No.2 MkIII military morse key was widely used in World War II.

Vibroplex Original Standard Serial 260697 ( 1960 )

Israel Spy Key

Siemens Ediswan W392E used in coastal radio station( CIRCA 1930 )

HI-Mound HK-708, Made in Japan for the US market. ( Circa 1980 )

K-4 or DJG-4 heavy duty straight keys were made for the Chinese army.

( Circa 1960 )

J-37 U.S. Signal Corps. telegraph code key with leg attachment mostly used by pilots and parachutists.

Model TKF. All plated metal key with large doorknob shaped knob integrated onto hollow plastic base with plastic cover which snaps over the key.  It was made in Ukrainian Telegraphy Equipment Plant ZTA in Cherkassy. Some of its features were taken from the German Junker DRP key design. Keys were mostly used by military and Arctic weather stations.
(Circa 1970 )

WWII Enclosed WT 8-Amp Key Fire Proof model.

Triumph Key the Japanese version produced for the Radio Amateur market in the late 1970's.

Bath Tub Morse Key. These where used in the RAF Bombers during the second world war.

Altai TK3 ( Circa 1990 )

Merit by J&LR Ltd ( Circa 1980 )

WW II Royal Air Force WT 8-Amp Key Type 10F/2533 (Circa 1940 )

U.S. Signal Corps J-38 telegraph key. Used also as a training key in various Army school systems during World War II.  They key was produced in huge numbers in the 1940s and later.

Soviet Army miniature morse key. Purchased directly from the manufacturer surplus warehouse. Several models of military back carrying radios in 80's-90's were supplied with these keys. The key is equipped with detachable metal circular base with leg fixing strip for field operation and a connecting cord. Contact spacing and spring tension is easily adjustable.

WW II Royal Air Force Key And Plug Assembly Number 9 ( Circa 1940s ) The key is equipped with leg fixing strip for field and aeronautical operation.

British Sea Cadet Corps Buzzer Practice. Marked Ref 1261 made by Signalling Equipment LTD also marked with Potters Bar Middlesex .

This Bulgarian key is marked on the top of the cover with 'G. Damjanov' and 'Razgrad'. G. Damjanov was the name of the factory and Razgrad is the city in which it was located. George Parvanov Damjanov, 1892-1958 was a hero of socialistic work. In 1992 the name of the factory was changed to han Krum (han=king).

RUSSIAN TRAINING KEY : Many of these keys were made for use in training DOSAAF (MARS) and school children in the use of the code. Greg Ulsamer reports that DOSAAF represents abbreviations of the Russian words: Dobrovol'noye Obshchestvo Sodeystviya Armii Aviacii i Flota which means in English : Voluntary Organization for the promotion of Army, Air Force and Navy, a pre-military organization to train children in these fields. (1950 - 1970 )

WECo model 6B made by J H Bunnell Company. This key has a bakelite knob about 3/4" in diameter, a shorting switch, and the famous WECo alloy contacts to handle up to 20A with no problems. The keys were mounted in sets of four on top of the Western Electric Test Set . Each key had a number from 1 - 4 to help the operator identify the correct circuit.

The Instructograph was produced from the 1920s ! Instructographs were used by many thousands of would-be telegraph operators to learn and increase their code-copying ability. The original version shown uses a hand-wound spring driven motor with a centrifugal governor and were supplied with American Morse Code paper tapes with short holes for dots and long holes for dashes. Later models used electric motor drives and included a battery powered and later AC line powered oscillator to produce tones for training radio operators. The manual says "if one cannot learn to become a skilled operator with the consistent use of the machine and instruction, they had as well give up the idea" (circa 1930)

This heavy key was mainly used for keying the external lights on Navy ships durin radio silence. Its contacts are enclosed in a large metal drum to ensure that any sparks made by the contacts would not trigger an explosion. The label reads:BETTS & BETTS 1905 REV 1 TYPE A28A ( circa 1950-1970)

British KMK-2 LARKSPUR Military Key mraked (ZA46593). Straight key with tiny doorknob style knob enclosed in a flameproof olive-drab enclosure with round connectors on each side and two screw terminals on the back. It was used with British C11, C12, and C13 portable field radio sets. Most keys of this version were made by SMD in Pretoria, S. Africa . (WWII)

Key-and-sounder combination set known as KOB from Menominee Electric Co. (which later became Signal Electric Co.) manufactured in Menominee Michigan fitted with a the company's version of the Triumph Key .

American Military key model J-48 A was mounted on the flip-open front panel of the BC-654 portable and mobile radio sets. WWII

Soviet Army key which were used in Sea Fleet. Tiny metal lever mounted on a backelite brown base. Mechanism covered by chrome metal cover. All mounted on a grey stamped aluminium base.

Mc Murdo This small key was used on many post-WW-II British and Australian portable field radio sets. It is completely sealed and waterproof and has non adjustable contacts which require about 283g pressure and have 3mm travel.

The Instructograph Juior was produced from the 1920s ! Instructographs were used by many thousands of would-be telegraph operators to learn and increase their code-copying ability. The original version shown uses a hand-wound spring driven motor with a centrifugal governor and were supplied with American Morse Code paper tapes with short holes for dots and long holes for dashes. Later models used electric motor drives and included a battery powered and later AC line powered oscillator to produce tones for training radio operators. The manual says "if one cannot learn to become a skilled operator with the consistent use of the machine and instruction, they had as well give up the idea" (circa 1947)

NATO Key has preset tension settings. It was designed for use by NATO forces. Made by Pryce Edwards Ltd. and Marconi S. & R. Systems Ltd in the 1970/80's. The cover of this key is battleship grey painted brass. It weighs a hefty 3-1/2 lbs. The cover measures 8" by 3.25" (203mm by 83mm) but the keys overall length is 10.5" (268mm).

British Army Morse Key Trainer
Made by Irwin Desman Ltd. in England, NSN 6940-99-219-2848. These keys were used by the MOD in the training of new radio operators. The unit uses 2 standard 9 Volt "PP3" Batteries. Built in sounder with external speaker jack. Has Tone and Volume adjustment controls. Morse key is fully adjustable and is of sturdy metal construction.

Clansman Morse Key is a vehicle and fix station robust key. It is used with the VRC-321, VRC-353, can also be used with Clansman back-pack radios such as PRC-319, PRC-320 when used in a stationary role. The cable terminates with a 7 pin standard Clansman audio plug. Clansman has been in use by British forces since the early 1980s in most recent UK military operations , the first active use being by 2nd Bn the Parachute Regiment in the Falkland Islands operation in 1982 . Made by R.O.F. Blackburn Royal Ordnance Factories ( ROFs ) was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories in and after World War II . Until privatisation in 1987 they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply and later the Ministry of Defence .

Clansman Morse Key is a vehicle and fix station robust key. It is used with the VRC-321, VRC-353, can also be used with Clansman back-pack radios such as PRC-319, PRC-320 when used in a stationary role. The cable terminates with a 7 pin standard Clansman audio plug. Clansman has been in use by British forces since the early 1980s in most recent UK military operations , the first active use being by 2nd Bn the Parachute Regiment in the Falkland Islands operation in 1982 .

Luftwaffe Flameproof Key which was copied by the allied Forces and became the CTE-26003A WW II U.S. Navy key. The first three letters indicate the manufacturer: Telephonics Corp.

 

Larkspur Unit Operarator No. 1 No.2 MkIII military morse key was widely used in World War II. It has connectors for mic and phones. It houses a WT 8 AMP No.2 MkIII Key.

 

By Otfried DL9YG + 9H3JW

MFJ-564 Deluxe Iambic Paddle.

British Commercial Marine Spark Training Key. The large brass plates were used as a resonator to make a good noise on the desk or table so that the teacher could listen if the dits and dots were properly sent bythe students.

( circa 1935 )

Homebrew Key copy of the J-46 Signaling key.

Homebrew Hacksaw Blade Sideswiper Key Key by OH2HOD Raili, OH2OT Keijo & OH2ME Esco donated to me as a gift. This type of keys are also known as Double Speed Key and Cootie Key.

Hungerian Military Key still in original packing ( un-issued ) made in Budapest by Mechlabor produced for the Warsaw Pact 1945 - 1985 and were used with the R104M radio sets.

British WW II YA1860 This key is part of a Field-telephone Sets. Measures 6 X 4 X 4 cm.

Landline camelback design for added balance with the flat, non- adjustable spring. This Key was manufactured in circa 1870-1880 by the Austrian Company Hekaphon. (Marked no.25)

This Junkers key came from a German research ship. Inside the cover is a stamp BMI = Bundesministerium des Innern (in English Interior Federal Ministry).

Redifon A4284 Marine type. This key features neither a pivoting shaft nor coiled springs. ( Redifon - formed in 1948 was part of the large REDIFUSION company).

 

Remote control unit L-Nº 2 was manufactured by PYE U.K. and were used with Wireless Sets number 62 and C12 from the 1940's through the 1960's by Commonwealth Countries Military, including South Africa, from 1940-1960.

 

 

WWII bicycle/ motorcycle lantern with swappable yelloy/green lense colours. The bulb inside supplied by a battery in the housing. Morse signals are sent by depressing the top knob.