Every year since I can remember… The W7OS Doc Spike Museum, located at the Radio Club of Tacoma Clubhouse, hosts a New Years Eve Straight Key Night Celebration for members and guests.  The Museum’s Regular participants set up antique stations for Morse-inclined hams to get on the air for SKN.  Members are invited to bring their own SKs or Bugs to use or show off or use a Museum key. For this event the Radio Club provides pizza and drinks.  Participants are encouraged to bring a dessert item to share.  

This gathering attracted over 50 people and all seemed to have a great time.  One social highlight of the evening was Morse Code BINGO- where the numbers are called in Morse Code via a code practice oscillator.  BINGO called via AM Phone was also provided for the Non-Morse participants.  Also, a raffle to win a nearly new Hamkey HK-3 netted some extra cash for Museum operations.

This year the Museum had three stations for Morse Code hams to use.   (Non Antique) IC-737 on 20 Meters;  Drake 2NT (circa 1966) XTAL Controlled transmitter + Collins R-388/RUU (circa 1949) Receiver on 40 Meters; and a Heathkit Apache (circa 1958) + Collins 75A4 (circa 1955) operating on 80 meters.   There was only one technical glitch in the middle of a QSO… where the R388 receiver Mute circuit was in continuous mute.  Removing the bottom and cleaning a relay contact was a quick fix.  Morse Code Bullpen areas with code practice oscillators and keys were set up for operators to practice before their on the air début, for hams to show off their key, or for the curious to send some code. 

Notable Statistics: 
22 QSOs were made (6 on 20M, 9 on 40M, 7 on 80M) over 5 hours. 
10 Morse operators (AD7AV, K7MXE, K7ZG, KR7W, N7UH, W7HTJ, W7MWF, W7UUU, W7WG, WB4SPB) participated. 
12 states (AK, AZ, CA, CO, GA, MO, ND, NY, OR, TN, TX, WA) were contacted.

More info can be found at www.w7dk.org   Please note:  The Radio Club of Tacoma was founded in 1916 and will be 99 years old this year