Artifax Books

Telegraph instruments for sale: J-38 keys

U.S. Signal Corps J-38 telegraph keys

Left: Scarce Lionel variation (main lever removed to show detail).

J-38 keys are fun to collect and nice to use. They are a simple hand key with a lot of history behind them. A collection of this one type could fill a long shelf with its many manufacturers and variations. As "war surplus" in the 1950s, they could be purchased from military surplus houses for as little as 95 cents each. Many radio amateurs in the 1950s and 60s began with a J-38; not only was it inexpensive, it had excellent straight-key operating qualities. Even today, many hams who use a straight key prefer the J-38 for its "feel."

The Signal Corps J-38 was a Morse Code training key, included with various Army school systems during World War Two. The key was produced in huge numbers in the 1940s and later. Five were included in the AN/GGQ-1 code practice set; twenty-two J-38 keys were included with the World War Two EE-81 school system; and forty-four with the EE-95-F system.

As used in the larger school systems, each student's key was screwed to the table, and was wired into the system with two wires connected to the "LINE" terminals. The headphones connected to the "TEL" terminals. The staycord of the headphone cable was tied to the small eyescrew, to avoid strain on the headphone wires. With his circuit closer closed, the student could listen to the practice code generated over the line. To practice sending, the student would open his key's circuit closer.

You will occasionally see the hand key (less Bakelite base) advertised as a J-38 key. While it may be from a J-38 assembly, it is not, by itself, a J-38. The military nomenclature for the general purpose hand key with circuit closer is J-30.

Several companies made the J-38 key. Some included theirs as part of a complete school system, while other makers probably provided theirs as subcontractors to suppliers of the training systems. Some makers, like McElroy, got a late start, after the specifications had been finalized (especially regarding the nomenclature to be placed on the keys), and so their J-38s are found in one variation only. Others, such as Lionel, seem to have been involved from the beginning, as their J-38s appear in several variations. Known makers of the J-38 are:

-- Lionel (three variations)
-- Signal Electric Manufacturing Company (SEMCO; three variations)
-- McElroy Manufacturing Corporation
-- American Radio Hardware Company (ARH; three variations)
-- American Radio and Telegraph Company (ARTEC)
-- The Winslow Company
-- Reeve
-- Philmore (probably never used by the Signal Corps, see below.)
-- Radio Essentials Co. (perhaps just a reseller. Name is on the box; the key appears to be an ARH.)

Because J-38s are part of the five-key practice set (AN/GGQ-1) made by Telegraph Apparatus Company (TAC), some say that TAC made those keys. But the parts list for the set gives no manufacturer for the key, suggesting that TAC would buy them from whatever source was available. All of the J-38s I have seen in those sets are ARH keys.

Left: Under the Bakelite base of a late Lionel J-38. Note the "L" logo.

The most popular J-38 is the Lionel, sought after not only by key and militaria collectors but also by Lionel model railroad hobbyists. On all of them the company name is cast into the metal key frame (remove the main lever to see it). Unlike other J-38s, the Lionel has nice large contacts on both the hammer (lever) and anvil (frame). For collectors and "rivet counters," there are three variations, all involving the Bakelite base.

-- First, the early one, with the Lionel company name engraved on the base (see first photo at top of this page). This does not have the "L" cast under the base.

-- The Army may have told Lionel not to advertise itself so obviously on the key (or, as Scott Hill surmises, it may have been a casting set-up error). In any case, the result was a second variation, which has neither the name on the base nor the "L" under the base.

-- Perhaps realizing that its name on the key frame alone was too inconspicuous, Lionel decided that a small but inobtrusive logo would not not raise the ire of the Signal Corps. An "L" was cast into the bottom of the base, resulting in a third variation (photo above left).

The second variation (without the name on, or the "L" under, the base) may be the scarcest, but the difference cannot be seen as the key is normally displayed or used. This makes the earliest version the most desirable to Lionel collectors.

The JK-38 (shown at right) is a scarce visual code training key. It uses the J-38 design and parts, but it is a different key for a different purpose. This key was part of the Navy's Bulkhead Blinker Device 26B1, which consisted of the key and a light-bulb blinker unit. The unit was "designed for mounting on barracks bulkheads or in classrooms for blinker code practice." It typically has a SC7631A stamp under the Bakelite base.

Lionel provided this key in the usual "J-38" marked box, and indeed the key used the usual "J-38" Bakelite base; only the Navy instruction sheet (NAVEXOS P-1055) identifies the key as a JK-38. It does not use the brass connector strip between the outboard terminals; instead, the key terminals are directly connected to those terminals.

The Signal Electric Manufacturing Company was making telegraph instruments long before WWII, and appears to have been one of the first contractors for this key. As with their commercial hand keys, the J-38s made by SEMCO can be identified by the cast "1852" on the bottom of the key frame.

The earliest of the SEMCO J-38s have a solid brass key frame stamped U.S.S.C. under the gap adjusting screw, and "TYPE J-38" engraved on the Bakelite base. (Left and center photos.)
This was followed by their second variation, which has the same brass key, but the Signal Corps stamp is gone from the frame, and the base is maked with the standard "J-38."
A late variation has the key frame cast in "white metal," and unusual conical terminals on the key frame. (Right photo.)

On all ARH J-38 keys, the Bakelite base is rectangular with sharp corners and a bevel on the edges, the key frame is white metal (probably zinc), and the terminal posts are cylindrical.
-- On the most common variation, the terminals, back connector strip, shorting lever, hot contact connector strip and hardware are all unplated brass. The upper (hammer) and lower (anvil) contacts are small.
-- On the variation found in the AN/GGQ-1 set provided by Telegraph Apparatus Company, the ARH J-38s in that set are the same as above, except the upper contact is large.
-- A more noticable ARH variation has chrome plated terminal posts, with the other parts being white metal (probably cadmium plated brass).

-- McElroy: Black key frame. "McElroy" is cast into the frame at left front. "J38" on Bakelite base.
-- Reeve: The headphone stay-cord eye is cast into the Bakelite base (not a metal eyescrew) and the lettering is cast (raised) in the base, not engraved. The key lever is of unusual shape (wide at spring screw) and stamped REEVE. (The Reeve key has also been found on a base marked "Key, Type J-38".)
-- Philmore: Same base as Reeve but also has "Japan" cast into the bottom; the key is the Japanese ball-bearing pivot type. This was probably never sold to the Signal Corps.
-- Winslow: The name is stamped into the center of the main lever.
-- American Radio and Telegraph Company: ARTEC is cast into the frame at left front, and the closing lever is pivoted under the back right wire terminal.

J-38 keys are still relatively common and can be found at hamfests and on the internet. However, prices have increased, keys in good condition are becoming difficult to find, and the scarce variations have all but disappeared into collections. If you would collect one from every manufacturer, most makers did not mark their J-38 keys, so they must be found "in the box" if you want to visually demonstrate who made it.

A warning to collectors: Watch out for a Lionel key placed on an ARH base to make a so-called second variation. Note that the Lionel Bakelite base has rounded corners, while the base of all other makers have square corners. Also, while cleaning is acceptable, some J-38 keys offered elsewhere have been over-polished or wire-brushed. They look wonderful in a digital photograph, but such treatment can reduce a key's collector value.

For more information on the J-38 keys, see Scott Hill's (K6IX) pages on this interesting key. Be sure to click on his "more than you ever wanted to know" link. Also, a seven-page article on the J-38 appeared in The Vail Correspondent, no. 10, January 1995.

Unless otherwise stated, the keys offered on this page are complete and original, but do not include the original box or packaging. The finish is "as found," which may range from mint-as-new to well used and tarnished. We dust the keys, but do not polish them. We leave all cleaning to your judgement.

Shipping of any one key is $7.00 in the USA.

The number (#xxxx) is our inventory number, not a model number of the key. Please give our inventory number and a brief decription of the key when inquiring about a key.

Photos: -- For some keys we have provided links to more photos, for some others (more recently posted) you can click on the main photo which is a link to another photo.

Keys are listed in this order: Lionel, ARH, others.

NEED PARTS? Knobs and springs are shown on this page.

#308BLR Early Lionel J-38..

The first Lionel J-38 variation with the name on the Bakelite base under the lever. Used condition, shows its age, but all original and works well. Scarce, we don't find these very often.
Base engraving. ... Another view of the key.
$149.00

#0407DTG late Lionel J-38..

A late variation with the "L" on the bottom of the Bakelite base. This is well used and has much tarnish and chipping of the frame finish. The Bakelite base has a flight bow from front to back. But it is a complete and original Lionel. Use as is, or restore the finish. A closer look. $59.00

#L107CEY second variation Lionel J-38.

This is the variation which has neither the Lionel name on the Bakelite base, nor the "L" cast into the underside of the base. It is complete and original, and the closing lever shows it has not seen use. However the metal parts show some oxidation and the main lever has small spots of corrosion (these should clean up fairly well). $89.00

#707BTR ARH J-38..

An early type American Radio Hardware J-38, with brass hardware, closing lever, etc. The main lever shows corrosion on its plating, and the brass is heavily patinated. Complete and original, use as is or clean it up.
$55.00

#G507CLY ARH J-38.

Probably a very late ARH key; all the parts are plated. Complete and original. Dirty, some freckling on the metal finish. $65.00

#H507CLY ARH J-38.

Probably a very late ARH key; all the parts are plated. Good condition, needs cleaning. $75.00

SOLD

#R1206BLA Reeve J-38 key.

This is a rare and unusual variety of J-38. The base is cast with its stay-cord eye and raised lettering. The key lever is stamped REEVE. This is the only J-38 of its kind I have ever found. Very good condition except for the lever on which the plating is peeling (see photo). Second photo. Third photo. $149.00

#J38K "TYPE" J-38 key.

This is a rare, early J-38 made by Signal Electric Manufacturing Company. The unusual features are (1) the brass frame with the stamp "U.S.S.C." on the back (under the gap adjusting screw), and (2) "TYPE J-38" on the phenolic base. Complete, well used, the lever has surface rust, the main knob is chipped and worn. If you collect all varieties of the J-38, this is a nice find. Second photo. Third photo. $139.

#0505CER Signal Electric J-38.

An early Signal Electric J-38 as shown by the solid brass key frame, with the usual number (1852) cast in the bottom of the frame. This scarce model probably follows the rare "TYPE" variation, above. Complete and original, minor freckling on the steel lever, some tarnish on the brass, knob shows wear. $99.00

#407CLO "KEY, TYPE" J-38.

A rare, early J-38 with a solid brass frame. The Bakelite base is engraved "key, type J-38." I believe this is one of the first Signal Electric J-38 keys; however, I cannot state the maker with certainty. The key itself is similar to the early brass Signal Electric keys, but it does not have the tell-tale number (1852) cast into the underside of the key frame, and the connector strip has a bug lip. The metal parts show age but it is complete and original. $149.00