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Reviews For: Jones Keys Straight Key

Category: Keys & Paddles

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Review Summary For : Jones Keys Straight Key
Reviews: 3MSRP: 07/96 $170 Mfg. Discontinued
Description:
Pictured is a Palomar PK-205B, all brass straight key.
Product is in production
More Info: http://208.55.162.222/kk4dw4.html#JONES
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0034.7
KK4DW Rating: 2003-12-27
A good, solidly built, key. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I try to avoid "great" conciously. I have both the PK-205 and PK-205B in my collection and think that they are handome beasts to look at and quite adequate to use on the air. I actually had two PK-205's at one time and sold one, only to get it returned from the buyer claiming it had a slight lateral movement in the lever and that the bearings weren't moving. I disassembled the top housing from the base and flipped it over and found that what had happened was that the bearings had "migrated" slightly outwards. The cure was to losen the set screws clamping them individually and while pressing inwards, re-tighten the set screw on each side. Secondly, there is a tiny, Allen screw clamping the axle, accessible through a small hole. You need magnifying goggles to see it and it takes the tiniest Allen wrench to tighten it up. A good "squirt" out of WD-40 into each side finished the job. I verified no side wobble and that the bearings did indeed move with the lever going up and down now. Next time, I am going to have to cut the Allen wrench down to a nub so it won't twist while tightening up that tiny screw.

Peter Jones even made a PK-205-G gold plated model which would be a real prize to obtain. I toyed with having my brass model gold plated but I would first have to have the brass brought up to a mirror polish -- all in all -- I think unless I win the lottery, I'll pass on that for a while.
W4WQ Rating: 2003-01-25
The Best Key ever Made Time Owned: N.A.
Having been a ham for 46 years and a Navy Radioman for more than 20 years when CW was the mainstay of ship/shore communications, I can state without reservation that the JonesKey is without question the finest key I have ever used. Truely, a work of art.
Sam W4WQ
AA9QE Rating: 1999-11-13
A JEWEL! A Fantastic Super Smooth Feel! 5+ Stars! Time Owned: unknown months.
This is a very heavy, very rugged, super smooth key. You can not tip this thing. It weighs in at three and a half pounds. There is no side to side slop, it is very stable. I've always enjoyed sending with it. It came with an oiled plain brass finish with red bearing covers and a red plastic Navy knob. I stripped mine down to a collection of loose parts, to have it chromed. The parts were all well made, and well put together. It was tuff to get it all apart, but it turned out beautiful. It has fine quality race bearings that give it a very smooth feel. I made wooden bearing covers and also made a wooden Navy knob. I'm sure mine is now a one of a kind! I hope Jones still makes paddles and keys because they are - THE BEST.