TK/TKF 'Cherkassy' Keys

[GM0WEZ]

Soviet military surplus keys made in Cherkassy, Ukraine. Some variants have integral LC filter for key click suppression (unnecessary on a modern radio)

They get good reviews on eham, so I bought one years ago. I forget how much, maybe £20 or less. It's the non-filter version.

It's a surprisingly nice key to use, feels a bit like a J-38. No complaints with the handling. However they look really cheap and need to be mounted on a substantial base.

 

[MI0PYN]

I think these type of keys have rugged charm, built to do a job and with no frills.

Sure, they're not so beautifully engineered as some of the other keys shown on this site, but there's something "honest" and workmanlike about them. I really like the little Belgian surplus key I have, it's my go to for portable ops now. This looks similarly rugged.

 

[Ham4CW]

I've noticed in the past that there appears to be two groups of these keys. The one group is the genuine group, normally they will have either the filter assembly mounted under them in a box, or like the one here where it has a mounting plate.

The other group don't have either, and appear to be of an inferior build quality. Also the plastic looks different. On the 'original' ones the plastic (maybe even bakelite?) looks smooth and has a sheen to it, the poor quality ones seem to have sharp edges and the plastic is more of a dark grey than black, and it has a very flat, almost matt finish to it

I had the misfortune to buy one of the crappy ones, and that sums it up, crappy. Later, I happened to encounter one of the 'real' ones, and boy was there a difference!

The poor quality ones are generally sold as 'new', and they arrive wrapped in tissue paper. When opened the arm of the key was corroded to hell, and the whole key had a cheap plastic feel to it.

I'm still not certain if they were just deliberate cheap copies, or if they had been produced for some government somewhere and promptly rejected.

Worth keeping in mind if you intend to buy one. I quite fancy one of the ones with the filter etc, I think there was even a version with a few switches thrown in for good measure too. But watch out for those cheaper ones! Generally no extra fittings and look a little 'too clean' ;D

73, Mark...