It has a dial (!) never used, brand new in original box complete with envelope of button lables, circuit diagram, a FCC "exhibit J" flyer, plastic packaging shrouds for handset and body.
The box has 10/20 on it, so this just refers to 10 or 20 button set, I wrongly assumed this was the model code from the picture, when you were all so kind as to help me track down the ITT manual for it.
Model code on base:
830 13 MBA 42 M 3 86
830 = model code
13 = colour = beige
M = ? no type code for M in manual, only uses "O" for Commercial, I assume "M" is "Military"?
BA = ringer = straight line
42 = special features = standard telephone equipment to operate with external speakerphone
M = dial "Metropolitan" = letters and numbers
3 86 = month or quarter of year and year?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250502230337&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
( dead link 08-04-21 )
It has a thick clear plastic handset cradle, I kinda half expected some heavy chrome bit!
Feel rather bad about displaying it pristine in my smokey room, should I just vacuum seal it?
No attempted to wire it up yet but will leave the original 50 core lead on it for athenticity, and just parallel wire a 4 core BT PST in somehow, hope the lamps light, the REN equivalent is stated as 1.0.
Actually scared to try and get the faceplate off to get to the gubbins as knowing my luck the screwdriver will slip and scratch the panel.
My first "brand new" old phone, I like a wee challenge dont I?
Just to add, the handset is exactly the same as the WE 500 series with RJ plugs, and has rather proudly "ITT" in the embossed bit.
But compared to my 2 500's and 554, it seems very light plasticy, but suppose didnt have to be strong enough to fell a giant over the head given the restance of the cradles and 25-30 year age difference.
It's interesting that a phone like that would have wound up in the UK. Did BT use that sort of connector for multi-line phones?
The faceplate should be easy to remove. If I'm not mistaken, the tiny metal tab at the top center of the panel should move slightly, allowing the panel to be lifted at the back and pulled off.
Brilliant price, by the way. You can't get many brand new phones of any age for less than seven pounds.
Hi Bingster, gto the panel of easy peasy, just took some dutch courage!
Then the case - 2 screws, easy, then the dial, 2 screws, easy.
Then a bewildering array of connectors on the network block, no screw fits, all push and plug spade connectors, but the BT spades will fit, just no idea which go in what.
BT PST sockets are red, green, white and blue.
Anyone here have a clue how to convert the beast?
Great price and great phone! Made in Corinth Mississippi I see, where Cortelco is still based. A couple of major American Civil War battles were fought there, here is a picture of the aftermath of one:
Oops, sorry about the pic folks, some folks were not real comfortable with it so I've pulled it. Apologies to those offended.
Caption for the picture:
Confederate soldiers rest after trying to convert a ITT 9 line multikey phone to work on a single line BT connection.
Funny caption. I can imagine that converting that phone will be a chore that drives you to drink. There is always the trial and error method that I favor, just press wires against terminals until you find a dial tone. (don't tell anyone I do that ;))
On the plastics being more, uh, plasticy. I read in Bell Magazine, a 1968 edition, about the plastics used in the phones. Seems the handset is not simply ABS plastic, it's a multilayer laminate of plastics with a rubbery plastic material in the core. This gave it strength for all those calls to ex-lovers where you are wanting your money back, your Grateful Dead LPs returned, and where the &*^%#* are my boots that I left at your place!! SLAM!!
I seriously doubt that ITT, later Cortelco, continued making the plastics the same way as cost cutting is now the name of the game.
All we really need to know is which two wires on the BT plug are for the line tip and ring; or (+) and (-) if you will. I believe the BT system used the other two wires for extension ringers.
Since two of the wires you mentioned are red and green, and since red and green are normally the tip and ring for US phones, I would probably try those. Or, even more simply put, when you hook up any other old phone, do you use the red and green wires?
Once we get to which pair of wires represent the line, we can go to the TIMM and find out where in the phone it is looking for tip and ring.
On the 25 pair Amphenol plug, the tip and ring for line #1 is usually on pair #1, but unless you have a mate for that Amphenol plug this does you little good, so it would be easy to hook it up inside the phone.
Right onto it phonesrfun...
Inputs on the spade clip board:
all with 4 clip linked slots.
E2 - empty
A - 1 x grey
E1 - empty
G - 1 x yellow, 1 x black
E - 1 x green, 1 x blue, blue to dial
K - 1 x red
C - 1 x white
L2 - empty
GN - 1 x white to handset, 1 x white to dial, 1 x red
B - 1 x black to handset
L1 - empty
RR - 1 x green to dial
R - 1 x white to handset, 1 x red to handset, 1 x white to dial, 1 x black to terminal
board.
The terminal board is 1 to 30 double strapped.
BT cord/terminal info:
http://telephonesuk.co.uk/wiring_info.htm
BT PST socket wiring is as so:
White 'A' wire
Green Earth wire
Blue Bell wire
Red 'B' wire
The corresponding wiring on my works dandy 500 black is from BT modular socket to RJ11:
Red - L2
Yellow - G
Green - L1
Black - not used
I'm gonna go for using a spare BT PST to RJ11 and connect L2/G/L1?
Bill you are a wanted man in these here parts....... ;)
Contraste was right, I'm trying the Mcheath method now, plug em in everywhere and wait for a dial tone!
I'll be heading home from work in a few minutes and I can help with this one.
I am GMT-7 here, so right now it is about 5:05pm Pacific Daylight time, which means it is shortly after 12 midnight GMT or shortly after 1am summer time in Jolly olde England
It's 01.30 in Calvanistic Old Scotand, sure you can grasp the nettle!
Thank you, think I'm connecting the spades to the wrong block terminal, should be reading the diagram to the terminal block.
I am home now, and I am going to look at it. One thing is that the line coming into the house should be on your A and B, which looks like white and red according to your earlier post.
I think I have the exact phone you have to use as a reference.
-Bill
GPO706:
Here is a photo of mine. A 20-button version of the one you have.
Oh its you Mr. Bill!
Getting on first name terms, excellent, I'm Scot.
Off on works night out tommorow but will look back Sun morning my time, thanks for your time.
I'm sure it's quite simple but so am I when it comes to circuit diagrams.
Scot: (Great Scot, a Scotsman named Scot)
Tis may be quicker over the phone. I have free LD to the UK. Do you want to try this via telephone?
I can get it to work with one side of the line to terminal #6 on the multi-screw terminal board and one side of the line to terminal F on the network.
This connection does not go through the buttons, but it will allow for talking and dialing. Lets see if this works for you. It probably will not ring until we wire the ringer for bridged ringing.
The buttons are hard wired right to the cord, so in order for the connection to go through the buttons, you will need a plug, or you will need to cut into the plug itself.
Also, in order for the lamps under the buttons to light and for the hold and transfer and all those other features to be used, you would need a KSU (key systems unit) which is pretty heavy, and probably kind of scarce where you are. They would have mounted in an equipment closet in a business.
-Bill
Sounds good Mr. Bill, yours is the 20 line version of mine.
Can do over the phone but time for bed I'm up in 6 hours.
Will catch up Sunday, or whatever timezone it is your end!
Thanks,
Scot
OK, Sunday then is good for me.