I've seen have Teletype nameplates.

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Richard Dillman, W6AWO
Chief Operator, Coast Station KSM
Maritime Radio Historical Society
http://www.radiomarine.org
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