They have 17,000 titles in stock for both service and operation manuals for equipment dating from the 1930's to the present day. With W7FG Vintage Manuals, Vibroplex creates reproduction manuals for vintage Amateur Radio, shortwave radio, scanners, audio and test equipment. To complete a ham station the company also manufacturers the Par Endfedz antennas for both single and multi band operation. In 2017 the company introduced the INRAD line of microphone and headset products. The company also supplies the OEM filters for the Elecraft K3S transceiver. In addition Vibroplex manufacturers INRAD(International Radio) which is aftermarket crystal and roofing filters for use in transceivers and receivers from the 1960's to the present day. After many years in New York and a handful of ownership changes over the 115 year period, Vibroplex has been operating in Knoxville, TN since 2009. Vibroplex keys are manufactured in the USA and they presently manufacture Morse code keys under the Vibroplex and Bencher brands. They were founded in New York in 1905 by Horace Martin, the inventor of the semi-automatic or "bug" Morse code key. Vibroplex is the oldest continuously operating business in Amateur Radio.
Currently the company is located at 2906 Tazewell Pike, Suite A2B, Knoxville, TN 37918. In 2009 Scott Robbins, W4PA purchased The Vibroplex Company and relocated it to Knoxville, Tennessee. Felton Mitchell Jr., WA4OSR, purchased Vibroplex and moved the company to Mobile Alabama. Co.īy 1910 Vibroplex bugs were manufactured back in New York and were sold under the Vibroplex name and New York on the nameplate.ġ979 the company went from New York to Portland, Maine. Martin briefly moved the company to Norcross Georgia and sold his keys under the name of United Electric Mfg. The first Vibroplex company ad for a Champion model appeared in the November 1939 issue of QST on page 114.Īlthough I list 1979 as the end date for the Champion model, Vibroplex still had some new old stock on hand and was selling these even after the company moved to Maine. Even though it was the cheapest priced Vibroplex, the Champion handles very well and is probably the second most popular model of Vibroplex sold. An ad that appeared in a 1940 edition of the ARRL handbook has them listed for $9.95 while a Vibroplex Original and the Vibroplex Lightning Bug sold for $13.75. The Champion was advertised "for radio use only" and was the lowest-priced Vibroplex. No Champion bugs will be found with a circuit closer which was used in land line telegraphy. The Champion looks and feels like a low priced spin off of the No. The Champion model is the second Vibroplex model to have the simple "I" style damper. The Vibroplex Champion first appeared in 1939 immediately after the Vibroplex Zephyr model. This 1952 Vibroplex Champion model was manufactured at 833 Broadway New York, NY.
According to the "Birth dates of Vibroplex keys" by John Elwood, WW7P, he states that in 1952 the following serial numbers were used 174,763 thru 179,232.
The serial number of this key is 176798 which places this bug as being made in 1952. This Vibroplex model is known as the Champion which was produced from 1939 to 1979.