NT Rendezvous telephone (translucent)

[markosjal]

I just saw a round NT touch tone desk phone  circa 1980s

Anyone ever seen one of these?? Are they rare? Sorry no pic.

[Contempra]

Without picture.... hard to say Markos . Sorry .

[markosjal]

Precisely the reason I later went back

[SUnset2]

It looks like the "Rendezvous" model.  I've never seen any of that series in clear, I suspect it's pretty rare.
Where did you see it?

[FABphones]

Photos make a big difference. 

Northern Telecom Rendezvous telephone, c. 1981.

Can't read the label (blurred), but here are some photos of the clear model (from the Internet).

Current online buy it now listings show prices of the coloured models up to $40. The last one to sell (at time of searching) via auction bids sold for $5. None of those were clear models.

[markosjal]

Yea seller wants $35 for it . I have never been much into translucent phones. I know some pay a premium for them. This one is almost smoke colored

I figured the handset cord was the wrong color , but now I see the same on the other one pictured here.

It is a cool phone and I always like many of these 1970s/1980s NT model phones

I also noticed the DTMF buttons are darker than normal too.

[poplar1]

Jim says the smoky transparent ones were made for NT employees. I'd grab it.

[LarryInMichigan]

Note that antiques malls often give 10% discounts for items over $20 when asked, so it is worth asking.

Larry

[FABphones]

Jim says the smoky transparent ones were made for NT employees. I'd grab it.

Was that the NT2500 (e phone) or this model as well?

Reply #20:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5579

 

[Contempra]

First time I see one like this , clear .

[markosjal]

Yea , I will go back there today. 10% discount is nothing .

UPDATE
 I just called them and offered 30 and that seller accepted it so its mine now I guess

I think I will probably just Ebay this one. if nobody here is interested in it.

[markosjal]

ok picked up that "smoke" translucent Rendevous. I can not believe the dust and dust bunnies INSIDE of it . It looks like maybe it has some issues one is a DTMF keypad issue where tones are interrupted by crunching noises (noisy contacts)  resulting in wrong number dialed.

The other issue is with the Microphone element which appears to have a small amount of Physical damage. maybe this is not even a carbon element? Electronic?

After cleaning up the plastics with only soap and water it is amazing how much brighter they are

There is only one minor crack that I can see in the housing near a screw hole on the bottom.

Looks like maybe someone was inside this phone before (and must have left the cover off for 10 years based on inside dust), as I could see a few things that are not as they would have been in factory and the small physical damage to Microphone and crack in base.

 

[markosjal]

Some curiosities with this phone dated 1981. I suspect that The Mic element is an electronic carbon mic replacement. I connected a Carbon mic to it temporarily and the phone still worked although noted a different sound quality.

Also checking the TCI library I find no diagram for a Rendevous phone. I started to look because I find no inductor in this phone and found that as unusual. The design is quite strange and it really looks like all connections are on the DTMF keypad. The keypad is marked QDN25B1X-10-81 and I suspect is more than just a DTMF keypad but perhaps a "electronic" type phone circuit