[CW] Response to Morse Telegraph Posting about Vibroplex

[Richard Knoppow]

    Thank you for this interesting history. The post you are 
replying to has not yet showed  up on the list here.
    I have three Vibroplex keys, one made in 1920, with the old 
type hinge for dashes, one made in 1944, which appears to have 
been made with re-worked parts, and one made in 1961. The 1944 
key in in a case which originally had the owner's name marked but 
that has long since worn off and I never recorded it. My mom 
bought it in a thrift shop. She must have recognized what it was 
from the Bunnell J-36 I used on the air at the time because whe 
was not a technical person. She was remarkable. These are all 
"original" models.

On 7/27/2019 11:19 AM, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. wrote:
> 
> 
> 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
> 
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> =30=
> 

-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL