Marconi Coastal Station Keys.
Featuring an AS No300A Lighthouse Key..and PS 213A Keys.

Marconi AS No 300A, INST No 39114. 1930's on. Produced in the late 1930s by Marconi under contract to Trinity House, London, UK for use in Lighthouses and Lightships.
This key is a rare one indeed ! Pretty well identical (but very much rarer - believed only 13 ever made) to the Radio Telegraphy Key model PS 213A.
Many Marconi historians believe that AS and PS are Marconi part or drawing numbers for morse keys. This very key was used as an emergency transmitting key at Flamborough Head Lighthouse up until the late 1950's. The knob & skirt appear to be of ebonite, the contact strip, clamped by two screws is 5/16" wide. The base is very shiny black and measures 5 & 5/8" by 3". There is no terminal 3. The short connecting wire from the arm to frame is of braded wire.

The fascinating book "Wireless Beacon Transmitter Instructional Handbook". 1926, Trinity House, that was issued to Station Code "FB" - Flamborough Head Lighthouse. Gives an insight into the operations of a Lighthouse in the 1920's. The Wireless Beacon Transmitters (WB2TX) were used in lighthouses and Lightships from the 1920's up to the late 50's, when they were scrapped and replaced by more modern equipment.

  • Special thanks to Ronald Broadbent G3AAJ / ex Trinity House, for the key, book and information.


  • A black & white postcard picturing Flamborough Head Lighthouse in the 1920's.

    Marconi PS 213A, INST No 448201. 1930's on. They were manufactured under contract by Marconi for the General Post Office, UK. This P.S.213 key came to me via Hong Kong and Truro in Cornwall in England. Not as rare as the AS No300A key, but still very hard to find ( it's taken me ten years to get my hands on one). Used by Radio Officers mainly on shore stations throughout the World. This one has brackets mounted on both sides for a secure installation. Others had an aluminium base plate extending under the knob for stability. The knob & skirt appear to be of ebonite, with insulation extending along the arm. The contact strip, clamped by two screws is 3/8" wide. The base has a matt black appearance and measures 5 & 5/8" by 3". The short connecting wire from the arm to frame is a flexible metal strip.
    This key still has some green oxidation built up on the contacts and I can't bring myself to remove it. It looks great !

    In the 1980's another batch of these type keys were manufactured in the GPO workshops, Rugby, England. They feature knurled head terminal nuts and nicknamed the Rugby or Portishead Key. About 90 of these keys were made and one can be seen on the web site of Portishead Radio. GKA.


    A Marconi Key Used At Portishead Radio GKA.

    Marconi PS No213A, INST No 338495. This key was actually used at Portishead Radio "GKA" by Radio Officer Dai Birt / G3GIW and of course - many others.

    Portishead Radio. GKA.

    I have a mine of invaluable information given to me by previous custodian of this key - R/O Dave Dawson / G0ELJ. One interesting letter is from Phil Lewis (Operations Manager GKA until 1995) where he states "The key is one of the old morse keys used in A & C wings of Portishead Radio and installed in 1946. In approx 1950 the tongue of these keys (the springy strip with contact) was shortened and the rear frame turned around, this was done because the tongues were bending. These keys were taken out of service in 1982 and sold off to the staff".

    Ron Ayling G3YUH has made a wonderful replica of one of these keys.





    "BK"