History

Acquired via eBay on November 28, 2023

Above: The Vibroplex Original Deluxe from 1994.

Operating Feel

Summary: The 1994 Vibroplex Original Deluxe remains a masterpiece of industrial art. It taught me finesse and precision. But for my daily driving, the rugged stability of the Lionel J-36 won out.
The Vibroplex is the key I admire - the J-36 is the key I work. :-)

Some details: Inspired by discussions about W0EB’s Dot Stabilizer, I decided to give it a try. I had been fighting some bounce effects when using this key with a YAESU FT-2000, so the timing was perfect. Big thanks to Josep (EA6BF) for sending me such a toy.

The Dot Stabilizer provided to me by EA6BF...

...Mounted to my Vibroplex Original

The little device proved effective in compensating for my fist (or the rough contacts on this key?). I decided to build my own version of such Dot Stabilizer following the article Round Bar Dot Stabilizer by Aubrey J. Sheldon – W0EB (PDF). The result is pictured below. Once I had successfully tested my build, I passed Josep’s unit on to Volker (DJ9BM) for evaluation.

Above: Following the article of Aubrey J. Sheldon (W0EB) I created my own version.

For a while the centerpiece of my operating position was this 1994 Vibroplex Original Deluxe. There is something undeniable about the “Deluxe” finish—the high-polish chrome base and the red-topped finger pieces give it a presence that demands attention. So this wasn’t just a tool, it was my favorite key, the one I reached for when I wanted to use a bug and feel the rhythm of a semi-automatic key. This key features the jeweled trunnion movement that sets the Deluxe apart from the Standard models - according to the advertisements. ;-) For me, as a bug-beginner, those jeweled bearings don’t make a tangible difference. Of course, the action is smooth, with almost zero friction in the pendulum swing. It reacts fast and agile but also demands a disciplined fist…

• The Dash: The lever has a crisp, sharp return. You have to be precise; the Original doesn’t forgive a lazy wrist.
• The Dots: The pendulum on the ‘94 model is lively. Without additional weight it naturally wants to sing at 25+ wpm. I spent plenty of time fine-tuning the dot contact gap and the damper wheel to get a clean string of dits without a “scratchy” sound. The solution was the Dot Stabilizer eventually.

As much as I loved the elegance of this Vibroplex, it was eventually dethroned by a Lionel J-36 (essentially a militarized “Lightning Bug” design).

Where the Vibroplex felt “nervous” and required a feather-light touch, the J-36 offers a more planted, substantial feedback. I found the J-36’s geometry—often a slightly different pivot placement than the Original — to be more forgiving for long ragchews. It doesn’t have the jeweled movement of the Deluxe, but the sheer mass and stability of the J-36 mechanism produces a heavy, authoritative contact closure that I eventually came to prefer. Read the full review of the Lionel on its own page.