Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Auction Talk => Topic started by: gpo706 on November 11, 2010, 12:12:12 PM

Title: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 11, 2010, 12:12:12 PM
I have one already for years, useless with handset crackle very bad, it looks two-tone green but it described as "blue" - go figure.

Anyway in my quest for a "Golden Shot" phone, I needed a "donor" set, so I bid on one was going cheap - went for 10.01, but then I was hedging my bets with ANOTHER one same colour in case the first one was snapped up last minute.

Of course it didn't so I ended up with two, same colour, so will see which one is better!

Second one was 2 pence cheaper at 9.99!

http://www.britishtelephones.com/t722.htm

Note the funny colour annotations, apparently these are 'Grey"

Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: bushman on November 11, 2010, 12:19:47 PM
Is that considered a wall unit or a desktop?

Bushman
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: AE_Collector on November 11, 2010, 12:31:08 PM
Here's a question for you GPO...

Frequently when looking at British phones on ebaY they talk about it having been "converted" or "not". I see one of your trimphones comes complete with everything needed to make it work except the wall to mount the "socket" (jack) on.

Did the GPO use North American style jacks or those somewhat similar but different looking plugs that are slightly larger with about 6 pins all arranged in a row on one side of the plug/jack? I've seen these plugs on phones that people brought from Hong Kong when moving to Vancouver.

I also saw something somewhere about using pins 2 & 5 for the line rather than pins 3 & 4 like we do in North America. Assuming the pins are numbered in order they purpousely kept more seperation between the two line wires which is probably a good idea.

So...what does "converted" imply in ebaY listings? Converted to the current GPO standard plug using pins 2 & 5 (if that is the current standard) or converted to pins 3 & 4 with North AMerican standard plugs, or something else alltogether?

Terry
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 11, 2010, 05:40:50 PM
Bushman:

"KIT 422A - WALL MOUNTING KIT
This consists of a plastic wedge shaped box (wall bracket), handset clip, cradle bar and a longer case retaining screw. To install, fit the bracket to the wall using the three securing holes.
The following modifications will have to be carried out to the telephone instrument:-

   1. Remove the four rubber feet on the underside of the instrument.
   2. Remove the existing line cord. The exchange line is then connected to the instrument via the hard wiring.
   3. The existing cradle bar may need to be replaced if it differs from the new cradle bar found in the Kit 422A. The exchange line cable should be brought into the wall bracket via the bottom, under the sloped back panel that contains the fitting instructions and behind the cable retainer which is situated as part of the top right-hand telephone support hook.

Once the cable has been routed as described the cable should be cut to length i.e. to the bottom edge of the wall bracket. Then strip the outer sheathing to approximately 50 mm below the support hook. Hang the instrument on the two support hooks of the wall bracket and clip the lower half into place to secure. Terminate the exchange line cable. Replace the telephone cover and place the handset clip in position then secure by using the longer case retaining screw."

On the link above, I have never seen one EVER!
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: AE_Collector on November 11, 2010, 05:49:40 PM
Must be a pretty big wedge as the trimphone looks to be quite wedge shaped already (in the wrong direction for wall mounting).

Terry

Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Sargeguy on November 11, 2010, 05:50:23 PM
That is one ugly phone :P  Are you sure it wasn't made in Bulgaria???
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 11, 2010, 05:54:35 PM
ae - "converted" means they have had the 4 wire spaded connections - 4 wire to 4 wire spaded, converted to 4 wire "PST" (Plug and socket) jacks aka BT 431A plugs.

http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/wiring_info.htm

http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/line_jacks.htm

Theres plenty phones on the bay un-converted can be re-wired with a 4 spade to 431A plug for less than 5 quid, or you could buy a old style 4 wire terminal block (soapdish) , wire the phone to the block and then the block to the socket to a new cord.

Links above cover most everything.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 11, 2010, 05:57:13 PM
Quote from: Sargeguy on November 11, 2010, 05:50:23 PM
That is one ugly phone :P  Are you sure it wasn't made in Bulgaria???

Sargeguy, best not plan on any holidays here soon, its considered a design classic here!

They are still making repros today.

Back in the day it was the only alternative to the 706/746 series and you paid a premium rental for one of these - if you had a trimphone you were quite well off!
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Sargeguy on November 11, 2010, 06:02:11 PM
Well, it is...interesting.  Maybe I'd like it more if looking at it didn't make me dizzy.   :-\.  Seriously I'm glad you found it and good luck with it!
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 11, 2010, 06:10:08 PM
Sargeguy - the biggest problem with Trimphones is their weight, it slides round the table if you stand up, you need Blu-Tack to secure them to a surface, or duct-tape, or concrete.

On the positive side it has a radiation emitting numberplate and a 3  tone ringer, in fact it escalates the sound from soft to loud depending on how many rings it takes.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 11, 2010, 06:39:41 PM
Here's a slidy one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPtHDFE0SQQ&feature=related

Here's a ringing one (warbling one):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx03gDhV6-8&feature=related

This covers the history of the 706/746 and the Trimphone, very good info on this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF5QuL5ooQI
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: paul-f on November 11, 2010, 07:52:21 PM
Quote from: Sargeguy on November 11, 2010, 05:50:23 PM
That is one ugly phone :P  Are you sure it wasn't made in Bulgaria???

IMHO, They're actually quite attractive in person.  I know, there's no accounting for taste.  They also come in a variety of color combinations and the previously discussed leather covered models.

  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3105.msg41534#msg41534
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: McHeath on November 14, 2010, 01:35:38 AM
I like the look of the Trimphone, rather a 60's affair and I like the design of that era.  Though I know that style is in the eye of the beholder. 

Never seen one in person, only on the web or in a few Brit shows they pop up once in a while.  Seems like there was one in one of the Men in Black movies as well, but I might be off there. 
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: elmwood on November 16, 2010, 01:01:25 AM
Quote from: Sargeguy on November 11, 2010, 05:50:23 PM
That is one ugly phone :P  Are you sure it wasn't made in Bulgaria???

The European phones look more like products of their times.  For example, if they were designed in the 1970s, they look very 1970s to my eyes.  By comparison, North American phones from the 1950s through the 1980s have a more timeless appeal about them.

Still, I'd like to have one of the 1970s-era Dutch or GPO phones.  The design would be an interesting contrast to my Craftsman and contemporary furniture, and it would look percect in an IKEA-furnished guest bedroom.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 19, 2010, 07:18:48 PM
Elmwood: a trimphone is the perfect accessory for a retro "batchelor pad" - groovy!

The first one came yesterday, and I was too knackered after work to do much except take it apart and see whats what and how much of a clean it needed.

Its not actually very manky  a light clean and polish should do the trick, well apart from the original line-cord which was filthy and the loops distended, but I had bought a new remanufacted replcaement, so out with the old screwdriver and get going.

Now Trimphone linecords are strange GPO cords as they have smaller grommets at the phone end and standard square ones at the line end (like the 700-series, square at both ends).

They also have from the phone end, about 6ft of straight cord which transforms into coiled cord up to the terminal block, hence the replacement, as I had already predicted it would be filthy or stretched.

Do any US/European phones have this arrangement?

Obviously these "hybrid" line cords are take advantage of the light weight of the design to encourage "roaming" around your pad.

So I stripped the old one out and put the replacement in, and dials fine, then put the case back on and nothing!

Now turns out the phone end of the linecord has a rectangular shaped grommet which I had put in the wrong way (no instructions online or in the manuals) so how was I to know it was lifting the PCB which it sits under and also acts a cord restraint - you loosen it prise it up and insert the cable, then screw back down, it  clamps the ends of the 4 spade connectors.

So I had it standing slightly proud when the case was back on, which stopped the "reversed hookswitch" from touching the switch.

So having rectified the line in cord, the case goes back on again, - nothing.

Now it turns out the new line cord has very long wires to the spade connectors, longer than the originals, so were snagging the hook mechanism, so a tidy up and loop round the case screw staunchion and dials fine again,

Now ring through the PBX, looks at the wiring again, I forgot the 3.3k resistor across T4 to 5, another fiddly job, that added now it rings that unique Trimphone warble.

Case back on and all is well, except the progressively louder ringtone doesn't work its either hardly audible on "soft" or shrill on "loud".

Another thing nobody tells is the "medium" setting marked by an arrow on the three position dial, you need to select this to get the progressively louder warble...

What a palaver as usual, still it was a fairly easy couple of hours to get it working and warbling again, no crackle on the acoustic horn either.

One lives and learns, just needs a decent spruce up, Part 2 when the next one arrives.

Can't make out the date on the base, its rubbed off, the case is dated 1981, thought that could be a new case on a rufurb.

Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Adam on November 19, 2010, 08:07:30 PM
Quote from: gpo706 on November 19, 2010, 07:18:48 PM
They also have from the phone end, about 6ft of straight cord which transforms into coiled cord up to the terminal block

Do any US/European phones have this arrangement?

The only other phone I know of that had cords like this was the Ericofon.  A version of it was made by North Electric in Galion, OH, but I don't think they are considered a US phone...
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: cchaven on November 19, 2010, 08:51:33 PM
Yes the Ericofon has a cord that starts out straight then transitions into a coiled cord, just as described.  Though a Swedish design, the Ericofon was manufactured by North Electric in Ohio starting in 1960/61 on thru 1972.

Jeff
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: AE_Collector on November 19, 2010, 09:08:36 PM
Quote from: gpo706 on November 19, 2010, 07:18:48 PM
They also have from the phone end, about 6ft of straight cord which transforms into coiled cord up to the terminal block, hence the replacement, as I had already predicted it would be filthy or stretched.

Do any US/European phones have this arrangement?


The Ericofon's (debatable as to whether they are a "US" phone or not but definitely qualifies as European) had the half coiled and half straight type of line cords. The only other one that I can think of was the GTE "Flip Phones" of the 1980's which had a partial coiled  and partial straight cord but like the Ericofon, it's hard to say for sure that it is a "line cord" since there is NO handset cord!

Terry
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Adam on November 19, 2010, 10:50:42 PM
I forgot about the flip phone!  BUT!  Wasn't the flip phone cord the other way 'round?  Wasn't it coiled at the set end transitioning to straight at the plug end?  The Trimphone and Ericofone cords are coiled at the plug end.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 19, 2010, 11:04:38 PM
Not much on telly tonight so got bored, came up fine with half a dozen anti-bacterial wipes and some spray and a toothbrush for the fiddly bits.

Looks fab, rings fab!

The handset cord was grubby, but just needed a good clean, even the grommets look fine after the toothbrush treatment, the coils still very tight.

There's very little to clean on a Trimphone, the case, the  hookset, the dial and the fingerwheel/label cover, handset and receiver cup which comes apart with one screw.

(There is is a TX cup but its plugged with a plastic rivet, as the RX sits with the TX at the top using the acoustic horn method).

Its a lot easier than a 706/746.

Unfortunately the radioactive dial seems shot, probably all the gas has leaked out long ago, but I did find on the reverse of a spare 706 cream dial I just got was a blank label which when removed revealed a standard label centre named "WORTHING 820 328" -on the flipside - so I popped this in to complete the look!



Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Kenny C on November 19, 2010, 11:10:03 PM
Quote from: gpo706 on November 19, 2010, 11:04:38 PM
There's very little to clean on a Trimphone, the case, the  hookset, the dial and the fingerwheel/label cover, handset and receiver cup which comes apart with one screw.





wow they can hold a whole phone together with one screw  ;)  ;D
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 19, 2010, 11:56:11 PM
Well I meant 5 screws and one screwdriver, or maybe two, its very late here and I'm tired... ;)
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: AE_Collector on November 20, 2010, 01:07:41 AM
Quote from: masstel on November 19, 2010, 10:50:42 PM
I forgot about the flip phone!  BUT!  Wasn't the flip phone cord the other way 'round?  Wasn't it coiled at the set end transitioning to straight at the plug end?  The Trimphone and Ericofone cords are coiled at the plug end.

I'm pretty sure that you are correct re the flip phone cord.

Terry
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 21, 2010, 02:21:42 PM
No.2 arrived yesterday, interestingly it has a faceplate for a terminal box wallmount attached, I thought from the picture it was a PST socket.

I took the line cable out of the plate and then rewired the phone, then attached the old line cord thus:

line - 4 terminal soapdish, white/green, red, blue, then out to a spare PST linecord and into a spare on the Pana.

Dial tone, nice and clear, dials out, but no ring in...

The original soapdish wiring has the w/g connected together to one terminal, so I I separated them, and now it rings fine.

So far so good, but now I have 2 greys, so digs around the errr. "pending projects" box and found the blue set, unfortunately without its original linecord, although I suspect I wouldn't have discarded it unless it was utterly shot, so I'll need to rummage in some other boxes if I want a colour matching linecrord, as the new ones I found only come in light grey (sigh)!

Now the 2nd grey set is a bit more battered and dirty than the first, so what did I do?

BODY SWAP!

Off comes the handset and body, clean the base/chassis/dial, then the blue body/handset.

Now this was vile, it was caked in greasy cigarette film, and took the lifes of a few disinfectant wipes, then anti-bacterial spray, the cloths were black, but it cleaned up quite respectably, just a nice as No.1 without embarrassing it when I sat them side by side.

Put it all together, still with rather unwieldy line cord arrangement described above as I haven't a new replacement grey cord, and finally stole the dial label from grey No.2 to finish it off - "Sheringham 2352".

When I had tried a rewire of the blue set many a moon ago, it had unusable handset crackle, buts it fine now, I suspect it might have to do with that ones having a party line button fitted.

So two out three aint bad, especially since the blue set has probably been sitting here for 25 years waiting for me to get round to it.

Now for a green set (it's never-ending isn't it)?

Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 21, 2010, 03:16:31 PM
This explains the handset crackle, Mr. Blue didn't have one fitted -

"This is a used transmitter regulator from a trimphone, Number 7A. These were used to restrict the current flowing through the transmitter, as excessive line current can cause frying or crackling noises."

Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on April 05, 2011, 06:10:15 PM
This completes the trio, its called "Mr Green":

http://www.britishtelephones.com/t722.htm

Doesn't look very green though does it, thats me done with Trimphones having all the original colours! 

15 sheets off the bay.

Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Owain on April 05, 2011, 07:34:05 PM
Quote from: gpo706 on April 05, 2011, 06:10:15 PM

Doesn't look very green though does it, thats me done with Trimphones having all the original colours! 



Ah, but then there are the LD and MF tone versions, the Phoenixphone colours and the Deltaphone in Leather to collect ...

Green Trimphone was the first phone we had in our house, in the kitchen with orangey pine cupboards and avocado worktops. I can remember listening to Showaddywaddy on Dial-a-Disc.

IIRC Noel Edmonds had a Trimphone on Swap Shop, and John Craven had one on the sehlf behind him on Newsround.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on April 05, 2011, 08:08:09 PM
I'm not even going down that route!

Yes Swap Shop seemed to have oddly matched "whacky" coloured combos, and John Craven's "Newsround' had one but my favourite is the golden one used by Bob Monkhouse on the "The Golden Shot" 1974/5.

I have a spare I'd like to gold colour and make it my "Shot" phone...
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Willytx on April 06, 2011, 01:49:37 AM
What a neat little phone! It looks kind of like a Starlite, after a magic act gone wrong.

The green one would go quite nicely in my yellow kitchen....
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on April 06, 2011, 10:56:07 AM
Try dialling on one Willie, unless you lick the feet and stick it down it slithers about on your desk/worktop !
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Tom B on April 06, 2011, 11:10:30 AM
The trimphone really takes me back to the late 70s.... ;)
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: AE_Collector on April 06, 2011, 11:18:32 AM
Quote from: gpo706 on April 06, 2011, 10:56:07 AM
Try dialling on one Willie, unless you lick the feet and stick it down it slithers about on your desk/worktop !

Similar complaint when the AE 80E came out. The phone base was so light that when you picked up the handset the spring cord caused the phone to follow you across the desk. I went to remove one from a desk once and discovered that someone had opened it up and screwed it down to the desk. The desk was "no loss" putting a screw into it and I think they just left the rear housing screw out so the case could be lifted off of the baseplate.

Terry
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Willytx on April 06, 2011, 01:23:13 PM
Quote from: gpo706 on April 06, 2011, 10:56:07 AM
Try dialling on one Willie, unless you lick the feet and stick it down it slithers about on your desk/worktop !

I will definitely be needing that wall mount kit! :D
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on April 06, 2011, 01:41:59 PM
I stuck one down with your ordinary bog-standard Bluetak on the feet, when it came to removing it one of the feet came off the base!

Bluetak -  easy way to remove them stubborn rubber feet.

Then you have warm it up under the hot tap to make it malliable enough to put back on...

I think my most immovable yet roaming set - you can't whack a 554 with a 12ft handset cord  ;)
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: GG on April 07, 2011, 05:53:31 AM

Re. slidey phones, try this: park the phone on a mousepad of the kind that has a high-friction rubberised underside and a kind of fuzzy clothlike material on the topside. 

Years ago I found a roll of dark gray material (I think it was at Orchard Supply Hardware in the "shelf paper" section) that is high friction on both sides.  This can be applied to the underside of restored "round base" US phones (WE B1 and AE 1A) to make them less slidely.  Or for an original phone you don't want to mess with, just cut out a circle or square of the material and use it as a "mousepad" or "coaster" for the phone.  You can probably find this stuff at any decent hardware store. 

AE_Collector: Eeeyow, I never saw one screwed down to a desk.  We didn't use too many 80Es in my day (did you work for GTE?), but we did use a decent number of refurbed 80s when rotary was still common.  I still have a small batch of brown 80Es with "modern" touchtone dials that went dead and we replaced with 2500 sets, God knows how AE managed to produce a dial that died so easily. 

OK, so here's a slightly funny story:

A couple of decades ago AT&T had a key system called Merlin that used a handset very much like that on the Trimphone, which is to say, shorter than a G-type handset and virtually impossible to balance on one's shoulder.  These were the primary competition to the Panasonic systems (308, 616, 123211-D) that we were selling.  Here's what we did about that:

I'd go to the prospective client's site with a Merlin set, a Panasonic set, a 2500, a Trimphone, and a banana.  I'd lay out the phones in front of them and say something like the following:

"Here's the AT&T Merlin phone you told us you're also considering.  Notice that the handset bears a unique resemblance to this English Trimphone handset, and both of them are almost impossible to balance on your shoulder.  The K-type handset on our Panasonic phone has the same ergonomics as the G-type on the standard touchtone phone (2500) you probably have at home: easy to balance on your shoulder. That matters if you're going to be having long phone calls or need both your hands free to type or something."

Then I'd pull out the banana and lay it down next to the Merlin handset and say "I'm willing to bet that you'll have an easier time balancing this banana on your shoulder, than that Merlin handset." 

The prospective client would typically try out the handsets and discover that they couldn't get the Merlin handset on their shoulder; and that little demo won us those sales almost every time.  (The fact that Merlin required 4-pair jacks also helped: we got two Panasonic jacks on a 4-pair drop compared to only one for Merlin, thus cutting the cabling costs substantially.) 

Apologies to our UK members here for exploiting the situation; in fact I quite like the 772 and would like to find an MF version in any reasonable color. 
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: AE_Collector on April 07, 2011, 12:34:46 PM
Quote from: GG on April 07, 2011, 05:53:31 AM

AE_Collector: Eeeyow, I never saw one screwed down to a desk.  We didn't use too many 80Es in my day (did you work for GTE?), but we did use a decent number of refurbed 80s when rotary was still common.  I still have a small batch of brown 80Es with "modern" touchtone dials that went dead and we replaced with 2500 sets, God knows how AE managed to produce a dial that died so easily. 

Yes I have worked for BC Tel since 1975 which has been called Telus since the year 2000. GTE's ownerhip was cut from 50.1% to 26.x% in 2000 and a couple of years later the remaining 26.x% was bought out.

We had a large "shops" department and part of that department refurbished all of our phones. We went from 80's to 80E's in 1975 and beagn to have hugh problems with the AE touchpads. Eventually we switched to a different brand of touchpad on all phones being refurbished. I'm not sure who made them now but the buttons were brighter white than the AE buttons which are an Ivory color.

I spoke with the manager in the refurb shop at that time and I recall him saying that they had determined that the buttons on AE pads scraped the sides each time they were pushed and the plastic dust wound up in the bottom of the touchpad fouling the contacts of the newer AE IC based touchpads.

Terry
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: GG on April 08, 2011, 03:24:08 AM


Hi Terry - Looks like we were all having problems with those pesky dialpads.  What you said there is interesting & the basis for another ongoing conversation.   I sense a digress alert coming along momentarily, so if you want to start a BCTel Misc topic in the appropriate section of the site, we can pick this up there. 
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: AE_Collector on April 08, 2011, 10:58:55 AM
Okay, for housekeeping reasons lets move the BC Telephone / Automatic Electric discussion here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=4661.new#new

Terry
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on April 14, 2011, 11:15:30 AM
Mr. Green came a-calling today, few twists in the handset, but fairly tight.

He has a list to starboard as one of his front feet has gone walkies, no "opal" over the now ubiquitous sticker dial card (these are really annoying as you have to destroy them to get the fingerwheels off) it proudly reads: "Fareham 287179".

Dial is fine, and has been converted with a straight white PST cord.

2/722 GEN 77/2 gives us its birthplace and date.

The green is more olive green it's quite a pleasing colour, very 70's decor-wise.

Something rattling in the handset, oh no!

Test it later...

Later, back at the ranch...

This was a total botch job, bare wires, odd bits of spaded wire terminating to one strand of wire, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, where to start?

Mr Grey II donates its repro Trimphone line cord.

Ripped it apart and rewired per one of my working ones, good - all OK dials out, rings in.

Now to replace the missing foot, I took one off Mr. Grey II (spares for now), comes out easy enough, but mein Gott what a wrestling match to get it on the base, in the end I sliced the retaining ring in half to the base of foot, warmed it in hot water to soften it up a bit, and got the rubber flange through with the aid of a small flat bladed screwdriver, this took about an hour of grunting and cursing, I have absolutely no idea how they got these darn things on at manufacture.

Then a light clean and re-assembly, I took the cap off the handset to clean and still has that rattling noise coming from it, during the course of cleaning it a tiny (1mm diameter) shard of silver metal pole drops out, - absolutely no idea where it sheared off but screwed the handset up again and it works fine sans the annoying rattle.

Time to put all the bits back together but now the back circuit board doesn't want to slip under the retaining lugs, nope, nope, nope.

Takes the board out and has a good look at it - the board had warped on the right hand side and so wasn't wanting to go back, so a bit of brute force and some persuasion with a flat screwdriver and it flexed enough back to mate - this was racking my brains and took about 2 hours.

(A word of advice - the back circuit board goes in first engages the locating lugs on the base, then the bottom board has a flange to slip underneath it to hold it tight, you then screw the bottom board tight then the top board sits on top and secures your two boards nice and snug on the base).

What a nightmare, ever had that "I wish I'd never taken it apart" feeling?

So gets it all put together again and fitted a new dial opal and a spare card and its very presentable, still worked up a fair sweat for what I thought was straightforward job.

Roll on the Compact!

Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on April 15, 2011, 03:24:46 PM
Now Mr. Grey, Green and Blue are all fit for parade, I took them all up in the laboratory (my bedroom) and hooked them to Pana 616.

Then I made them all ring at once, now the strange thing is they all rang in sequence, and the "chirps" from each of them have a slightly and identifiable differing "warble".

Is this the 616 again being a very entertaining gadget or have all three phones differing warblers?

They are connected to 32, 33, 34 on the Pana UK extensions, so how do they ring one after the other and at different warbles?

It's an amazing sound -  I must make a video for you folks, like an infestation of grasshoppers or crickets  :)
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Tom B on April 15, 2011, 03:41:45 PM
I look forward to the video, mate!
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Adam on April 15, 2011, 03:53:11 PM
Quote from: gpo706 on April 15, 2011, 03:24:46 PM
Then I made them all ring at once, now the strange thing is they all rang in sequence, and the "chirps" from each of them have a slightly and identifiable differing "warble".

Can't speak to why they warbled differently, but I believe ringing the extensions in sequence rather than all at exactly the same time is normal for the Panasonic PBX.  It saves power that way (less power to ring one ringer at a time than all of them at the same time) so the PBX can have a smaller ringing power supply.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Owain on April 15, 2011, 05:00:37 PM
Quote from: gpo706 on April 15, 2011, 03:24:46 PM
have all three phones differing warblers?

Back then components like resistors would have had 10% or even 20% tolerances, so it's not surprising that the warbles would vary.

Not like proper bells machined to a thou of an inch, no no no.

Must confess I have never had a gallery of trimphones ringing; I've only got two and they live in the Display Cabinette so don't get played with.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on April 15, 2011, 05:51:52 PM
It's like a trio singing!

Thats a succinct answer about the 616, sounds reasonable to me.

Owain - get 'em Trims wired up to a 616!
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Owain on April 15, 2011, 06:09:59 PM
Quote from: gpo706 on April 15, 2011, 05:51:52 PM
It's like a trio singing!

Thats a succinct answer about the 616, sounds reasonable to me.

Owain - get 'em Trims wired up to a 616!

I'm more a Plan 107A off a Minimaster 3 sort of chap ...
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 02, 2011, 08:53:30 PM
For whom asked (maybe on another thread, can't find it here), the seller of new trimphone line cords is back on the bay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/nigel7777777777/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25&_trksid=p3984

e.g. -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trimphone-Line-Cord-Newly-Made-Low-start-price-/390360657896?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5ae34eefe8

Hope this helps.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: GG on November 03, 2011, 03:53:23 AM


Cool, thanks for posting that.  I have an old two-tone green one with a USA modular cord on it, that could be converted back.  Yes you're right, they chose odd colors of green for those, compared to 706 greens.  Mine's gone just a little yellow-ish, could probably use the Retrobright treatment.  (Also recently picked up a Snowdon version, green/white, perfect condition except the dial needs a little work, which I can do because I've got plenty of GPO parts.)

The way I deal with slidey phones is by parking them on furry mousepads.  The cloth-like top surface keeps the phone feet in one place, and the non-skid bottom surface prevents the whole thing sliding around.  Use plain gray mousepads with no distracting graphics or annoying adverts on them; these are easy to find in most computer places. 
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 03, 2011, 07:29:13 PM
Or blutac as related above, if you don't mind the feet coming off!

This is the only supplier I have found re-makes the right cordage, he must do it in small batches, sells, then his leads vanish till he gets some more done, worth adding to your ebay sellers lists and looking in.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: GG on November 04, 2011, 12:58:06 PM


I should probably order 2 or 3 of these right now, one for my 2-tone green 722, and the other to hold as a spare for when I score a DTMF version just in case.  Yes the decadic pulse version is kinda' cute too, with ten buttons.... hmm...
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Stephen Furley on November 07, 2011, 08:33:49 PM
Has anybody noticed anything strange about the No. 30 dial used in the Trimphone?  There were many different dials used by the GPO, but almost all of them have the 0 at the bottom, and the fingerstop close to it.  The No. 30 dial has the 9 at the bottom.  I only noticed this last week.  If we ignore the very early dials, the special ones for payphones, emergency only service, test equipment, and a few little-used dials, such as the GEC No. 51, the small-size No. 17 for the engineer's telephone 280 etc. then there were only four main dial types from the 150 candlestick to the end of the dial era.  These were Nos. 10, 12, 21 and 54a.  These are all quite similar, the No. 10 used a different means to stop the dial from pulsing when being pulled round (the 'Slipping cam' mechanism),while the others used the 'trigger' mechanism, but otherwise the main difference from 12 to 21 to 54a was increased use of plastic, reduced cost and reduced weight.  When I removed the fingerwheel from my Trimphone recently to clean underneath it I noticed that while it's generally similar to the 54a, with a similar plastic central hub on which the fingerwheel mounts, on the 'normal' dials the pin which engages with the fingerwheel is directly below the central screw hole (or both above and below in the case of the 54a) on the No. 30 it's at about the 5 o'clock position.  Only then did I realise that the whole dial is rotated by one hole position, and obviously, the numbers have to be printed differently on the dial plate to keep them upright when the dial is mounted in this slightly rotated position.  This means that a standard 21 of 54a dial cannot be used in a Trimphone.

The No. 30 dial is clearly shown here:

http://www.britishtelephones.com/dial1.htm#d30 (http://www.britishtelephones.com/dial1.htm#d30)

Note that while the left picture shows the dial in its correct position, the centre one, which shows the radioactive gas tube, is incorrect, and shows it in the same position as a normal dial.  Odd that I've never noticed this before.  I don't know the reason.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: GG on November 08, 2011, 05:49:54 AM


I noticed it first time I saw a Trimphone, which was ITT's "Deltaphone" that was briefly sold at Radio Snack in the late 70s. 

The way I think of those dial positions is: zero at the 4:00 position is "Western Electric," and zero at the 6:00 position is "Automatic Electric."  GPO telephones always had zero at 6:00, but the Deltaphone / Trimphone had zero at 5:00 which was closer to "Western Electric."  Aside from that, all the mechanical bits are the same between a Trimphone dial and any other GPO trigger dial. 

I figured the reason GPO rotated the dial slightly, was to avoid the situation where the fingerstop would be too close to the rest position of the handset.  This, to allow more room to get one's fingers under the handset to pick it up, without getting a fingernail caught under the fingerstop and thereby either bouncing the phone on the table or breaking a long fingernail (primarily women; they wouldn't have wanted to anger half their clientele). 

Very clever adaptation, and nice of them to have done it despite the added cost for the different style number plates for those dials. 

Some other European telephones (Germany, Poland, Dutch Heemaf, Czech, some USSR), use the same dial position as the Trimphone, on their conventional desk sets.   Others (Ericsson, France PTT, Austria, Yugoslavia, some USSR) use the dial position with 0 at 6:00. 

Someone here recently explained the somewhat counterintuitive (to us USA-ers) GPO practice of having the housing screws in the cradle on the 706 and at the rear on the 746: so that the telephone wouldn't have to be turned upside-down on the table, where it might scratch a polished tabletop.  Seen in that light, it's also a very clever adaptation and makes plenty of sense.  (Presumably the USA practice of holding an upside-down phone between one's knees whilst unscrewing the base, would have been seen as vaguely rude or vulgar in the UK, therefore not done that way.)
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Owain on November 08, 2011, 06:12:28 AM
Quote from: GG on November 08, 2011, 05:49:54 AM
I figured the reason GPO rotated the dial slightly, was to avoid the situation where the fingerstop would be too close to the rest position of the handset.  This, to allow more room to get one's fingers under the handset to pick it up, without getting a fingernail caught under the fingerstop and thereby either bouncing the phone on the table or breaking a long fingernail (primarily women; they wouldn't have wanted to anger half their clientele).  ...

Someone here recently explained the somewhat counterintuitive (to us USA-ers) GPO practice of having the housing screws in the cradle on the 706 and at the rear on the 746: so that the telephone wouldn't have to be turned upside-down on the table, where it might scratch a polished tabletop.  Seen in that light, it's also a very clever adaptation and makes plenty of sense.  (Presumably the USA practice of holding an upside-down phone between one's knees whilst unscrewing the base, would have been seen as vaguely rude or vulgar in the UK, therefore not done that way.)

I thought the Trimphone dial was smaller, but the holes are the same size. Therefore they will take up a greater proprortion of the circumference of the dial. Either the 1 has to be rotated right, or the 0 has to be rotated beyond 6 o'clock. I think rotating the 1 right would have caused more problems.

Turning phones upside down was avoided because it disturbed dust inside the phone. Also British phones of the 706 later had a little tag so that the hookswitch could be latched on-hook without the cover and handset being in place, for testing purposes and to avoid engaging the line. The latch could be disengaged from outside the phone after the cover had been replaced.

They really did put a lot of thought into designing stuff in those days.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Stephen Furley on November 08, 2011, 09:14:36 AM
Quote
I thought the Trimphone dial was smaller, but the holes are the same size. Therefore they will take up a greater proprortion of the circumference of the dial. Either the 1 has to be rotated right, or the 0 has to be rotated beyond 6 o'clock. I think rotating the 1 right would have caused more problems.

The fingerwheel and dial plate, or fingerplate and dial label to use GPO terminology, of the No. 30 dial are the same diameter as those on the No. 54a; the size and pitch circle diameter of the finger holes is also the same.  It's not like the WE dials, where the holes do occupy a greater angle of a smaller wheel.  I read somewhere that the body diameter of the No. 30 dial is actually slightly greater than that of the standard dials to accomodate the gas tube, but I haven't actually measured it.  For anybody not familiar with them, the body diameter of standard GPO dials is considerably smaller than the fingerwheel diameter.   The only smaller dials which I'm aware of, at least since the introduction of the No. 10 are the No. 17 which fits into the back of the receiver compartment on the 280 telephone, and the moving finger stop type as used on the Contempra.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Stephen Furley on November 08, 2011, 09:22:40 AM
Quote
Someone here recently explained the somewhat counterintuitive (to us USA-ers) GPO practice of having the housing screws in the cradle on the 706 and at the rear on the 746: so that the telephone wouldn't have to be turned upside-down on the table, where it might scratch a polished tabletop.  Seen in that light, it's also a very clever adaptation and makes plenty of sense.

A clever adaptation possibly, but certainly not a new one; I think the 746 was introduced in 1966, and my recently-acquired Leich 105, from 1955 has the same arrangement, as do my older Leich 615, SC 1543 and I think one or two others.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: JubileeCompact on November 17, 2011, 05:53:19 PM
From GPO 706......

KIT 422A - WALL MOUNTING KIT
This consists of a plastic wedge shaped box (wall bracket), handset clip, cradle bar and a longer case retaining screw. To install, fit the bracket to the wall using the three securing holes.
The following modifications will have to be carried out to the telephone instrument:-

   1. Remove the four rubber feet on the underside of the instrument.
   2. Remove the existing line cord. The exchange line is then connected to the instrument via the hard wiring.
   3. The existing cradle bar may need to be replaced if it differs from the new cradle bar found in the Kit 422A. The exchange line cable should be brought into the wall bracket via the bottom, under the sloped back panel that contains the fitting instructions and behind the cable retainer which is situated as part of the top right-hand telephone support hook.

Once the cable has been routed as described the cable should be cut to length i.e. to the bottom edge of the wall bracket. Then strip the outer sheathing to approximately 50 mm below the support hook. Hang the instrument on the two support hooks of the wall bracket and clip the lower half into place to secure. Terminate the exchange line cable. Replace the telephone cover and place the handset clip in position then secure by using the longer case retaining screw."

On the link above, I have never seen one EVER!

Here ya go...... :)
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: gpo706 on November 18, 2011, 07:18:23 PM
So you got one JC?

Thanks for the picture, at least I can say I've seen one now!

Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: JubileeCompact on November 21, 2011, 01:41:30 AM
Hey 706...

Yup it came from the Bay about a year ago. As you can see its missing the longer case screw so cant really be used but I will attempt to do a pic of a converted unit at some point :). And its the only one Ive ever seen as well- guessing it wasnt a popular option!!

Seamus
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: Owain on September 28, 2017, 03:32:40 PM
Quote from: gpo706 on November 11, 2010, 05:40:50 PM
"KIT 422A - WALL MOUNTING KIT
This consists of a plastic wedge shaped box (wall bracket), handset clip, cradle bar and a longer case retaining screw. ...
On the link above, I have never seen one EVER!

Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present ...

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122727555046

£849 !

It is a new unissued trimphone from 1978 fitted with a wall mounting kit 422A. This wall mounting kit was made in such small numbers most telephone collectors or dealers have never seen one.

Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: twocvbloke on September 28, 2017, 05:39:03 PM
Intriguing looking setup there, it'd be interesting to see how it works with inserting the handset into that cup thing, but at that price, yeah, bit too high for my books... :)
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: ThePillenwerfer on September 28, 2017, 06:10:13 PM
That's something I'd never even heard of, never mind seen.
Title: Re: GPO 722 (aka the TRIMPHONE!)
Post by: ..... on September 28, 2017, 08:08:21 PM
Nice Trimphone. Getting to know more about these Trimphones now that I own one.