One of my other hobbies -Before and after photos added

[butchie_t]

is Amateur Radio.

I just picked up this little gem of a Vibroplex Key. She needs some TLC but she is also in beautiful shape for a circa early 40's WWII key. By the looks of it, it appears to have been kept in someones attic for decades. Still in really nice overall shape.

Once it gets delivered I am gonna take it all apart and clean it up. Swap any parts that are beyond saving and get this back into presentation shape. Heck, I may even get out my Heathkit micro-matic keyer and start practicing again.

Butch

[BobbyStrawberry]

Very cool!

[bnorth]

+1 very cool. Post a pic after you fix it up.

[butchie_t]

Originally Posted by bnorth

+1 very cool. Post a pic after you fix it up.

Will do Ben,

Thanks.

[mrreality68]

Very cool Butch. Beyond my interest or skill set but very cool

And agreed love to see photos when done.

Just curious how did you get into it? Your father? Or someone in family? School?

[butchie_t]

Originally Posted by mrreality68

Very cool Butch. Beyond my interest or skill set but very cool

And agreed love to see photos when done.

Just curious how did you get into it? Your father? Or someone in family? School?

My dad was an ET for JHU-APL. He helped build early satellites for them in the 60’s. Pictures are crazy on how they built them then verses now.

I have always been around RF of some sort since my teens. CB in the 70’s, I was a ground radio repair tech in the Air Force and a Satellite Controller/Maintainer for better part of my career.

And now I am a network geek and am still working RF with wireless networks.

I picked this keyer up on Ebay. I had watched this person sending code with a bug and it piqued an interest. Bugs have a certain melody when someone sends code really well on them.

https://youtu.be/2a4scmlC7tI

So, I went looking and found this one at a nice price. It was made in 1945 based on the serial number. It sort of looks like it has been stored in an attic since then.

I have been a Ham since 85 and am just getting back into the hobby after a very long delay. Now, whether I relearn code is to be determined at this point, But getting this keyer cleaned up and looking good again may just get me to catch the ‘bug’. Pardon the pun. And thanks for asking.

Butch

[mrreality68]

Very cool
Thanks for sharing your story

[butchie_t]

I won't overload the post with all the pictures I took as I was putting the key back together. I'll just show the finished results.

I ended up unknowingly cleaning off some of the black crackle paint on the top part of the key next to the Vibroplex tag. I am gonna fix that with some matte black nail polish. Cleaned all the chrome up with Flitz polish and cleaned the dash and dot contacts with a silver contact cleaner. Had to replace the isolation spacers as they fell apart when I disassembled it. But she is pretty now.

And I can get between 40 - 50 dots on a key down (that is a good thing). Now time to relearn code.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by butchie_t

I won't overload the post with all the pictures I took as I was putting the key back together. I'll just show the finished results.

I ended up unknowingly cleaning off some of the black crackle paint on the top part of the key next to the Vibroplex tag. I am gonna fix that with some matte black nail polish. Cleaned all the chrome up with Flitz polish and cleaned the dash and dot contacts with a silver contact cleaner. Had to replace the isolation spacers as they fell apart when I disassembled it. But she is pretty now.

And I can get between 40 - 50 dots on a key down (that is a good thing). Now time to relearn code.

Nice, thanks for the update pictures.

[butchie_t]

Thanks Ben,

The chrome parts are pitted and should be re-chromed. The polish did clean up a great deal of pitting. It cleaned up good enough for me and what is left shows a bit of character for its age.

Cheers,

Butch