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Sonitek Pay Phone, Model: SN 6811MD

Started by Fabius, May 04, 2019, 06:59:28 PM

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Fabius

I just bought this on eBay for a total of $20 which included shipping. Many of these 1980s 1990s era payphones only allow 7 digit dialing. This payphone allows 10 digit and in fact any number of digits. The closest thing I have to a land line to test the payphone is an extension off of my Panasonic 616 PEBX. I go off hook, deposit the coins and I could call another extension (two digit number) with the payphone, the extension would ring. If I did not pick up the called extension and hung up the payphone my money was returned, If I answered the extension and pressed the TALK button on the payphone the money was collected but no transmission. I can call my cell phone from the payphone dialing 11 digits, I dial a 9 to get an outside line then the 10 digit number of the cell phone. The cell phone rings, I answer the cell phone, press the talk button and the money is collected but no transmission. In both calls there is no sound (sidetone?) when I blow into the payphone transmitter.

I'll check the TCI library for a manual. The box says the phone can be programmed by an incoming phone call.

Any thoughts?
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

Key2871

I wonder if the phone is looking for a loop reversal.
In other words the positive switches to negative.
Or that's why the phone was so cheap, because it doesn't work right.
KEN

Fabius

#2
Quote from: Key2871 on May 04, 2019, 07:54:13 PM
I wonder if the phone is looking for a loop reversal.
In other words the positive switches to negative.
Or that's why the phone was so cheap, because it doesn't work right.

I was thinking the same thing, that maybe it needs reverse battery. Or the circuit boards needed a higher loop circuit?

Don't think it's broke, I have other of this type of payphone and they also have problems on the Panasonic 616.
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

Payphone installer

Come on guys these phones were junk, it tells you on the instructions how it worked. It had no smarts at all. When your party answered it opened the transmitter and when you hung up the handset it collected. It collected because when you hit the talk button it told the phone to collect the coin on a hang up. None of these piece of junk bar pay phones had any smarts at all. They were placed on the customers flat rate business line. Reverse battery lines were a CO option. Many phone companies did not even have them available for this type of service. If they did it was not cheap.
That is why Protel and others had patents on answer detect. The phones were junk they were throwaway phones the one discussed here probably has a bad handset cord. It's just a simple phone with a simple relay and a talk button. Very simple.

RB

Sooo.....Your sayin...JUNK, Huh?
sounds like you had to deal with a few along the way???
Hope you at least got to have a beer with the fix?
They look kinda cool, anyway :)

Fabius

Quote from: RB on May 06, 2019, 06:50:11 AM
Sooo.....Your sayin...JUNK, Huh?
sounds like you had to deal with a few along the way???
Hope you at least got to have a beer with the fix?
They look kinda cool, anyway :)

I agree, junk maybe but cool looking. This may not be smart but it can take nickles, dimes and quarters (most of this type are quarter only) plus complete a call with any number of digits. Plus it has an LCD display. It has some basic smarts as it can be programmed by the incoming phone line. Look at the picture of the box. It has more features them then many of this type.

Bottom line: Cool item that makes an interesting working display that can dial 10 digit numbers.
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905