How to Build Your Own Telegraph

First you need to gather up all of the materials you will need. Below is a list of the following items needed to conduct this project: • 2 pieces of cardboard – 20cm X 10cm • 2 pieces of cardboard – 3cm X 8cm • 3 pieces of wire all 19cm long • 1 D battery – 1.5 volt • 4 thumbtacks • 2 buzzers – each 1.5 volt • Wire strippers • Pliers • Masking Tape Are you ready? Let’s get started. First, take the wire strippers and remove about 2cm of insulation off each end of the wires. Identify each wire by wrapping a piece of tape around them and marking them A, B, and C. Cut a piece of cardboard from one of the pieces of smaller cardboard about 2cm from one end. Repeat with the other small piece of cardboard. Tape those smaller pieces to the right side of the larger pieces of cardboard – these pieces of cardboard will act as the switches. Tape the battery to the center of one of the large pieces of cardboard. Next tape two of the short wires to the negative end of the battery making sure the wires are touching the metal part on the bottom of the battery. Push a tack into the large piece of cardboard underneath the switch then take one of the ends of wire attached to the battery and hook it around the tack. Tape the buzzer to the other side of the large piece of cardboard. Attach the other wire that’s taped to the battery to the black wire from the buzzer making sure that the metal parts are touching one another. Push a tack up through the underside of the cardboard switch. When you push the switch down, the two tacks must be touching. Hook one end of wire A around the tack, tape one end of wire B to the positive end of the battery and attach one end of wire C to the red buzzer wire. Push a tack through the other piece of large cardboard below the free end of the switch. Attach one end of wire B and the remaining end of the short wire around the tack. Tape a buzzer to the other side of the cardboard and attach the remaining free end of the short wire. Attach the free end of wire A to the other side of the buzzer and push a tack up through the underside of the cardboard switch (remember when the switch is pushed, the tacks need to be touching). Lastly, attach the free end of wire C around the tack. And that should be it! You’ll be sending morse code in no time. What happened? Did the buzzer sound? It should have. Pushing down on the switches completes the circuit and sounds the buzzer on the opposite piece of cardboard. If it doesn’t work, check all of your connections. Then try again.