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I bought another GPO Phone - Telrad - Pictures Posted

Started by LarryInMichigan, February 15, 2010, 09:30:31 PM

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LarryInMichigan

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320485874036
( dead link 08-25-21 )

My yellow GPO 746 is badly discolored, so I thought I would try my luck with a black one.  I am a pushover for cheap phones anyway.  I am curious to see how this phone differs from the British model.

Larry

McHeath

I bought one of these last year, also came from Israel.  Mine is an ivory/yellow two tone and was made in 1978.  It's an odd phone, a 706 pattern still being made after the GPO has ceased production back in the UK.  Has some features of the 746, and yet is mostly the first pattern 706.

It works fine on my AT&T landline service, even rings nicely.  There are a couple of wiring modifications you might want to make that will make it work better.  They are detailed in this thread:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=867.0

gpo706

Thats a nice 706 Israel made phone, the dilal lable is obscured by the flash, but as its Isreali guess wouldnt mean much to me anyway.

Does it have any markings on the base, and is it metal or plastic chassis, 706's came as MKI or II depending on the chassis.
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

gpo706

Quote from: McHeath on February 15, 2010, 10:25:20 PM
I bought one of these last year, also came from Israel.  Mine is an ivory/yellow two tone and was made in 1978.  It's an odd phone, a 706 pattern still being made after the GPO has ceased production back in the UK.  Has some features of the 746, and yet is mostly the first pattern 706.

It works fine on my AT&T landline service, even rings nicely.  There are a couple of wiring modifications you might want to make that will make it work better.  They are detailed in this thread:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=867.0

Sorry didn't take in your comment properly McHeath a 706 body wont fit a 746 chassis or vica-versa the 706 attaches through two screws under the hanset rest, the 746 has one screw at the back.

S.

"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

LarryInMichigan

gpo706,

I just won the auction today, so I do not yet have the phone, and I would expect it to take more than a few days to arrive.  The shipping charge is actually less than I have paid for phones to be shipped from a nearby state in the USA.  As far as I am aware, the dial center card just shows the "Bezeq" logo and a place to write a phone number.  BTW, Bezeq was the monopoly phone phone company in Israel.  I think that it was a typical government owned phone company.

Larry

gpo706

Hi Larry,

its a nice looking buy, like you I can't resist waifs and strays, especially if they come cheap.

Is this on ebay Israel?

Must start looking if it is!

BTW there is someone on ebay UK does brand new 746 moudings for about £25 a pop, but just black, ivory and red at the moment, I would seriously consider it if I had a beat-up 746 body/handset and cord I wanted to do.
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

Jim Stettler

[quote author=gpo706 link=topic=2180.msg29057#msg29057

BTW there is someone on ebay UK does brand new 746 moudings for about £25 a pop, but just black, ivory and red at the moment, I would seriously consider it if I had a beat-up 746 body/handset and cord I wanted to do.

[/quote]
If I am thinking of the same guy , then he will do other colors. Just ask him.Even if he isn'yt the same guy he might be willing to cast custom colors in original molds. The key is to ask.

JMO,
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Greg G.

The first thing that comes to mind when I see "GPO" is "Giant Pacific Octopus", of which I've seen many while diving in Puget Sound.

The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

LarryInMichigan

gpo706,

This phone was on the US ebay site.  Israeli phones like this appear occasionally there.  There are alot of overseas sellers with phones on the US site, especially from Australia, but the shipping charges to the USA are usually outrageous, so I do not bid.  I would like to buy some of the Australian phones, but I do not want to pay $50+ for shipping.

Larry

LarryInMichigan

#9
The phone arrived today.  It was poorly packed, with only some foam rubber between the phone and the box.  The handset was lying on top of the shell and banging it for 10,000 miles of transit.  At any rate, it doesn't appear to be broken.  The dial was totally stuck, so I sprayed it alot, and now it turns smoothly.  I connected the phone to my line, and it seems to work well.  It has alot of side tone, like my British GPO phone.

The bottom of the phone appears to be stamped 1970.  On the shell, behind the handle, is the Telrad name.  They were the Israeli manufacturer of these British style phones.  Both the shell and base are made of very thick plastic.  It does not seem to be tenite, but it seems softer than the typical ABS plastic.  The shell needs alot of polishing.  It is very dull and scratchy, but quite clean.  This is actually about the cleanest phone I have ever bought.

Here are some pictures:






Larry