Unusual transmitter on a WE 500.

[Greg G.]

Wasn't sure if this should go under Auction Talk, because Etsy is a BIN site, but whatever.

Never seen this before.  Why the # and *? 

http://tinyurl.com/78au4wj

From 1968, here is an olive green Western Electric rotary phone. This model has the rare, optional headrest, so that you could balance the phone while you were doing something else. This is removable. There is also a reciever that softens the users voice, and keeps it from sounding harsh. There is also an original tag for when 911 was a new feature.
The phone has been cleaned and sanitized with alcohol. This model features a wired 4 prong option, but this can be converted to a standard phone jack with a $4 converter from either Radio Shack or Ebay. This is a must have for any mid century or vintage inspired home.

[Russ Kirk]

I've seen this before i started collecting.  I believe it is a way to use TT service on a rotary phone. Just pick up the handset and dial from the transmitter.   If I saw one today I would grab it.

It makes a cool "go-with"

Russ.....

[LarryInMichigan]

I remember seeing those for sale decades ago. 

Larry

[TelePlay]

I remember seeing those for sale decades ago. 

Larry

Almost everything on this forum is from "decades ago?" 

Would like to see the other side of that cap.

[LarryInMichigan]

I am curious as to how the thing is powered.  I am tempted to buy the phone just to get the transmitter cap.  The rest of the phone could go into a box with the other moss green ABS 500s.


Larry

[TelePlay]

I am curious as to how the thing is powered.  I am tempted to buy the phone just to get the transmitter cap.  The rest of the phone could go into a box with the other moss green ABS 500s.


Larry

I'm in the process of collecting parts to make a touch tone dialer that works with any rotary phone (another thread on this forum). From the wiring diagrams, seems the power comes from the red and green line cord wires since those are the only two wires that connect to the TT pad in the line between the phone and wall.

But I still would like to see the back and the diagram.

TT pads are small but larger than a handset cap. This is the back of an ITT TT pad I'm going to use, that, I suppose, could be shrunk down to fit into a handset cap.

[Phonesrfun]

There is probably enough voltage across the transmitter terminals of a 500 to drive a solid state TT pad, but probably not a legacy coil-based TT pad.  It might even depend on the pad.  A 302 and earlier phone as well. 

Inserting the output from the TT pad might be as simple as not having to do anything.  That is to say that the tones may be present by virtue of back-feeding through the current drain of the pad.  If not, there may need to be a coupling between one side of the transmitter and the output lead of the TT pad.

[TelePlay]

Found the link to the ATCA post which shows construction of a TT pad for rotary phones.

This link was posted in the second link below in which Stub came up with a way to wire the pad in series in the line cord to avoid re-wiring each phone it is to be used on.

http://atcaonline.com/ttpad.html

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=812.60

The only power would have to come from the line. So, the handset cap seems possible. Would still like to see the back of that cap.

[HarrySmith]

I dont think it actually dials. Does not look like any type of push buttons, more like just a decoration. From the sellers description it sounds like it is similar to a "confidencer" mouthpiece.

[Adam]

Harry, if you're referring to the device at the top of this thread, yes, it actually dials.  I've been wracking my brain trying to remember the actual marketing name of the device, I can't, but I have run into them in my phone career.  They are designed, as Russ Kirk said, to screw on to a G5 handset on a rotary phone in place of its regular transmitter to allow the user to generate touch tones.  The face is a touch-sensitive key pad.  It is line powered, from the voltage of the transmitter circuit.  I don't remember how well they functioned, but I do remember they're difficult to use for an adult with anything but very slim fingers (not meant for fat fingers like mine...)

[Adam]

Would like to see the other side of that cap.

From what I remember, it just looks like the reverse side of a transmitter, a middle contact button with a separate metal ring contact going around it.  No other distinguishing features.

[paul-f]

It's a Soft Touch dialer.  Line powered.  

(some of the more advanced models have batteries to store numbers in memory.)

http://www.paul-f.com/softouch.htm

Back view here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5911.msg70825;topicseen#msg70825

[TelePlay]

The patent photo shows the use of a pencil eraser end or something like that to use that dial. Here's a link to the patent 4042793 dating back to 1975.

http://tinyurl.com/cxhrd63