‘Phonotrix’ High speed keyer - WftW

1 Wireless for the Warrior - Volume 4 Supplement, Chap. 91- 1 Page 1 of 2. WftW Volume 4 Supplement, Chapter 91. ver Nov SUMMARYO rganisation:Central Intelligence Agency. (Germany W)Design/Manufacturer:E. Voelk KG, Nurnberg, Germany.(Trix United Toy Factories);Modification: of Introduction: Probably :High speed Morse keyer for Supply: 6V DC at (cm):Height 9, length , width : Recorder only less :Morse key, 75mm diameter tape reel con-taining about 65m tape, empty reel, earphone, four D cells. This WftW Volume 4 Supplement is a download from It may be freely copied and distributed, but only in the current phonotrix was a commercial toy tape recorder adopted andmodified for use as high speed Morse keyer . This cheap and readilyavailable miniature tape recorder appeared very suitable for this pur-pose: lightweight and small in size; use of standard tape; powered byonly four D cells and a continuous regulation of speed from 3 to15cm/sec.

2 Recorded messages in Morse code at a tape speed ofslightly higher than 3cm/sec would playback at a speed of 15cm/sec,about 4 times the original speed . Recorded and used tapes could beerased and used again. Known is the use of the phonotrix with the Modular transmitter-receiver. (Described in chapter 54).Modifications and additions to the original phonotrix were an AFtone generator for recording Morse code messages keyed by an exter-nal hand speed Morse key. After rewinding the tape and switched toplayback, the AF output of the recorder was connected to a tone de-tector circuit and keying relay. Connected to the transmitter keyingcontacts, and when started to play with a tape speed control set tomaximum, the transmitter was keyed at high speed . See the block di-agram on the next :- With thanks to Detlev Vreisleben, DC7KG, Germany, who kindly supplied all the photos, technical and historical page of an original commercial sales leaflet for the phonotrix , made by Trix United Toy hand side panel of the phonotrix : Microphone (red)and loudspeaker (blue) sockets (left), playback volume con-trol (centre) and Record/playback switch (right).

3 The twoaudio sockets were not used in the modified high speed Morse keyer connected to a Modu-lar transmitter receiver, used by agents of the AmericanCIA. The picture above was a taken of a set captured froma CIA agent operating in the GDR. phonotrix High speed keyerCountry of origin:Ger. for the Warrior - Volume 4 Supplement, Chap. 91- 2 Page 2 of 2. WftW Volume 4 Supplement, Chapter 91. ver Nov. 2015. This WftW Volume 4 Supplement is a download from It may be freely copied and distributed, but only in the current diagram of the original commercial phonotrix miniature toy taperecorder. A number of modifications and additions were required tomake the recorder suitable for use as a high speed taken from the original userhandbook with functional expla-nations of the various controls.

4 1 Microphone socket (red) 2 Loudspeaker socket (blue) 3 Volume control 4 Record-playback switch 5 Play/record-stop-fast rewind 6 Tape speed control 7 Full reel capstan 8 Empty reel capstan 9 Bottom cover10 Full reel11 Empty reel12 Head and roll cover Tape guide capstan14 Tape guiding15 Erase magnet16 Record/playback head17 Rubber pinch roll18 Driving capstan AF tonegenerator TonedetectorKeyingrelayMorse key. Socket BMicrophone inputRecorder AF outTo transmitter. Plug ATo receiverAF EBlock diagram of additions to the originalPhonotrix circuit view of amodified Phonotrixshowing the con-nectors E and C,and the existingexternal 6V of a modified Phonotrixready for recording a Morse code mes-sage. (Left)Socket A was for side tone of keyingduring recording a message and check-ing in playback or when connected tothe receiver listening to the corre-sponding main station via plug B connected the Morse C or D connected to the transmit-ter keying contacts.