TELEGRAPH KEY

Les Logan produced a large number of Speed X keys from his machine shop in San Francisco.  The keys that he produced were unique in that the dot arm coil spring was added around the outside of the left side adjustment screw.  If your Vibroplex needed a new dot arm coil spring you could use this method to attach any type of coil spring without having to modify the dot arm.  Over the years the adjustment screws on Les Logans can seize up in the cast iron T handle frame.  When they do seize up, its not easy to loosen them without marking up the screw heads.  Re-thread the cast iron and apply some anti-seize compound and it wont happen again.  All of the T handle bugs I've come across had adjustment screws seized up in the frame.  The thing I have noticed about the Les Logan/Johnson keys was the tendancy for the dot arm main spring to be a little on the weak side compared to Vibroplex.   I was lucky to find a Deluxe Chrome model that was new in the box.  Its the one with replaceable contact points and was found at a church rummage sale.   Exactly how it came about being new in the box is a mystery.  Les Logan and some others produced keys using 4 rubber feet.  If one foot was slightly different sized, the key would wobble.   Vibroplex  keys use 3 rubber feet and that means they are self correcting no matter the size of the feet. It would be extrodinarily rare to find a Vibroplex that wobbled on its feet :-)  Enclosed is also a picture of 3 Les Logan T handle keys at the operating position.   Each one adjusted for a different speed range with custom wood  finger pieces.  I used them in several CW contests with good success.   One of them came from the Telegraph Museum of Tom,  W1TP and its pictured on his CD rom of telegraph keys as key #7330.   Try this link to see the pictures of this key and other keys in his extensive collection on the web.     http://w1tp.com/m8000.htm

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