Western Electric Home Interphone Restoration

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Well after slowly tinkering away here and there I finally got my Home Interphone system assembled and (mostly) working.
It all started when I discovered 'the Old Telephone Co' in Newport Oregon and recalled this strange speaker phone system that was in
a house I grew up in.
It never worked, so a I tinkered away at and it was loads of fun as a kid.
I described it to the owner George and he was like 'oh yeah an interphone'
So I thought it would be fun to finally fix one 38 years later.
Once I found all BSP's I realized I could recreate a system.
So I kept my eyes open, first I found the Black 759B Farm interphone speaker, then the 2 line phones I could modify, and finally in November the 51A control unit, that was part of a salesman's demo kit.
The only difference between a  759B and a  759A that I can tell is a volume knob.

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The 51A has a primitive 1961 circuit board, with some power supply caps, a mic pre amp, and a speaker amp.
I recapped all the paper caps on the board here is before and after.
the caps are all150 DC rated so I tried to keep at least that voltage rating.

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The caps took some time.
The last issue was the K1A / K1B relay.
This plastic cover had fallen off, and the relay wont work correctly without it.

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I decided to keep it portable as it was originally a demo system.
So I got some of the 'Jones' connectors at a local electronics surplus outfit.
and some 6 pair cat 3 from another surplus outfit (my house has some existing 6 pair from when it was built)
They tie the 51A into a 66 block to my inside wiring.
I plan to do 5 rooms and 2 door speakers.
I have 4 rooms connected so far.

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Room 1
Has a 511F and the 559B

Room 2
Has a 511F and a 107AW loud speaker, not original interphone, but they work.

Room 3
Will have a Pink 759A and possibly a princess (if I can find a case).

The Green 558 C/D with Green 759A are at my test bench.

The last issue is I have alittle too much impedance off hook, and not enough current is being drawn to hold in the K1A relay.

[FABphones]

Great idea. I get the impression these systems are tricky to track down. Thanks for sharing.

Cute little suitcase too, is it leather? any Bell marking on it?

[Key2871]

Yes thanks for sharing. I've never seen one except on Bell System videos, or in pictures. So seeing one installed and working (mostly) so you are definitely on the right track. Please let us know your progress in interested in seeing it all complete.

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Great idea. I get the impression these systems are tricky to track down. Thanks for sharing.

Cute little suitcase too, is it leather? any Bell marking on it?

No markings other than a label "Vouge custom made of California"
I am not sure if its real leather.
Most likely the kit originally had 2 phones.
I can post some more pics of the suitcase later.

Yes thanks for sharing. I've never seen one except on Bell System videos, or in pictures. So seeing one installed and working (mostly) so you are definitely on the right track. Please let us know your progress in interested in seeing it all complete.

Yeah thats why I am keeping it portable so when there can be in person gatherings again it can be displayed.

[Payphone installer]

I came across a whole bunch of this Interphone stuff and have been selling it in eBay over the last year. There were several controllers all of the internal speakers lots of the external speakers and transmitters. Most of it is sold now. But the way it was selling there are quite a few people out there that are into home interphone. When I was a residential installer I only came across one of these once. It was in the 80's and a woman was having trouble with it. It took 2 days and two installers to repair the problem. It was the only working one I ever saw. They are rare.

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Oh interesting yeah there has been a ton on ebay, all gone now
perhaps muz_1506 was you?
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=24972.0

Where did you find it all?
I think I have everything I am going to collect
However to have a complete system I'll need a few of the mic's for the 511's and a princess 713.
The controllers need a ton of work, I have learned allot about them.
It is like restoring an antique radio all the caps in the 51A need to be replaced.
I am still dealing with one last issue in that I dont have enough current to close the K1A relay unless I have take the phone right next to the controller off hook, so I'll probably end up making a little 'off hook' circuit detector to trigger the relay.

[Babybearjs]

you're lucky to have the interphone control board... those are impossible to find... as for me, I went with the 1A1 system... a step up from the interphone... my system is complete and working! I just have to get the MOH in and tie in the security system, somehow....

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you're lucky to have the interphone control board... those are impossible to find... as for me, I went with the 1A1 system... a step up from the interphone... my system is complete and working! I just have to get the MOH in and tie in the security system, somehow....

Nice apparently Payphone installer is the one whom has been selling the 51A control units on ebay.
I have a 1A2 shoebox in storage.
I use a 1A2 79B2 powersupply with a DP-1900 intercom as my 'Line 1', however I have it wired so it just blinks lights on the phones when they are dialed (no buzzers). I use a few relays to make the pushbutton on the line key ring all the phones when they are 'on hook'.

Do you run any 2 line phones on your 1A1 system?

[Babybearjs]

I currently run 564 and 2564 phones on my system. with the exception of the 2544 I have in the guestroom.... this is where the hobby gets fun, being able to interchange parts and chassis... I took a 588 key assembly out of a 544 and put it into a 2564, thus making it a 2544... 3 line phone....  since my system has a 207C intercom, I have some sets with dual dialing... on a touchtone, a rotary adjunct dial, and on rotary, a touchtone adpater... that way I can signal any station in the house...

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That is awesome!

[Key2871]

John, why is your hold button second in on the Aqua set? And not first as it should be.