‰ NOW 35 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2015 QST PAGE 67 ‰ HINTS KINKS EASY MEMORY PICKER, FLOWERPOT REEL, AND A GROUND ROD UNGROUNDED ICOM MEMORY PLAYBACK KEYPAD MANY ICOM RADIOS HAVE A FOUR MEMORY DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER BUILT IN. THE MEMORIES ARE ACCESSED BY USING THE FRONT PANEL F KEYS TO TRIGGER THE INDIVIDUAL MEMORIES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROCEDURE OF REACHING ACROSS YOUR KEYBOARD, PADDLE, AND OPERATING DESK A FEW HUNDRED TIMES DURING A CONTEST TO PRESS THE KEYS BECOMES TEDIOUS AND RATHER UNCOMFORTABLE. IN LOOKING THROUGH MY ICOM MANUAL, I DISCOVERED A SCHEMATIC SEE FIGURE 1 FOR AN EXTERNAL KEYPAD. THE CIRCUIT CONSISTS OF FOUR RESISTORS, FOUR SINGLE POLE SINGLE THROW SPST PUSHBUTTON SWITCHES, AND A SHORT TWO WIRE CONNECTION INTO YOUR MICROPHONE PLUG. THIS SIMPLE CIRCUIT BECAME THE ANSWER TO MY FATIGUE PROBLEM. I NEEDED TO FIND A SUITABLE BOX FOR THE SWITCHES. LOOKING AROUND MY SHACK, I NOTICED AN OLD APPLE MOUSE ON THE SHELF. I REALIZED THAT ITS SMOOTH ERGONOMIC DESIGN WOULD BE COMFORTABLE TO HOLD THROUGH A LONG CONTEST. ANY SMALL CASE WILL WORK, OF COURSE, JUST MAKE SURE IT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL FEEL COMFORTABLE IN YOUR HAND. USE A SMALL SCREWDRIVER TO LEVER OPEN THE MOUSE. I DISCARDED THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND USB CABLE, LEAVING ONLY THE SHELL AND BASE. I BOUGHT FOUR EASY TO PUSH SPST PUSHBUTTONS. THE ELECTRONICS PARTS SUPPLIERS HAVE MANY TYPES TO CHOOSE FROM. I BOUGHT A RED BUTTON TO BE MEMORY NUMBER 1 AND ‰ END OF 35 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ