[CW] Vibroplex Presentation including Short History of Vibroplex.

Sat Jan 8 15:03:16 EST 2022

Sorry, Joe, that's not completely correct. Peter Garsoe of Portland, Maine
discontinued all models of Vibroplex when he bought Vibroplex from the
Albright family who had owned Vibroplex in New York City for decades. I
know he reduced all the then current models: Presentation, Original,
Lightning Bug, and Champion to just one model: Original. I don't know if he
was the one that came up with making multiple finishes for the Original.

I do agree with you that the what you have, "Gold Original, that is a gold
plated bug and it does not have the La Hiff main spring, is exactly that: a
"Original with a gold plated top". It's NOT a Presentation model because
all Presentation models (being a specific model of Vibroplex) had the
LaHiff adjustable mainspring. The later Gold Top plate and gold top plate
and base (all gold plate) models (as well as the Blue Racer 2000, and
Vibroplex Anniversary) were just Vibroplex Original models with different
base treatments.

Vibroplex calls the key you are speaking of "Vibroplex Original with
Presentation finish" which Vibroplex now just simply calls "Original
Presentation" to differentiate it from the long running but discontinued
"Presentation" model.

See http://vibroplex.com/contents/en-us/d12_SEMI-AUTOMATIC__BUG__keys.html

Vibroplex has also recently introduced a "Original Standard Upgraded" model
with the jeweled bearings. Craziest thing is they have left the top
trunnion screw adjustable, just like when the Deluxe keys were introduced
in 1948, but later that design was abandoned because of bearing damage by
operators screwing down on the original type of bearings, which may have
been garnet which is much softer than ruby. Rubies are 9 on the Mohs
hardness scale while garnets are 6.5 to 7.5. (See
https://indyfacets.com/blog/the-difference-between-garnets-and-rubies/)

So maybe the new jeweled bearings don't crack and the decorative red piece
will be discontinued in time.

Peter Garsoe of Portland, Maine Vibroplex discontinued the previous
threaded red decorative piece because making an investment casting for that
part was (to him) prohibitively expensive. He replaced it with a domed red
plastic piece that was glued in with Duco cement. Somewhere along the line,
the stamp for the Vibroplex name plate was list. But the good thing is that
these keys are still being made.

The Original Deluxe first came out in 1940. The Presentation model came out
in 1948.

Short history of Vibroplex from
https://history.k4lrg.org/Projects/Vibroplex_History.html:

Horace G. Martin, inventor of the Vibroplex, teamed up with J.E. Albright
in 1911. Albright was an entrepreneur who had been selling typewriters
since 1890, and he readily took on the task of manufacturing and selling
the Vibroplex instruments. Together, Martin and Albright formed “The
Vibroplex Company, Inc.” in 1915.

         Martin sold his interest in the company to Albright in 1920.
During the late 1930s, after all the original patents (now owned by
Albright) had expired, Martin began selling his own versions of
“Originals”, Lightning Bugs” and “Blue Racers” as “Martin Flash Keys”. Less
than 5,000 were ever built. Martin also developed a “Rotoplex” in the early
1940s that featured a rotary pivot mechanism, but that was his last known
invention and only a few were ever made.

J. E. Albright and his family owned the Vibroplex Company until sometime
around 1965 when it was sold to John La Hiff, a mechanical engineer and
long-time company employee who was the designer of the “assembled frame”
instruments (the No. 6 or “Lightning Bug”, the “Zephyr”, and the
“Champion”) and probable designer of the “Presentation.” La Hiff’s sons
sold the company to Peter Garsoe in 1979 and it was moved to Portland, ME.
Peter Garsoe sold the company to Felton “Mitch” Mitchell, W4OA, in 1994 and
it was moved to Mobile, Alabama. Mitch, W4OA sold Vibroplex in 2009 to
Scott Robbins, W4PA, who moved Vibroplex to Knoxville, TN. (See
https://web.archive.org/web/20091212094447/http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/12/07/11233/
)

Current keys have name tags of the manufacturer but no longer have serial
numbers.

73

DR
N1EA

On Sat, Jan 8, 2022, 10:16 Joseph L. Pontek Sr. <v31jp1957 at gmail.com> wrote:
NO, I am talking about the La Hiff adjustable pendulum spring
was probably only made in Maine.

I have here a Gold Original, that is a gold plated bug and it does
not have the La Hiff main spring.
On 1/8/2022 2:55 AM, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. wrote:
Joe,

The Presentation model came out just after WWII. It was made in Brooklyn.
When Vibroplex was sold to Mr. Garsoe of Portland, Maine, he stopped the
production of Presentation, Blue Racer, Lightning Bug and Champion models,
leaving only the Original model. I don't know if was Mr. Garsoe or, Shelley
"Mitch" Mitchell, W4OA who started up the various finishes of the Original
model: 1) Standard, 2) Deluxe 3) Blue Racer (blue base), 4) Blue Racer
(chrome base), and 5) Presentation models. Later they added the 6)
Presentation All Gold Plated model!

The Presentation you're thinking of, Joe, is the Original Presentation
finish.

All the top parts are Original model parts, no smaller scale parts like on
the first Blue Racer models.

73

DR
-- 
Regards, Joe, K8JP/V31JP, Ronnie, Martin & Sidney Pontek
175 Diamond Loch Rd., Apt. 5
Gilmer, TX 75644-9374
U.S.A.
903-204-2318 (My TX cellular)

Member FOC-1743 Feb 2001, QCWA-LM21894, OOTC-4607, A1OP, CFO 1055,
SKCC-3171T, NAQCC-5798, Flying Pig-2819, FISTS-7625CC951, A1C-2299, SOC
1075, 10-10 22977, PG1915841, CW Rag chewers #21,
Facebook: Joe Pontek
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