Morse Code Weathervane

Morse Code Weather Vane Ham Operator hand and clicker

Morse Code Weather Vane Ham Operator

Morse Code Weather Vane Ham Operator detail

Our Morse Code Weathervane was originally commissioned as a gift by the wife of a ‘Ham’ operator. Ham, as a nickname for amateur radio operators, originated in a pejorative usage (like ‘ham actor’) by operators in commercial and professional radio communities. But amateur radio operators took no offense and adopted the term, knowing how important a network of ‘Hams’ can be in an emergency.

Our customer selected an old fashioned straight key representation of the clicker, and requested optional gold leaf on details of the device and the hand. She also requested an inscription plaque of her husbands callsign. These gilded areas will remain in bright detail for many decades as the copper of this swell-bodied sculpture piece weathers and darkens.

West Coast Weather Vanes is located in a coastal oak forest. We experienced the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989, and brushed too close for comfort to the Martin Fire of 2008, and the Lockheed Fire of 2009. As a result we have become active in CERT (Citizens Emergency Response Teams) and have this year (2016) become licensed radio operators ourselves. We are very proud of this. Tap out a message to our callsigns if you care to: LizAnne Jensen – KM6DQF, Ken Jensen – KM6DQA