[CW] Mac Straight Keys

[Benny K5KV]

RICHARD

I HAVE READ THE TAC COMPANY WAS FORMED WITH MAC AND HIS PARTNERS TO PROVIDE
KEYS TO THE CIVILIAN MARKETS.  STORY WAS MAC'S OWN COMPANY WAS BURIED IN
GOVT CONTRACTS.  TAC DID NOT LAST TOO LONG AFTER THE WAR.  ALL FROM MEMORY
SO ANYONE FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ANY ERRORS OR PROVIDE MORE DETAIL IF KNOWN.

73
BENNY K5KV

On Sat, Oct 5, 2024 at 7:16 PM Richard Knoppow <1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com>
wrote:

>      I have several straight keys of the Stream Key style. One of them I
> bought new in the box in my teens. I long ago lost the box which might
> have answered some of my questions. I have looked through the bio of
> McElroy by Tom French but it has minimal information in it on the
> straight keys. I have several of these keys, some of which might be
> fakes. I have one which I bought new in my teens. I long ago lost the
> box. I think it is a J-38 type. It has the extra terminal posts for a
> practice set up. According to Tom French some of these keys were made
> by McElroy and some by TAC, I think the one I bought new and another are
> TAC keys, they have a bulge in the lever where the contact is fastened.
> A couple of these keys have odd sized bases and have cracks typical of
> badly cast zinc. I think these are the "fakes". The key I bought new in
> the box has a MFP stamp on the bottom dated 1951, this is the one I
> think is a J-38.
>      Now, both keys have a very faint marking near the "anvil" contact.
> It appears to be cast into the base. I can't quite make out what it is
> but its the same on both keys. Sort of badge shaped. There is a number
> near it, 6 on the key I bought new and 1 on the other key. There may be
> other markings cast into the base on both but they are very faint.
>      So, can anyone tell me anything about these keys? Does anyone know
> what the marking is, its definitely there.
>      I am curious about the "fake" keys, I can't understand how anyone
> could make a profit from making them. Even the genuine keys are rather
> crude but the fakes are coarse. I have seen other old castings that
> disintegrated, mostly zinc but might be something else. Curiously enough
> the keys feel OK or maybe I am just good at setting them up.
>      Any information is welcome. I have researched these before with no
> success.
>      BTW, in his book on McElroy French does mention the two partners
> McElroy had in TAC but little information on why it was formed. My guess
> is that the "Not Incorporated" which McElroy stressed may have been the
> result of resenting the amount of control incorporation allows others
> (the government) to have in running a business.
>
> --
> Richard Knoppow
> Los Angeles
> WB6KBL
> SKCC 19998
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> CW mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/cw
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:CW at mailman.qth.net
> CW List ARCHIVES: http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/cw/
> Unsubcribe send email to
> cw-unsubscribe at mailman.qth.net
> Subscribe send email to cw-subscribe at mailman.qth.net
> Support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> =30=
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/cw/attachments/20241005/32281ecd/attachment.html>