DESCRIPTION:

Press the key. The buzzer sounds — a short, a long, a short. Dot dash dot. The letter R. Press it again and someone across the room, across the yard, across a field reads the same letter in a flash of light from the blinker. The message travels at the speed of electricity, encoded in a system that has carried human communication across oceans and through wars for over a century.

These two machines still work. Both of them.

What You Are Getting

A pair of Fleron Official Signalers by M.M. Fleron & Son, Inc., Trenton, NJ. Sold together as a two-station set. This is a no-frills pair — the instruments themselves, nothing more.

• 2 Bakelite Signaler bodies — radio buzzer, long-range blinker, and telegraph key in one unit
• Morse code reference molded into the back of each unit
• 2 battery cover cards

Not included: boxes, paperwork, blinker lenses, blinker case accessories, connecting wire. Each unit requires 2 D batteries (not included).

How It Works

Each Signaler is three instruments in one. Press the key and the buzzer sounds — audible Morse for practice or short-range communication. Flip the switch and the blinker activates, readable at a distance. The third mode is a sounder, for traditional telegraph-style practice. Two people, two Signalers, one wire connecting them — and you have a complete communication system that needs nothing else.

Why It Matters

M.M. Fleron & Son produced these signalers from at least the 1930s through the postwar era, selling them through Boy Scout channels, toy stores, and military supply. A Navy version exists stamped with NAV PERS markings. The BSA adopted them as official equipment, and Boys' Life advertised them as early as 1935. They were used by scouts, hobbyists, and anyone who wanted to learn the language of dots and dashes that had, not long before, been the only way to send a message faster than a horse could carry it. Morse code is not a dead language — it is still used by amateur radio operators worldwide and remains the most reliable communication method when all else fails.

From the STEMpunkED Collection

This machine comes from STEMpunkED, a hands-on educational initiative dedicated to teaching the history of science and computation through the actual instruments of that history. It was used in live classroom demonstrations to introduce students to hands-on vintage tech experiences. Letting it go is not easy. This object did real work in the world.

More pieces from the collection will be listed over time. Please see other listings.

Condition: Both units are fully functional — buzzer, blinker, and sounder tested and working on each, with crisp key action and no intermittent connections. Bakelite cases are intact with no cracks or chips, showing a rich even patina consistent with their age. Internal brass and steel components show more surface corrosion than earlier sets in this collection — consistent with age and storage — but all mechanisms operate correctly. Morse code reference molded into the back of each unit is fully legible, and battery cover cards are present for both units. No boxes, paperwork, blinker lenses, or accessories are included with this set.

Returns: No Returns

Shipping: Buyer pays shipping and insurance.ng: Buyer pays shipping and insurance.