[CW] Response to Morse Telegraph Posting about Vibroplex

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

Hello Dr. Burnett,

I use Dr. because of your beautiful eligance in the use of the English
language and because of your great knowledge of "spark killers" a term
used guardedly in my profession of "Radio Officer" as we were also called
"Sparks" and it might be seen as an offer to incite anti-Morse violence
among a drunk crew or crazy captain.

You're right that TVS ("transient voltage suppressors" for the job, and I
get them from Digikey or Mouser for about 60 cents a piece.) do the trick
but I've had to use 0.2 mfd condensers with a 1 Meg ohm resistor across it
to quench spark "kickback" from 130 VAC relays we keyed on ship.

In 1976, Vibroplex was located in one section of a street level
typewriter repair shop at 833 Broadway, NY and it was still was owned by
John LaHiff and his family.  In 1979 the LaHiff family sold the company to
Peter Garsoe of Portland, Maine.  Peter sold the remaining Lightning Bugs,
ending the use of asselbled bases used on Champion, Zephyr and Lighting
Bug models, the Blue Racer which used scaled down cast parts like the
Original had been discontinued around 1966.  The Presentation model was
sold into the 1970s, but production stopped either when the Company was in
Brooklyn, or a very few models were sold in Maine by Peter Garsoe.
Unfortunately John Elwood did not correctly report on this model in his
monumental undertaking "Dating Your Vibroplex" which I have enclosed.  He
failed to notice that the Presentation model was dropped at some time
after 1970, perhaps with the sale of Vibroplex to Peter Garsoe, as the key
featured the novel and remarkable LaHiff mainspring, and since the Company
was owned by John LaHiff, I could see him want to keep this key in
production.

In any event, the Presentation model was definately retired about 1980
bringing to a close all models of Vibroplex other than the Original.

The Original however appeared in various finishes and configurations.  I
don't know who started them or the dates other than one date.

The Deluxe Original models were simplified the necessary grounding braid
between the frame and the lever was removed; the only path to ground now
was the uncertain quality of a path between the dot tension spring and the
frame.  It is uncertain because the contact between lever and frame can be
intermittant with the vibration and use of the spring.  A very
unsatisfatory situation.  However it saved adding two tiny #6 machine
screws and a piece of copper braid in the assembaly work.

Changes to Original Models.

1) Original model with Deluxe finish was continued, but grounding braid
between frame and lever was discontinued.   All Deluxe finish keys
continued to be fitted with red finger pieces and jeweled trunnion
bearings which are non-conducting unlike the standard bearings which
conduct.

2) Original model with Presentation finish was introduced, it had the gold
top plate of the previous Presentation model which had been discontinued.
This model had jeweled movement but did NOT have the LaHiff adjustable
mainspring, thus it was only a Deluxe Original with a gold top plate.

3) In 2000 a Deluxe model of the Original with a narrow 2.5 inch bright
blue painted base was introduced as the "Millenium Blue Racer" - it was
additionally introduced with a typical Deluxe finish of a chrome base
instead of the unique blue painted base.

4) At some time a Presentation finish Original was made with the entire
base gold plated.  Currently this is called the "Original Gold".

I have never heard of a bicentenial issue of the Original but I do know
that Vibroplex never made a "re-run" of the Original as this model never
stopped being produced.  I'm sure I would have heard of it, I searched
google for any mention of it, but I find none. (I understand now that he
was talking about the "Anniversary" model (black with gold pin stripping)
issued for Vibroplex centennial around 2005. - DR)

If such a key does exist and there's documentation as to it being a
special commemerative reissue it is going to be worth something so don't
sell it off cheaply.

In any event, you're right about these keys, some send better than others.

My favorites are the keys from the 1920s, the mainsprings were unplated
and seemed to be less stiff and held movement for a longer period of time.

But I also love my 1967 Original which I took around the world many times
on ships, and the Presentation which stayed home looking pretty.

If someone has a library with a collection of ARRL Handbooks, the
Presentatiion was advertised annually and no doubt it would appear in the
Handbook advertising at the end of the Handbook until it was discontinued.

73

David N1EA
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/cw/attachments/20190727/f1bf8e88/attachment-0001.html>