# Wanted - Marconi 365 Morse Key



## JOC42 (Feb 3, 2008)

Hi
I'm looking for a Marconi 365 key to add to my collection. I've been a Full Licence Radio Ham for 2 years (callsign M0JOC) and really want to rekindle my days at sea (mid 70's to early 80's with Houlder Bros) using the 365 - any variant A/B/EZ ..... I'm using a Kent twin paddle, a Bencher BY-2 and a Hi-Mound straight key but miss that great lump of heavyweight refinement in my shack!
I trained at Fleetwood Nautical College 1972 - 1975.
Happy to pay the going rate - just wish now I'd "borrowed" one from the 2 ships I took to scrap whilst at sea !
Many thanks

John O'Connell

Hardwicke Grange, Humboldt, Lynton Grange, Orotava, Abbey, Bidford Priory, Oswestry Grange, Clerk Maxwell


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## gwzm (Nov 7, 2005)

Hi John, 

keep an eye open on eBay. Marconi 365s in all variants and conditions show up fairly frequently. Decent keys seem to sell around the £300 mark. If only we’d known then what we know now...
Happy days.
gwzm


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

John - I too sailed on the HUMBOLT/GYFR!
And guess what? I have a 365B key for sale!
Get in touch via PM/Conversation.
Rgds Bruce/GW4XXF


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

Sorry - HUMBOLDT


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

As can be seen from the GTZM 365A above its brass case after removal of original grey paint will polish up very nicely.
Maybe sounds sacrilege to morse key purists but I actually gifted a 365 to a French amateur here as I never took to it's (ball-race) chunky action even when at sea.


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## duncs (Sep 8, 2008)

Regarding polishing down to shiny brass, it was bad news. In a stinking hot radio room, dripping with sweat, you could get a 'tingle' off the case, which could affect your morse. Worse still, was the removal of the plastic off the tuning knobs of the Mercury/Electra, and polishing them to shiny brass. Fine tuning to GKB and getting a belt, was not a joke.
Sorry for the moan.

Duncs


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## JOC42 (Feb 3, 2008)

gwzm said:


> Hi John,
> 
> keep an eye open on eBay. Marconi 365s in all variants and conditions show up fairly frequently. Decent keys seem to sell around the £300 mark. If only we’d known then what we know now...
> Happy days.
> gwzm


I have been for almost 2 years GWZM ;-) Nothing suitable has come up on all the major selling sites.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Doubt there'll be many lying around either the Alang or Gadani Beach shanty town shops these days.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

My key collection. 365 ex GYKD/VJEK at L


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

Shocks from the brass case spoiling your sending? 
On my first ship the Chief R/O would take the cover off, invert it and use it as an ashtray. 
At the end of his watch he would empty into the waste paper basket and bung it back on.
The remaining ash would get between the contacts and ruin *MY* Morse sending!

Looking at those various keys - why not get an Eddy diecast box, some black plastic and put a Kent key mechanism inside?
Need a bit of jiggery-pokery but it would be pretty close to the real thing!


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## gordonarfur (May 27, 2018)

JOC42 said:


> Hi
> I'm looking for a Marconi 365 key to add to my collection. I've been a Full Licence Radio Ham for 2 years (callsign M0JOC) and really want to rekindle my days at sea (mid 70's to early 80's with Houlder Bros) using the 365 - any variant A/B/EZ ..... I'm using a Kent twin paddle, a Bencher BY-2 and a Hi-Mound straight key but miss that great lump of heavyweight refinement in my shack!
> I trained at Fleetwood Nautical College 1972 - 1975.
> Happy to pay the going rate - just wish now I'd "borrowed" one from the 2 ships I took to scrap whilst at sea !
> ...


Hi John were Houlders direct employ? I always thought they were Macs blokes?


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## JOC42 (Feb 3, 2008)

gordonarfur said:


> Hi John were Houlders direct employ? I always thought they were Macs blokes?


Houlders were Marconi but I was sponsored by them in my last year at Fleetwood 1974/75 doing the MRRT course and radar. I think P&O, Cunard and Shell did the same thing in 1974 as well.


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## GW3OQK (Jun 10, 2010)

JOC, now's your chance, there's a 365B for auction.
Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it in case you outbid me.


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

I'll be putting one of my 365s on an infamous on-line auction site soon.
An early one with the extra contacts at the rear.
Watch that space!


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## gwzm (Nov 7, 2005)

Hi, there's a 365B on eBay just now. It's complete but is one of the early ones that had the bar shortened to remove the cross-rod that was used to operate the auxiliary contacts, which have also been removed.

At the right price it could be a good cosmetic restoration project.

gwzm


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## JOC42 (Feb 3, 2008)

"cosmetic restoration project" ........... thats one way of putting it ;-)


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## 5TT (May 3, 2008)

I'm thrilled to have recently acquired a 365EZ however it arrived without the knob. I would really appreciate it if somebody could send me photos and dimensions of the knob sufficient for me to get one made as close as possible to the original?

Many thanks,

Adrian


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## pippin (May 13, 2008)

Will do, give me a couple of days. I might even experiment with a silicone mould of my knob (!!!) for you.

KENT Morse Keys 
make a close replica of the 365EZ and supply spares. The knob and skirt are a very close match.


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## Dimples82 (Aug 24, 2014)

JOC42 said:


> Hi
> I'm looking for a Marconi 365 key to add to my collection. I've been a Full Licence Radio Ham for 2 years (callsign M0JOC) and really want to rekindle my days at sea (mid 70's to early 80's with Houlder Bros) using the 365 - any variant A/B/EZ ..... I'm using a Kent twin paddle, a Bencher BY-2 and a Hi-Mound straight key but miss that great lump of heavyweight refinement in my shack!
> I trained at Fleetwood Nautical College 1972 - 1975.
> Happy to pay the going rate - just wish now I'd "borrowed" one from the 2 ships I took to scrap whilst at sea !
> ...


 Suggest you do a search "Marconi Marine" on EBay - there is a Morse Transmitting Telegraphy Key, Marconi Marine, England, M.I.M. Co Type 365FZ for sale there, closing in 2 days,
Good Luck


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