{"product_id":"1948-semiautomatic-eddystone-s689-bug-key-ez0936","title":"1948 Semiautomatic Eddystone S689 Bug Key EZ0936","description":"\u003ch1 data-buy-box-listing-title=\"\" data-listing-id=\"752534660\" class=\"mb-xs-2 normal break-word\"\u003e1948 Semiautomatic Eddystone S689 Bug Key EZ0936\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp data-listing-id=\"752534660\"\u003eThis amazing looking Morse key is a 1948 Semiautomatic Eddystone S689 Bug Key EZ0936.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-listing-id=\"752534660\"\u003eThe Eddystone S689 Bug Key holds a unique position. It is, with the exception of the 'Autopiler' of 1932, the only Morse key of semi-automatic design manufactured and sold in Great Britain in limited numbers. A piece of communication history!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis Key is in original condition and has not been repainted. The top cover bears a few paint chip 'battle scars'. It comes with the original lead and jack plug.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaximum Length:- 21.5 cm (nose to end of the key)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaximum width:- 9cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-listing-id=\"752534660\"\u003eThe top of the key is marked Eddystone, and the underneath has 'Model S689,' 'Ro. No.853967' and EZ0936.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe exact number of S689s produced is unknown, but it seems clear that the figure did not exceed 500 and today we have one of them on offer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-listing-id=\"752534660\"\u003eDesign and Construction\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe key is almost entirely constructed of untreated brass and die cast aluminium, with the base and cover being finished in black crackle enamel and it weighs in at 1.4 kg. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdjustment followed the convention of other conventional single lever semi-automatic keys with the exception of the dot return coil spring, the tension of which is not independently adjustable. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis spring is held by the left-hand control arm stop screw and the tension can only be varied to a small degree by setting of both the left-hand and the right-hand stop screws. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe main pivot pin bearings consist of a single ball for each bearing, only the lower of which is adjustable. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo speed weights are provided, one large and one small, and use of either or both can give a wide variation in dot speed. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe arm is damped in the rest position by a rubber grommet on the back stop. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\nA testimony to the quality of design and production engineering standards of Eddystone is that, unlike the majority of other designs, the control arm of the S689 can be completely dismantled down to individual components.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-listing-id=\"752534660\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eHistory\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-listing-id=\"752534660\"\u003eBy the late 1940's, the Birmingham based Stratton and Company Ltd, later to become known as Eddystone Radio, had built up a fine reputation for the manufacture of high class communication receivers and accessories but it was not until late 1947 that work began to develop a semi-automatic Morse key in the style of Martin's 1904 Vibroplex Original design, but in a style in keeping with the traditional Eddystone use of die castings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing a showing of pre-production devices at the Amateur Radio Exhibition in November 1947 an initial production run of 250 keys was made in early 1948. Although the S689 was liked by many users, sales of the key continued to be poor and at the prospect of continuing poor sales, Eddystone 'pulled the plug' offered the remaining unsold but assembled keys, and the entire stock of unassembled components, as a clearance lot to Birmingham's Chas. H. Young Amateur Radio Company, who placed the S689 on special offer and continued selling them until stocks were exhausted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-listing-id=\"752534660\" class=\"mb-xs-2 normal break-word\"\u003ePlease click on the following link for more\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mullardantiques.co.uk\/collections\/morse-keys-telegraphy\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e vintage morse keys.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background-image: url(data:image\/svg+xml; base64,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); background-size: 14px 14px; background-color: #bd081c; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; border: none; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;\"\u003eSave\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background-image: url(data:image\/svg+xml; base64,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); background-size: 14px 14px; background-color: #bd081c; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; border: none; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;\"\u003eSave\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Eddystone","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41896177500417,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0303\/5122\/8972\/products\/DSC03068.jpg?v=1634736944","url":"https:\/\/mullardantiques.co.uk\/en-us\/products\/1948-semiautomatic-eddystone-s689-bug-key-ez0936","provider":"Mullard Antiques and Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}