TELEGRAPH KEY

I've owned a number of Ted McElroy Deluxe speed keys.    There has always been a lot of hype around Ted's line of keys as "The worlds fastest Telegrapher".  The deluxe mac keys are beautiful with their marble painted base and "T" handle.   The "T" handle allowed the key to be picked up easily -- when the work shift was done for the day. 

I found the T handle Mac keys to be difficult to adjust and sort of crude.   The parts are large and it requires a very heavy hand to slap them around in order to send good code.  Also pictured is a like new Deluxe, with Ivory finger pieces and a leather carry case.  The Deluxe Mac keys had platinum contacts and a dot stablizer.  A picture of the dot stablizer is also included.  I also used to own the included picture of a P500 Mac key that is in like new condition.   The P500 was one of the last keys he produced before selling out to TAC.  The like new condition P500 in the picture has a very thick and heavy base of cast iron.   The last of the TAC bugs had a very large heavy base and all the ones I've tested sent dots way too fast even with both weights.  It would be best to slow them down by using a dot arm extender.  As just adding more weight causes the dot arm to become unwieldly -- heavy.   All the Mac keys are very collectable and a part of history.  But because they required such a heavy hand to slap them around,  I dont own a Mac key today.   You can do better :-)  But they do look good sitting at the operating position :-)   A very impressive hunk of steel :-)    Take a good look at the paint job on the P500.  Its the best paint job I've ever seen on any key.  Almost like velvet. 

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