Confidencer

[Pourme]

Looking for telephony items around here in Antique Markets is usually not very fruitful. What little you find is WAY overpriced. I happened upon this today. It's a Roanwell Confidencer #204, NOS in original box, marked 1/79. I paid $7.00. It fits G handsets and it works really well.

They still have a active web site and apparently make (made?) all types and colors.  http://www.roanwell.com/?page_id=523

Glad I found something....I could afford!

Benny

[Stubbypylon]

I used to install these all the time on trading floors.  The traders liked them because they cut down on the background noise (which could become excessive on a trading floor).

[Pourme]

It says it reduces db's by 15...

[Victor Laszlo]

When you see a person plugging his ear in order to hear better, the answer is to tell him not to do that, but rather to cover the transmitter/mouthpiece and then converse. The human brain has an amazing facility to sort out the sounds coming from two ears, and copy the important information from one ear and ignore sounds from the other.

The Confidencer® does that same process -- eliminates extraneous sounds from the dominant ear. You can use a Confidencer very efficiently without closing off the other ear.  They used to make them for the G handsets, in all the promoted and non-promoted colors, and also to fit F handsets, but only in -3 and -50.

[19and41]

They were used at many of the microwave sites I worked in where the A/C and generator noise would interfere with the order wire traffic.

[Pourme]

Interesting.... I'm glad I found it's kinda cool to have.....

[TelePlay]

There was a white/ivory one on the handset of the 1950 500 that sold for $120 yesterday.

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=18856.0

[mariepr]

Confidencers were also used in so-called "boiler room" solicitations.  I have one on my 1974 G handset.  It's handy for taking calls when the radio is on.  They also make F handsets for use on Boeing 737 models.  The package that contained mine just about floored me - "180 Varick Steet, N.Y., N.Y." which was the building for my old workplace. 

[.....]

I picked up a couple of Confidencers in boxes myself earlier this year.

[Pourme]

Nice.

Your boxes are much nicer. Mine looks to be a "inner" box.

I didn't even know what they were when I saw this one. I had to Google it before I bought it.

[mentalstampede]

I have one of these on my NE 3-slot payphone. It works great as long as you make sure to speak directly into the transmitter. They are/were available to fit AE Type 81 handsets as well.

[oldmoley2]

Recently picked up a UK 746 planphone with one of these attached. Works well, and a great piece of kit.