The SpikenzieLabs Telegraph Decoder Kit

Fun and easy kit to build. Works as advertised. Plastic keying spring broke during normal use, but they sent two. Have since replaced clear plastic key with a more rugged model.

Not buggy at all, works as expected. it takes a little time between entering a letter and showing it, but I think that's the software's delay to make sure you're done. Assembly was easy and quick if you've soldered before. Please note that on this board square pads mean positive "longer lead goes through them), though if you read the instructions they'll warn you. One minor alteration I did was install a 3-pin mini toggle switch in place of the jumpers (one less thing to lose).The key itself is very simple, though feels study and gives a satisfying click when pressed. It should stand up to frequent use, but I wouldn't throw it haphazardly into a bag or backpack. All the connections on the acrylic key is reversible if you make a mistake, so you needn't worry if you install something backwards. They give an extra torsion bar so you need not worry if it gets warps or broken.The instructions online to build everything are very clear, very detailed, in plain English, and full of pictures and tips. The link to the website is included on a business card. Everything is included (except for the three standard AA batteries and basic tools like screwdriver/diagonal cutters/soldering iron.)

My husband and I spent 2.5 hours carefully and painstakingly putting this together for our son. He soldered every single area with precision, we connected the wires carefully, put the batteries in, and it did not work. What a waste of time, energy, and money! Not to mention the disappointment in our son, as this was the one gift he chose to unwrap on Christmas Eve. Also, to add...a major component, the arm that tattoos the morse, was broken, so we had to use glue and baking soda to fix it.

A lot of my friends in the Electrical Engineering department are getting their ham radio licenses - this kit is my little "congratulations gift" I send their way! Great fun; I built it myself in about an hour and I've been told by my friends that an experienced person can whip it together in about half an hour.The acrylic key fits together nicely and has good weight. The parts all feel high-quality for a soldering kit. The pads on the PCB are large enough for a beginner to solder, but the kit is still enjoyable for more experienced builders. All around, this is a solid kit that provided lots of entertainment for everyone to whom it was gifted! The actual functionality of the kit is good, too - the software can decode morse from even the most inexperienced keyers such as myself. I had a lot of fun with it!

I like it, BUT.... a schematic would be extremely useful for tired 77 year old eyes to figure out traces (very faint) in case one has been melted due to incompetent old man soldering. (I snt/rcvd 32 WPM in the USN)

An interesting design. Good build manual, poor performance. Key broke in first the18 minutes of use, second key part broke shortly there after. Unit is slow to respond and needs very slow code input to decode. Not recommended! No response from the company after three days.

I took my time carefully soldering this kit together. It worked as it should for about 15 minutes. The next time I turned it on it was not working at all. It no longer displays the startup message "Spike". If you hit the key a few times it starts acting up and then sounds a continuous beep. The batteries are new (1.59 volts). The processor seems to have gone bad already.

I had my 9-year-old grandson assemble this to help learn soldering and code.works well