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About Us

Here’s How Everything Got Started…

It was 1973… The Korean Conflict was not far behind us, and the Vietnam War was in full swing.  I’m a kid in rural East Texas… My Dad-WN6EIZ SK, was half way around the world the Captain of a Super Tanker, full of Jet Fuel, off the Coast of Vietnam…

Caloosahatchee

My Dad was a Ship’s Captain in the USNS Fleet before internet or cell phones.  Letters from around the world took weeks… And so the only way we could talk to my Dad, was via “phone patch” offered by the many fine operators that monitor the Maritime Mobile Network.

Amateur Radio Was THE ONLY WAY Our Family could spend time with my Dad when he was gone at Sea!

USNS Tallulah

I will never forget our entire family huddled around the telephone, talking to Pop… and saying “over”, talking to my Dad while he was anchored off of The Coast of Da Nang, Vietnam (or some other classified location).

Sealift China Sea

Delgado Maritime Award

Back in those days, I would spend my nights banging away on an old Radio Shack buzzer key, learning the mysterious “code” that you HAD to KNOW to become a “Radio Operator”, like Pops, or Sparky, the Radio Operator on my Dad’s ship.

A Thing for the “CW”

So, the old man was sweet on Morse Code. I can still remember in the 70’s when I was only a few years old my dad calling CQ on his Yaesu FT-101B, and then on his FT-101E. Pop got started in 1969 with the call-sign WN6EIZ.

 

(Picture below. My Dad, Me, My Younger Brother Andy-KE5EXX followed by my younger sister Angela visiting some friends.)

Fast forward a few years to 1977 where at the ripe old age of 15, I received my Novice Ticket, under call-sign of WD5DNU. (now KC5ILR)
 
So coming up on 3 generations of licensed Amateur Radio Operators… with a CW addiction  For over 45 years & through my families history we have always had a special thing for cool straight keys!

2017

Fast forward to 2017 my 14 Year old Son Jacob comes to me wanting me to get him a “cool looking” Morse code key. Now you know how youngsters are.  COOL is the key word.   Yep, a chip off the old block.

I snickered to myself and said “Good luck Son, most of the cool ones are expensive for a young man… or any man.”
Not deterred in the least, he thought a minute…
Then with a cat like smile he said;

“Well… We have the software & equipment. Can we build one Dad?”

So we got to work trying to help my son get his “cool looking” Morse code key.
Over the next few weeks we designed, tweaked and tested, several prototypes…

Our First Morse Code Key

The Best Part?  We also had a LOT of fun!!!

 And So We Began CW Morse LLC & A New Key Was Born.
Camel Back Keys

We have made many New Designs and even a few oscillators along the way.
We had several people and companies get interested in our keys after that. So we got to building. Our whole family got involved one way or another.

My eldest Joseph Jr. started building and designing our website.
Handling sales, questions and shipping out all our orders.
Jacob started building keys and oscillators. Andrew making sub-assemblies while Mom was running to the store for supplies we all got started.

Now with your help and feedback we’ve started shipping keys all across the world.

CW Morse Made in the USA

Amateur Radio… A Family Tradition Since 1969.

Captain Antonio Pedro Delgado – WN6EIZ SK
Unlimited Master Mariner 1933-1990

 Joseph Delgado Sr. – KC5ILR
Good on QRZ

 Andrew Delgado – KE5EXX
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Joseph Delgado Jr. – Webmaster

Jacob Delgado – KI5FCV
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John Clements – KC90N
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