Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011, 11:30 a.m. — Not feeling on top of my game yet today … either not enough coffee or not enough Mucinex, one or the other!
I’ve not been pouncing on bargains on eBay this month, mostly because I’m saving money for Christmas presents for others — and the fact that I’ve purchased enough Christmas “gift” keys for myself in the past few months. Actually there have been a number of keys I was interested in pursuing, but due to other matters taking my time I didn’t follow the auctions closely.
In fact, I guess the only eBaying I’ve done has been Christmas gifts of late. I agree it is better to give than receive, but hey, you have to feed the “bug” addiction even at Christmas time!
I keep going to the Vibroplex Web site to look at their new key, the Vibrocube. I’m not interested in buying one, and it still strikes me as an oddity. Does the original Vibroplex Iambic really dance around the table that much? Who bangs away at an iambic key so much they need a six-pound key? I own a couple of Vibroplex Iambics, and they are nice, iambic keys that hold their place well. The Vibroplex paddle most likely to scoot around would be any of the variations of the Code Warrior key. But even that isn’t that bad. My guess is that it depends on how you operate a key/paddle/bug.
My initial impression of the Vibrocube was one word: Ugly! I have tried to allow the key time to “grow” on me, but it just isn’t happening. I think the key would look 200 percent better if they left the pivot frame and keying levers chrome. I do NOT like the look of those parts painted. No other Vibroplex that uses that pivot frame or levers has ever been painted before, and I think it detracts from the look of the key. I think it would look better with the standard all-chrome upper parts. Sure, make the base wrinkle black, but not the upper parts. The website promises the key is sturdy (no doubt), and the wrinkle paint is tough to chip. Can it be more durable than chrome plating? I wondered to myself if using them painted allowed him to use some of the pivot frames with flawed chrome since it wouldn’t show; I’ve wondered too if they applied paint over the chrome.
Vibroplex owner Scott Robbins promises a Deluxe version of the key to come later, which will feature a chrome base and top parts. I’m sure the fastest way to get a new key to market like this was to first produce it with a non-plated base. I’m looking forward to seeing the key in all chrome. I expect if you wanted, they will gladly build you one with a chrome pivot frame and the painted base. One thing that Scott wisely is doing is offering jeweled bearing upgrades to the “standard” version of this key; he did the same thing with the Vibroplex 100th Anniverary model too, which was a great idea. The several 100th Anniversary keys I own are all the standard pivot models; if I were to pursue another 100th Anniversary model, it would be one with the jeweled pivots.
RETURN OF THE LIGHTNING BUG. One of the more interesting postings I found on the Vibroplex Facebook page was the mention that the company plans to bring back the Lightning Bug model — a move that I have long believed was overdue. The Lightning Bug uses no cast parts; its all assembled, and was cheaper to build since it uses no castings. At one time Vibroplex had three keys based on the Lightning Bug basic design (the Champion and the Zephyr).
I hope Scott makes the key available in the old “japanned” finish like the 100th Anniversary key. This year is the Lightning Bug’s 85th anniversary, so I’m not sure if he could tie in the return of the key to some milestone.
The Lightning Bug Deluxe is one of my favorite Vibroplex models. I love ’em all, but the Lightning Bug is a favorite of the bunch. My second favorite Lightning Bug is the 1920s-1930s models with the japanned base and gold trim. The Lightning Bug has been out of production for more than 30 years.
Is there enough demand to justify the return of a discontinued key? And with CW no longer a requirement for a ham ticket, is CW a mode destined for the scrapheap?? I can only hope that Scott will follow through on the Lightning Bug plans!
Returning an out-of-production key to production has happened before — with the Blue Racer. Then owner W4OA brought it back about 2000; the difference between the early versions and the reintroduced Blue Racer was the size of the parts; the original Blue Racer used parts that were scaled down to something like 2/3 size. The resurrected one used standard Original parts built on a Blue Racer width base (2-1/2 inches). Put the early and later Blue Racers side by side and you can see the difference, but it’s not a big deal. The idea was hugely successful; Mitch was smart enough to offer the standard Blue Racer with a blue base — a very nice touch to make the key really stand out! No question its a Blue Racer, and no need to upgrade for the chrome base version to have a unique key on your desk!
EBAY SPOTTING. There’s a Bunnell Gold Bug on eBay now, an early bug built using a slightly different contact arrangment to avoid infringing on Vibroplex’s patents. I finally acquired one (they’re fairly rare and expensive when they do show up), and the reason they didn’t make many is obvious — its not a smoothly operating key. The one on eBay has — to the horror of the key collector community — been polished extensively; it shines like new money — a patina that brass won’t naturally have after 90 years. I don’t know if that will hurt its final winning bid; it looks nice, but its kinda marred by the polishing too. If it sells like most of them do, I’ll be watching this auction and not participating!
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