Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 — Speaking of craftsmanship, I haven’t had time to photograph the incredibly well-made bug and wooden case I wrote about last … but I do have a photo to share of some more recent craftsmanship.
The key at right is a “proof of concept” key made by Wayne Smith, K8FF, designer of the Vibroplex Code Warrior key, and the guy who makes the neat “Kranker knobs” for a number of radios.
Like the Vibroplex Code Warrior Jr., the key uses magnets for lever tension instead of springs. According to Wayne’s eBay listing at the time (February 2011), he made three of these keys. He kept one for himself and sold the other two. I ran across his auction listing 3o minutes after he posted it, and I immediately hit the Buy It Now button. I’ve had the key since it arrived March 3.
The second key he had listed sold within the next day or so. The second key has surfaced on eBay a couple of times in the months since it was first listed. I had thoughts of buying that one too … could this key be the next one commercially manufactured by Vibroplex, Bencher or another company?
But just because its one of three keys doesn’t make it collectible or necessarily rare. Well, the key surfaced again on eBay, this time the seller was taking offers. I submitted an offer the seller accepted. So now I’m the proud owner of two of the three of these keys, lol!
A LITTLE HISTORY. K8FF’s design that became the Vibroplex Code Warrior Jr. was the winning design in the 1997 NorCal Design Contest. The NorCal QRP Club kitted the key and sold it. It wasn’t long before Vibroplex bought the rights to the key and began producing it as the Code Warrior Jr. Seems like it was 1998 when they began selling it.
I actually have a couple of the NorCal K8FF kit keys in my collection. The first I picked up at a hamfest in Northern Kentucky about six years ago; the second one was an eBay find. It’s not a bad little key kit, but Vibroplex made it smoother with better contacts and knurled round locknuts on the adjustments instead of hex head nuts.
I have to give K8FF his dues, he’s created a very nice, compact key in both the Code Warrior Jr. and this latest prototype. Rather than writing about CW keys I need to spend more time putting them on the air!