Semi-Automatic Keys - Teach an Old SEADOG New Tricks?

[David J. J. Ring, Jr.]

The Vibroplex Original is a beautiful key, one of the best.

I refinished my Presentation because the base got scratched - I won't tell you how much it cost to refinish the top plate in 24k gold - it was 20 years ago and was nearly $90 from a cousin who owns a gold plating shop and gave me a discount!

If I had access to a shop that did PVD vapor finishing,  I would refinish the base in PVD finish as it is much tougher, I found even by being careful and stowing my 1/4 inch cord inside the Vibroplex Presentation instrument case, it eventually made scratches in the gold plating.  Maybe this is one of the reasons I don't use it much.

The key I used most often?

My late 1960s Vibroplex Original. I brought that with me on my ships, it flew in carry-on luggage from Honolulu, Singapore, Tokyo, Panama, Rotterdam, Puerto Arenas, Chile, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- too bad I didn't have room on the carrying case for stickers.

Recently though, I've started a preference for my I1QOD J-36 bug.  The dots almost never stop on this thing it's so beautifully made.  Alberto deserves credit.  I've also been sending with an Begali Intrepid which at first, I didn't like because it has a completely different feel that other semi-automtic keys.  It's like a watch rather than a pendulum clock like the Vibroplex. 

I1QOD Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8JXr3I2ycQ 

I1QOD Picture:

I also was gifted a beautiful Intrepid "Russian Bug" style with two levers - the added cootie lever for making every other dash - most useful on numbers for making uniform dashes at high speeds.  I've asked Piero for a spacer block to minimize the separation between the two levers.  It will be a better more useful key then because the "turn around time" with the wide spacing is just too much for smooth dashes.  The distance between flats of each paddle finger piece should be 23mm.

Begali Video of his bug in action (short one). https://youtu.be/phpSHbdP2n0

Picture: 

The spacing between the flats of the paddles in the Russian type Bug with two levers should be 23mm, I've asked Piero Begali for some spacers.  He made this bug from photos.  It works very well but the spacing makes "turn around on repeated dashes" at high speeds difficult to send them flawlessly. 

73

DR

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

What makes a Presentation Model a specific model and not a finish of the current Original is the LaHiff adjustable mainspring.

These were added to the Original type key, the lever was slotted to accept the adjustable mainspring, and a 24k gold top plate was added. The Presentation model came in deluxe jeweled bearings - except for the earliest versions after the end of WWII it had a red decorative piece that covered up the hole in the frame - the top part of the trunnion screw was removed because too many operators were cracking the jewels by tightening up on them.

The Deluxe keys all had red finger pieces, jeweled bearings, and a little tinned copper wire to ensure excellent ground connection between the dot contact on the dot spring and the dash contact mounted on the dash leve.  Peter Garsoe of Vibroplex, Portland in a cost cutting move discontinued this badly needed feature - ever since the Deluxe keys have often had problems with clean dots.

The pre-1979 Blue Racers were scaled down models of the Original on a 2.5 inch base with miniature lever and frame, it was quite speedy because it had a shorter vibrator.

All current semi-automatic keys sold by Vibroplex are different finishes (not models) of the Original. There is a Presentation finish, no adjustable mainspring, but a beautiful top plate that is gold plated.

73

DR

N1EA