MFJ-401D ECONO KEYER II

I've been using an MFJ-401D Econo Keyer II  to practise knocking out some clumsy code 😁 and I've always connected it to a power supply - never even bothering to try putting a battery in. Then tonight I decided to open it up to insert a PP3 battery and lo and behold it already had one fitted!!

I unplugged the power supply and switched the keyer on - to my amazement it came on and worked. I thought it was best to swap out the battery anyway, because I didn't know how long it had been in there, and then I spotted that the battery's expiry date was 10 YEARS GO!!

So that little Panasonic had probably been in there from new! Wow, I have a lot more respect for Panasonic batteries now 💖😂

 

As an aside, this keyer is a great little device. I got it free with a used radio and it's a delight to use. Built-in speaker, volume control and speed control, all easily accessed from the front.

73, Tom, M7MCQ.