I have had a rather derelict E.F. Johnson Speed-X bug rattling around my SUV for several weeks now. It arrived by mail and was a cheapie I picked up from eBay. It looked like it had been rode hard and put up wet, with various stains and corrosion all over it. I wasn't expecting much, and in fact I figured it would wind up as a parts key.
It took me a while to disassemble the key. Most of the adjustments were frozen, so I lubed them up well and let it set a while. I freed up all the adjustments and disassembled the key.
The contacts — silver, as per original issue — were black. Some Tarn-X took care of the contacts. I disassembled it the best I could, cleaned up the base and related parts and then lubed all the screws and pivot adjustments.
It cleaned up surprisingly well. The screws holding the paddles are rusted tight, and I will probably need to break them loose or off to get them off. I'll change them with some modern replacements. Fortunately, the paddles are in good shape.
After reassembling the key, it peforms admirably well. I want to adjust the paddle position a little, but I'll need to break loose (or break off) the screws first.
The action of the Speed-X is smooth. It came with one standard weight on the pendulum. I added one small Vibroplex weight, and then my homebrewed bug tamer. The Vibroplex weight really didn't make that much difference in my effort to slow it down some. It runs faster than my 1925 Vibroplex does, but that's not a bad thing.
I didn't hear a single CW signal in the Novice subband tonight. There were quite a few static crashes tonight.
This weekend I listened to some interesting QSOs featuring some homebrew equipment. One fellow was running a homebrew rig with a Hartley oscillator. It had a very unique CW note, just a slight bit of chirp. It didn't sound like the usual Icom or Kenwood rig. Ahh, those were the days!
I've been cleaning up my shack looking for some paperwork, so I've rediscovered some interesting items. I rediscovered a WWII deluxe Vibroplex Original bug it just flat mint shape that I purchased this summer. Never had the key on the air. It's in its original Vibroplex case. It's very, very nice.
Well that's all for now, it's off to play some spades vs. the computer before bed.
73 es CUL … de KY4Z …. dit dit …..