Microcraft Morse-A-Word Repair

The Microcraft Morse-A-Word is a Morse code reader that translates and displays the alphanumeric output on a LED display real time.  The Morse-A-Word has two modes, the Receiver jack can be connected to the audio output jack of a CW Receiver and can it can decode Morse code from a received transmission. The second mode is for Morse code practice.  You can connect a Morse code key into the Key jack and use the built in oscillator to send code which you can hear from the internal speaker and it will be decoded on the LED display. The later is great way of improving your performance and accuracy of sending Morse code.

The Morse-A-Word has one control labeled "Speed". This control is used to also turn off the unit when rotated fully counter-clockwise. The Speed control, when turned clockwise, controls the unit's ability to decode morse code from 5WPM up to 35WPM. 

My Morse-A-Word has three modifications from a previous owner:

- An audio jack was added to the front so the audio output could be listened to with headphones. 

- A potentiometer was added to the top of the cabinet that modifies the frequency of the internal oscillator when used in code practice mode. 

- One of the speaker wires was detached so that audio output could only be heard from the headphone jack.

The Morse-A-Word in 1980 retailed for $169.95 in kit form or $249.95 for a fully assembled unit by the Microcraft Corporation. 

The Morse-A-Word was featured in March and April 1979 Popular Electronics construction article.
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Construction

The Morse-A-Word's bottom enclosure is U shaped and contains three printed circuit boards:

• Power Supply Board - Converts AC line voltage to low voltage DC required for operation, hangs from the back panel.
• Logic Board - Provides the Morse code oscillator signal and translates morse code into alphanumeric text.
• Display Board - Contains the LED alphanumeric display readout. 

Cleaning, Repair, and Replacement

The Morse-A-Word was in operational condition when acquired. I will be doing some cleaning, repair, and replacement of some components that don't age well.

The bezel in front of the LED display was held to the inside of the enclosure with masking tape. I removed the masking tape and cleaned up the residue, then I used a couple dabs of superglue to hold the bezel in place. I placed two D batteries on top of the bezel to hold it in place while the glue dried.

Three of the four nylon standoffs that held the Logic Board in place were broken. I was able to source new nylon standoffs from computer hardware I kept from when I used to build my own computers.

As electrolytic capacitors age, their electrolyte dries up causing their electrical capacity to drop and leakage current to increase. It is definitely a good idea to replace electrolytic capacitors that are over 30 years old!

I replaced all of the electrolytic capacitors on the Power Supply Board. All electrolytic capacitors should be replaced with one of the same or slightly greater capacitance and working voltage rating. 

During the electrolytic capacitor replacement, I discovered some greenish corrosion on one lead of the bridge rectifier. 

​Fearing eventual failure of the bridge rectifier, as the corrosion makes its way into the package, I replaced it as well. See area circled below:

I also replaced the one capacitor on the Logic Board. See area circled below:

Meguiar's Motorcycle All Metal Polish did wonders for cleaning up corrosion on the aluminum cabinet.
Here is just a sample of what this polish can do! I buffed gently around areas on the cabinet with silkscreened lettering as I didn't want to remove it.

Here is how the back of the cabinet looked after a few minutes of polishing.

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Re-assembly

The first step of the re-assembly process is to fasten the Logic Board to the bottom of the cabinet. Notice the two new nylon standoffs?

Be careful not to crimp any wiring when securing the Logic Board.

For some reason the previous owner removed one wire from the speaker to silence it. I soldered the wire back in place making the speaker functional once again. 

Here is another "mod" from the previous owner. He drilled a hole in the top of the cabinet and attached a potentiometer and knob to it. This control modifies the frequency of the internal oscillator when used in code practice mode. 

The Power Supply Board is attached to the back of the cabinet with three screws. See area circled in the picture below:
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Here is the picture off all of the parts replaced in my Morse-A-Word.

Testing

Time to do some initial testing before buttoning up the Morse-A-Word. I connected my straight key to the RCA Key jack then powered it on.   

The Morse-A-Word functioned as expected. A tone could be heard from its speaker when the straight key was pressed. Here I am practicing my Morse code "I" and "E". 

Here is the finished product with the cabinet lid on place!

Conclusion

The Morse-A-Word was a pretty impressive device for its time. It enabled novice amateur radio enthusiasts the ability to practice their Morse code skills while giving novice and experienced operators the ability to effortlessly read amateur code traffic.

Video of my Microcraft Morse-A-Word in action!