n9ik’s radio blog

Recently, I bid on a key to add to my fledgling collection of Morse keys, and hopefully would be a good key to use on the air.  This key was a CJB 26003A “Flame Proof” key, and is a key that seems to be one of the most highly praised keys by members of the Straight Key Century Club (SKCC).  The description for this key on eBay included “Used on Neptune maritime aircraft and other RAAF aircraft of the time such as Lincolns etc.  Label dated on box 1984 where they may have been reidentified when the aircraft was decomissioned.” 

I won the bidding for the key!  I’d resigned myself to not being able to afford a good key, and in fact I’ve bid on, and lost, quite a few straight keys and bugs recently on eBay.  I didn’t really expect to win the bidding, but I think that I got lucky.

I received the key a couple of days ago, and I am very, very pleased.  This key is in mint condition, still has the little plastic cover over the binding posts, and in fact it came in the original box.  It’s apparent that this key is “NOS”, or New Old Stock, and had never been issued.  Taking off the paper wrapper with customs stickers and Australian postage, seeing this original press-board box with manufacturers markings and military stock label was quite a treat.

Opening the box, you find a solid looking, black crinkly-finished key, with a tall “Navy” type knob.  The mechanism and contacts are sealed inside the metal housing, preventing any potential sparks from igniting any flammable fumes - hence the “Flame Proof” moniker.

This key has been manufactured by several different companies for the US and Allied military, primarily the Navy, going back (I think) to WWII.  You can tell who the manufacturer was by the three-letter prefix of this key’s model number.  This one, for example, is CJB 26003A, with CJB being the “code” for J. H. Bunnell & Company.  Bunnell produced telegraph keys beginning in 1878, and produced keys and other electronic equipment to the military from the time of the Spanish American War through 1988 at least.  During the last 30 years of that the Flame Proof was manufactured, ending in 1988, Bunnell was the sole manufacturer.

Manufacturer codes:

• CJB- J. H. Bunnell
• CTE- Telephonics
• CMK- McElroy
• CMI- Moulded Insulator Co.

After making some adjustments and playing around with the key for a few minutes, I have to say that the action on this key is the best that I’ve been able to use so far.