Keyer TG-34-A

[David Dunlop]

I found this little item many years ago sitting in the shop in Manitoba's favourite Surplus Patch. It came with its manual and power cord, it was green and the price was right.

It is a Signal Corporation product from 1943, SN 11179. The manual is dated 25 October 1943, but actually printed 9 November 1943. This is an automatic unit for reproducing audible code practice signals previously recorded in ink on paper tape. The unit can be used to provide code practice signals in permanent classrooms, for small groups in the field, or to provide a keying oscillator for use with a hand key. The basic operating principle is the same as that used to read the sound track running down the side of a motion picture film strip.

Buttoned up, the unit is 10 9/16 " high, 10 1/2 " deep and 15 13/16 " wide and weighs a mere 38.5 pounds. External power is either 115 volt 50 cycle or 230 volt 60 cycle AC, with wiggle room for each of 95 to 120 volts or 190 to 240 volts.

In operating mode, the front cover is unlatched at either side and swung upward to lock in place. The feed reel is mounted in the lid and the tape fed through the guides and over the photocell assembly in the lower right corner to the take up reel. The speaker is located behind the take up reel and on this unit the speaker cover screen is missing. On the right side, above the lamp housing is the tape speed control and indicator. It is currently set for 10 words per minute.

In the extreme bottom right corner is the jack for use of a key assembly. Any key with a PL-55 Plug will work. The only photo of one in use I ever ran across shows a key looking similar to the angular box covered 19-Set kets finished in khaki green.

At the back of the set, a metal panel can be unlocked, swung up and secured to reveal the fuse, the terminal strip for attaching either a set of 15 Ohm headphones, or a 4 or 8 Ohm external speaker, the power cord socket and the AC Input selector switch.

For the longest time I had assumed this was strictly a piece of US Army equipment, until I recently sat down and started to decode the paper tape that came with the unit. I was quite surprised to find numerous references to 'His Majesty The King…' and to 'His Majesty's Armed Services…'

David

[David Dunlop]

Here are the remaining photos relevant to the first post.

David