Magneto phones

[foots]

  I would eventually like to get a few magneto phones such as those made by Federal Telephone and Radio, Kellogg, and Leich. I was wondering if anybody here has any experience with them? Can they be hooked up without a whole lotta trouble? Are there any other problems with them? I found some pictures of the models I'd like to get in the future if they aren't too much trouble to use.

[bingster]

Don't forget the Stromberg Carlson:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3867499396_12d6766b83.jpg

I have one of these, but I can't find it.  I think it's at my parents' house somewhere.

[gpo706]

Magneto phones are easy peasy, just two wires, and the magneto to ring the bells, you can easy modify any deskset (or wallset) with half an hours rewire and a blanking plate.

Turn the handle and get 50V AC to ring your bells.

Usually 3 to 9V batteries to get speech.

Great fun for home intercoms, military field sets and linesmans phones operate on same principal.

[dsk]

It's not easy to admit, but I'm better on magneto's, than rotaries.

Ususally very simple to so use, be careful with hooking up to high voltage on the battery, 1.5 V are used on German field telephone FF33, most others use 3V and very few use more. The current should be as on a normal telephone 20-25 milliamps.

Depending on disturbing mains etc. one singel line and ground return may due, at least for a few miles. You may put up quite many telephones at the same line.

You may even use it together with CB telephones via a transformer, or homemade adapter.  Drawback: ring signal from CB telephone = tinkle.

If you want to hook it up to the POTS you have to put in a capacitor in series with the ringer. (and still use the battery)

Ideal for children in all ages to play with

dsk

[dsk]

If you want to make a simple connection (trunk) between Automatic (POTS) and magneto line, I believe this the simplest well working design:
http://www.freerk.eu/1920-1940/slides/0309%20schema.jpg
http://www.kpemig.de/Amtsanschliesser-33-mit-Handapparat-Wehrmacht_1

dsk

[Stephen Furley]

My local battery 706 with separate magneto is now working fine.  I'm still looking for another Adaptor Local Battery No. 5 to finish another one to put at the other end of the line; until then I can connect it to a battery powered test 'phone set to local battery mode.

[gpo706]

Stephen, whats a guy to do?

I have a 332 converted to CB, runs off 6 amp electrical cable, 2 x 250A's, 2 x 704's and a MKII Field unit.

Only one each of the 250/704 works.

Field phone fooked too, but dynamo works.

Need to buy some cable eh, and some drill bits...

[dsk]

My local battery 706 with separate magneto is now working fine.  I'm still looking for another Adaptor Local Battery No. 5 to finish another one to put at the other end of the line; until then I can connect it to a battery powered test 'phone set to local battery mode.

It is at least 2 ways to do this:

The transformer should be a line transformer suitable to transfer ring and speak frequencies. Typical is an (old) superimpose transformer.

If you don't have this, a capacitor 2-4.7 µF and a suitable coil will make it work. The coil could be an old relay, or transformer, in both cases the battery should be adjusted to suitable transmitter current.

Dialing or flashing hook switch makes tinkling in the other phone.

This has been used on some some magneto switchboards as a temporary solution when automatization was planned.

dsk

[foots]

Thanks guys. I have been wanting to run an intercom over to my brother's house next door. This seems like just the ticket. Now I can justify getting more telephones.

[gpo706]

Fab, an intercom to your brother next door!

[jiggerman]

Picked up this magneto phone at last Thursday night's auction. It's a Federal Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd Canada model # FEM 804A with a Northern Electric handset. It's funny a couple of weeks after "foots" posted here I end up finding one. I'll post a few photos of the phone if anyone is interested. If you check the sight below you'll see the US counterpart and it's magneto phones. Jiggerman

http://tinyurl.com/cnqppk