The phonitis is strong this week, bought a Planphone A, which as per the title is an N625 Planset base with a 706 affixed to it, which were often supplied as one unit to make the installer's life easier, saving them the need to fit the additional switches, capacitors and other parts, aswell as wiring the phone to the base...
Paid a total of £16 (£8.50 winning bid, £7.50 Postage), it started off at 1p with no postage, so wasn't that interested, but Owain reminded me of it and it had the postage added to it after I'd dismissed it as it was too far away for collection, so gave it a punt:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222858564839
Quite obviously from the pictures, it's filthy, BUT, it's the fact that the plastic is still bright that is what interested me, there's a similar one from another seller that has suffered a bit of a suntan (coupled with "shadows" in the plastic where the sun didn't get to), but this one seemed to remain sheltered and remained bright, so, I can't wait to give it a bath and reveal it's bright colouration... ;D
Haven't even gotten the Elephant Grey planset yet, and I've already bought its' replacement!!! ;D
Anyway, pictures, rotated versions of the ebay pics:
The junction box appears to be non-standard.
Third time lucky? This one might be a complete set with buzzer in the extension as well, described as new/refurbished unissued.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-telephones-Plan-107-set-planset-625-plus-extension-746/302660797559
That one is the suntanned one I was referring to, and no, no third time, I've already cut into my supposed-to-be-saving-up-for-a-welder budget... ;D
i think that's a very nice buy. i was watching it but didn't bid.
it looks like the 706 could be an early one as there are no chevrons on the backplate.
early number card too.
maybe you have a diakon phone.....hope they pack it properly.
yes, it'll look great after a good soak in the bath.
If it is Diakon, it would explain why it's so bright and avoided yellowing, so fingers crossed for the packing indeed!! :o
Quote from: Owain on March 09, 2018, 08:28:47 AM
The junction box appears to be non-standard.
I was having a look about to see what terminal block (or Block, Terminal in GPO parlance) that is, and it turns out it is what I believe to be a GPO issued unit, it's a "modern" version of the BT27A (similar to the BT37B but with solder tags), labelled as the BT27SS, which I found on the TelephonesUK site:
http://telephonesuk.co.uk/connection_boxes.htm
I'm looking forward to seeing this one cleaned up. :)
So am I, I just need to wait for Mr. Hermes to bring it to my door... ;D
On an amusing note, I've watched a few 706 phones selling for more than this Planset as a whole, so in theory, I could remove the phone and sell it for more than I bought the whole thing for, I won't do that though, it's just a theoretical thought... :)
Quote from: twocvbloke on March 12, 2018, 07:23:55 AMit's just a theoretical thought... :)
s/theoretical/heretical
I'm no heretic, I just have long hair... ;D
Well, it's confirmed, the telephone portion of this planphone is indeed Diakon plastic!!! ;D
Handset, caps, shell, all Plastic No. 12 (aka Diakon, ABS is Plastic No. 17), the Planset base though is later ABS though (1971 I think), can't see a plastic type stamp, but it doesn't have the same semi-translucent appearance that the Diakon does, so, they were mated together at a later date... :)
Phone seems to be a 706L made by Phoenix Telephones & Electrical Works Ltd. of London in 1962, Seems in decent shape, dial turns freely (see next paragraph though), and someone appeared to shove a load of tissue paper into the bells to quieten it down, I guess they got tired of being shocked out of their skin when it rang... ;D
The fingerwheel is intriguing though, I took it off and looked at the back and it's hollow, I thought initially that it was stamped metal, but nope, it's hollow plastic, very thin hollow plastic, almost like it was made for use on a toy, amazing it's still in one piece given the fingerstop had been bent inwards a bit presumably from being impacted or squashed at somepoint, as trying to dial resulted ion the wheel catching on the stop and scraping off some of the accumulated dirt...
And speaking of dirt, she's a filthy one, definitely in need of a good wash on the outside, probably one of those things that sat in someone's shed for years before selling to some mug... ;D
Need to go through the pictures now, not an easy task as my doc put me on Tramadol for my back, and the world is a tad spinny for me at the moment... :o
Right, between dozing off and just being generally absent-minded, I finally got the pics together, a few things to note that I haven't already:
- The dial still retains it's original warning label to use the correct methods to remove the dial window
- The handset cable has a split sadly and is somewhat distorted from having been twisted the wrong way for many years
- The transmitter cup in the handset is missing the metal spring to keep the carbon transmitter in place (should have a spare handset somewhere for that)
- The N625 appears to be a Mark 1, apparently there's something it needs doing to it to make it more reliable, must look that up
- The relay in the N625 is open to the elephants, which means the contacts need a clean (sometimes the key lights don't operate, which could mean it's also not operating other parts)
- Someone filed some metal off the clapper, resulting in a little dust pile under the phone on top of the N625, presumably part of silencing it with a snotrag!
- And the left Buzzer key has plastic nibbled out of it, no, seriously, it looks like it's been chewed on by a mouse by the look of it!! :o
Anyway, pictures!!:
And some more:
You have one part chewed by mice and one part bothered by elephants!
You should send it back to the zoo!!
Nah, if I sent it to the telephone zoo, the monkeys in the Kelly Communications enclosure would break it... ;D
Ah yes, I'd almost forgotton that bog roll in the bell adjustment 'there you go luv, sorted that nicely for you, now hows about a nice cuppa char' ;D
There's a lot of personality to that phone. :)
I had to remove the tissue from the bells, it smelled like old shed, though did notice that the tone of one of them is much higher than normal (I have/had another phone with the same thing, and a BT Bell 50E with the higher tone bell), doesn't sound right, but, it'll stay put, as it's original to the phone... :)
Gave the phone portion a cleaning and light polish today, still trying to decide how to tackle the planset to clean up its' plastics, total dismantlement, or just being careful with the sponge... ;D
wetwipes will get in most visible places.
Quote from: Owain on March 17, 2018, 01:53:46 PM
wetwipes will get in most visible places.
Yeah, but given potential mousey messes (after all, one chewed on one of the buttons as an odd snack!), I might want to clean off the mess where I can't see it, but still, the phone came up nice, some imperfections here and there, but overall I like it... :)
Gave the handset cable a soak in warm Daz Handwash & Twin Tub powdered water, and it came out good, forgot about the splits in the cable so it probably filled up with water, so, oops!! ::)
Anyway, I also had a go at gluing up the splits, and it seemed to turn out well enough that it's not that noticeable, the only way I can tell where it the repair was is the way the cable is kinked due to the way it had been left twisted up over the years, but despite that, it looks okay again... :)
Pictures (last one being before cleaning and gluing):
Have to say, she's looking good. :)
Nice cleanup!
Looks good! First one of those I've seen.
Thanks, still need to clean the Planset base, as it's still filthy, but the cleaned phone's certainly made the whole thing look a lot better... :)
That dial finger wheel is an original one. Most (if not all) coloured finger wheels should be hollow like that. I think they are somehow vacuum formed out of clear plastic then painted on the back. They can normally be spotted because the edges of the holes are more rounded than on the nasty modern solid plastic alternatives.
You can probably rebuild the nibbled button. If it's ABS (and it sounds like that bit is) then disolve a bit of scrap ABS in acetone. Just don't use too much acetone and it will turn into a thick paste, which you can then plaster on like car body filler to rebuild the button. I'm currently in the process of doing it on the front corner of a blue 746 that had a chunk missing.
I've found that carburettor cleaner dissolves plastic nicely, completely by accident as I thought I'd picked up my brake cleaner, and melted the base of my knockoff imitation go-pro mount (I was trying to clean off old gooey glue from the cheap fake "3M" mounting foam they applied at the factory), which was messy to clean up afterwards... :o
I keep some different types of scrap plastic in a box and when I get a new cleaner I try it on them. I put it on a cloth and if it cets the plastics color on it or if the plastic crazes, It is for other things, not plastic.
Ever have one of those days where you wish you hadn't started something but it's too late and you have to keep going? Yeah, that's what I've done with this N625 base, and I want to go to sleep now, and I can't 'til I remove the line cable from the thing now I've completely gutted the plastic base....... :o
Not recommended...
"assembly is the reverse of disassembly" :-)
I hope you've got lots of photographs ...
Quote from: twocvbloke on March 23, 2018, 11:45:07 PM
Ever have one of those days where you wish you hadn't started something but it's too late and you have to keep going? Yeah, that's what I've done with this N625 base, and I want to go to sleep now, and I can't 'til I remove the line cable from the thing now I've completely gutted the plastic base....... :o
Not recommended...
Wow! That's definitely disassembled!I'll see how you get on then see if i dare start to tackle mine. ;D
I removed the line cable after that picture too (before I gave up and went to bed, I put it in some warm water with washing powder to clean it off), so will have a job on my hands putting it all back together again, at least it all came out as one big mass, it's mostly soldered together so no real need to remove everything electrically speaking, but, it will be quite the process to put it all back in the base when I've cleaned everything up... :o
It's just another learning curve thing to me, as in learning not to do it again in the future, not even on my other planset base... ;D
Washed the N625 (and the 746 which will be used with it) & cleaned its' cable, and had to use the scouring side of the sponge in a few spots on the buttons and base, moreso on the 746 though, so will need to apply the polish, just not today as I've had my fill of N625... ;D
It's coming along though, the best part will come when I have to reassemble it all... :o
It would seem that I've misplaced the terminal board from inside the BT27SS, I removed it so I could clean up the outer parts, which I did so earlier, and now I want to put the BT back together so it's all in one piece, I can't find it anywhere, it's not in the box o' N625+746, nor anywhere round where I was dismantling it (Okay, it was on my bed!! And I have checked down the sides several times now!), I really haven't a clue where that thing has gone... ::)
Sod's law innit?? :-\
Turns out I'm just a berk, I'd only gone and put it in the tray with the key assembly.............. ::)
With that many parts to go astray, it must be like herding cats!
Nah, herding cats is easier, at least they don't get lost in amongst themselves........ ;D
Haven't done anything with the planset or the 746 today, so decided to research what lamps the plansets used, as "41B" wasn't much use, so a little looking about on the internet, with measurements in hand, well, a bulb and my ruler in hand at least, and it turns out that a GPO 41B bulb is just a 12v LES (or "Lilliput") bulb, and easy as pie to get as they're commonly used in dolls houses on 12v supplies... :)
AND, they even have LED versions, if I so wished to outfit a planset with LED lighting of course... :)
Oh my goodness me!!! I FINALLY have the planset base back together!!! :o
Been working on it for the past few hours, fiddly screws, fiddly switch piles, fiddly 18 wires on a 25-terminal block, but it is DONE!!! But no time to celebrate, I still have to refit and re-wire the 706 to the planset, so, that's another hour I'm guessing... :o
The 746 is back in one piece, reconfigured for Plan 107A with the single button (really should get a clear label for it that says "PRESS" or "MAIN" or something seeing as the button is not etched), but, that's nothing compared tot he N625..... ::)
Anyway, must crack on, well, after i have something to eat as I'm hungry after working on that thing for so long... ;D
And the Planphone is together, the 746 is wired up to it through some Cat5 ethernet cable (handy getting free patch leads with routers that I never need, so they become fodder for telephone wiring!!), and, the Planset has relay issues, but at least it's contact issues as it is clicking, but the connections are intermittent at best, so, need to dig out some card and get those cleaned up, but not now, spent enough time on the thing this morning, so I'm stopping for today and having some ice cream... ;D
On a fun note, the resistor in the walwart PSU I'm using doesn't seem to discharge the capacitor, I'd left the phones unplugged from power and accidentally pressed the Buzz button on the planset, and the 746 let out what I can only describe as a mechanical fart as the buzzer drained the cap & gradually slowed down, quite amusing really... ;D
There's black one up on fleabay at the moment if you decide to collect them in all colours...... ;)
Nah, I'll pass, still got to do something with the Grey one first (may have something on the way to help with that!!), heck, I need to finish off this ivory set too, in that I need to find where I put my Peek polish to shine it and the 746 up... ;D
I managed to win an auction on a BT 35A to use with this setup at the weekend, and only today was it marked as posted, funny thing is, I'd posted a link to that very one on the Plusnet forum a few months back for someone who was missing the cover for one in their house where their phoneline terminated, I guess they weren't interested in it, so, their loss is my gain!! ;D
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142742067441