Tekcell SD-30 COCOT

[DavePEI]

Hi All:

I thought I would post detailed photos of the Tekcell SD-40 desktop payphone sent to me by Fon Woodbury for posterity. It wasn't a phone I would have normally sought for the museum, but the price was right... free.

This is a COCOT phone designed for placement on a store, bar, or restaurant front desk. COCOT is a short form for "Customer Owned, Coin Operated Telephone". It does not require a payphone line from the telco, and doesn't require operator interaction to determine rates. To do this the phone has an updateble rate table on board (SRAM). When a call is made, the on-board computer looks up the rate from these tables. Voice and operating data are recalled from ROM on board.

When a call is answered, you signal the phone to start charging by depressing a button.  Until the button is pressed, you can hear the called party - you can't talk to them. If the button isn't depressed, the call is cut and coinage returned.

Instructions read:
1) Dial Desired Number
2) Deposit Coins Per Voice Instructions
3) Press Talk Button When Party Answers
4) Deposit More Coins To Continue When Voice Instruction Is Heard.

Rather than a digital display, this early COCOT uses a voice announcement to tell the customer how much to deposit.

Coins are collected in a side mounted coin box. Locking of the box is achieved with a small padlock on locking levers on the back. Located above the power cord is a black locking programming switch.

Photos:
Overall
Label
Microprocessor board
Power board
Cash Box.

I call this phone the Pregnant Pink Beluga since it is the ugliest phone I have, but there is no question - it works!

Note: If anyone comes across complete programming instructions or operating manual for this phone, I would appreciate it if you would pass them along to me. Similarly, if I come across then first, I will post them here for all.

Dave