Salvaged 6A Dial Intercom System

[TAD2020]

About 2 years ago I was doing some renovations at one of our offices. In the telco closet there were these 2 large grey wall mount boxes I always wondered what they were. I never checked them out before due to all the stuff that was stored in front of them, but everything had to go to make way for a new panel.



So I popped them open and proceded to laugh my butt off and what it was.



I was surprised it was still here. I knew the building had and old phone system in the past from all the 50, 75, 100, and dual 100 pair cables run to every room, many having 2 or 3, but never expected to find one of them.

I've not been able to find any pictures on the net of one like this, or even has large. Something like this I couldn't let it go to the dumpster, so its been sitting in storage in my backyard since. Which is now the problem, I don't have space for it anymore and once again it has to go. I can bet someone would want these thing, but I have no idea how to go about selling it.

Shipping it anywhere is out of the question, its easily 200lbs I'd estimate. Unfortunately this was also the problem with removing it from the location and it got disassembled. All the modules, I believe, are back in the same order but quite a lot of the wiring had been cut. Tragic that much work had been undone, but still better than the dumpster.

A bunch of full res pictures I took before it came down (still uploading, will be finished by sometime tonight)
http://s172.photobucket.com/user/tad2020/library/1A1

[ESalter]

That is a really good sized 1A1 system.  Where are you located and what were you looking to get for it?  I may be interested for our museum if you're located close enough. 

Regardless of who it ends up with, thank you for taking the effort to save it!

---Eric

[poplar1]

You're right that this resembles 1A1 Key.

The descriptions written on the covers are correct. It is a 6A intercom equipped for 27 stations and a Touch-Tone decoder.

This was a fancy intercom---dial tone, busy signal and flashing lamps for incoming call if I recall correctly. You would have a pickup button (maybe 2?) on your multi-line phone to access it. I think there were 2 links so that 2 different conversations could take place simultaneously.

These were mostly replaced by the compact intercoms such as a RT-3600, which could have up to 36 stations on a single intercom path and without dial tone or flashing lamps. In fact, these outsourced intercom cards were used extensively by the Bell companies in lieu of WE intercoms.

[AE_Collector]

David can you use the pictures above to describe the various components of the system? I see the interupter from a 1A2 system up top and many groups of what may be three lines per module? Are these touchtone converters made by Teltone? They look very similar to some Ihad in the past.

It is unbelievable the change from electro-mechanical to electronic isn't it. We switched to Mitel Intercoms that did 19 stations TT or DP mixed (I think) but only 1 common talk path that are about 8" x 6" x 1.5" thick.

Hopefully TAD2020 can let us know where he is so we can work at finding someone to pick it up. Al lthe pictures posted so far look to be where it was originally located so some pictures of it's current condition would be nice to see. Hopefully there are NO problems with moisture in it's current storage location.

Terry

[poplar1]

Terry, I think this one needs to be done by weco355aman.

I see 2LK (2 Link) written on some of the KTUs  (Key Telephone Units). Each one of these KTUs is for 3 stations.

The 216s are for the transfer digit--the initial digit in a 2-digit intercom number (20-46 for example). You would have needed 3 KTUs for 3 different transfer digits  for 27 stations. These 216 KTUs were also used with the single link intercoms (207) which carried over from the 1A1 cabinets such as 301 KSU  to 1A2 such as 501 KSU.

The interrupter and its relays appear to be the same as those used in 1A1 Key System. FL=Flash (incoming) and WK=wink.

The Mitel intercom you mentioned is the same or similar to the RT-3600 I was talking about. They were available in 19- 10- or 30-stations, some were Dial Pulse only, some were Rotary and Tone; I never figured out if some were Tone only. 

[TAD2020]

I'm located in southern California. As far as price, I have no idea what its even worth. Going to a museum would be nice.

There was no phones or power supply in our building for it, I can only guess they are long gone. I could see a spot on the wall next to it where there was likely another part of it once mounted. The owner acquired the building in 97, and from what I know, he bought it from the original owner that built it in the 60's.


I have some bad news though. I went out to get some more photos and moisture had gotten in under all the tarps and there's been some oxidation... I took a few pictures before the camera's battery died.



More in the bitbucket. Will take addition pics after charging the battery. *Sigh*

[AE_Collector]

"It never rains in Southern California" according to Albert Hammond.

Are the only cables that are choped the ones between the two cabinets and the wall? I had visions of the racks being dismantled.

Who is in CA on this forum that is into switching? Throw away your panasonic PBX and go get this one. This one will actually make some noise while switching!

I am pretty certain that "oldphon" Jeremy Walters would get it next chance he had but he is in Sacramento area.

Terry

[TAD2020]

Are the only cables that are choped the ones between the two cabinets and the wall? I had visions of the racks being dismantled.

Between the modules.



Humidity (and heat) is really bad this weekend, likely how it got wet. I wish I had found this forum back when I first picked this thing up.

[AE_Collector]

Yeah it is going to take someone "well versed in system operation" to reconnect all of that. Likely the green wires interconnect the modules so wiring diagrams are needed to figure that out. The multicolred wires would be part of the cableing wiring it out to the wall possibly so nmot as much of a problem.

Still, a good thing you did salvage it as somewhere, someone will want to try to make it work again. I would if I were closer.

Terry

[G-Man]

Portions are severely rusted but still a very desirable piece!

From the photos it is difficult to be certain but it appears to be equipped for up to 27-lines, one interrupter plate and a 207-dial selective intercom with a couple of circuit plates for intercom transfer.

Please take some close-ups or simply write down the numbers on the circuit plates; most likely 3-digit numbers with some suffixed with "KTU." They will tell us precisely how it is equipped.

Also, while it is sizable, I can lift and move similar units so I doubt that it weighs 200-pounds. You should be able to ship it without too much trouble.

[G-Man]

Portions are severely rusted but still a very desirable piece!

From the photos it is difficult to be certain but it appears to be equipped for up to 27-lines, one interrupter plate and a 207-dial selective intercom with a couple of circuit plates for intercom transfer.

Please take some close-ups or simply write down the numbers on the circuit plates; most likely 3-digit numbers with some suffixed with "KTU." They will tell us precisely how it is equipped.

Also, while it is sizable, I can lift and move similar units so I doubt that it weighs 200-pounds. You should be able to ship it without too much trouble.

I should have added that most likely the most valuable portion is the T.T. receivers located in the lower cabinet.

[skyrider]

The last time I worked on a 6A intercom was in 1971 at Elmendorf AFB Alaska. I was a E-4 Buck Sargent and along with my buddy Joe Serafinski, were sent to take over a new installation that another crew was having trouble getting to work. Joe and I had training on the 6A in tech school where the other guys had cross-trained and had only on the job training. The relays work like 1A1 Key equipment and IIRC were the IC on six button key sets. We noticed that the relays were working in reverse order. I liked 1A1 because you could trace the sequence of all the relay circuits. Checking the relay battery ( B batt) we found that it was reversed, that was the problem. The reason I can recall it so clearly was because as we arrived to work on it a Lt Col stood in the doorway across from the equipment room yelling to us to not F U his phone system. After several minutes of this yelling I had had enough and walked over to him and never said a word but handed him my screwdriver. Ski and I walked away with him still yelling. We came back later and did our work completing the job without interruption. The next day I was called into the Wire Chief NCOIC's office. I expected to have my butt chewed by the E-9, but to my surprise he said," Comp I understand your situation but, Please Don't Do That Again".

Bill Compton

[WesternElectricBen]

If your willing to part it out, I would be interested. I'm not sure if the parts are cross transferable but my shoebox 1a2 needs a "dial pb... intercom card."

Ben

[poplar1]

Ben, I think you might want to start out with a Tone Commander or Mitel 10- 19-or 36-station intercom. These have a 25-pair amphenol connection for the common talk path, individual stations (ringers or buzzers), common lamp power, and connections to the power supply.

Or, some of the 1A1 and 1A2 cabinets have a 207 intercom like the part shown in the 6A. You would need a Touch-Tone converter to use Touch-Tone phones with the 207.

[skyrider]

Ben, If you have a shoe box 551- KTU, you could use a 401 card for your intercom. I hooked up many of those along with buttons and buzzers for signalling even modified a key as a button on a 6 button key set.  Bill