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A pair of Greys - 2x GPO 746 phones, kind of...

Started by twocvbloke, March 17, 2014, 11:25:48 AM

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twocvbloke

Why kind of? Well, one is an 8746 (modified by BT for use on their PSTN lines), the other, well, that's confusing, on one hand it claims to be a Storno device (who were known for their radiocommunications hardware), and the other, it appears to be an MOD phone of somesort as it has a NATO stock number on the base.... ???

First the Storno:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171263644999

Won for £8.50, looks to be in good condition, and appears to just be a Two-Tone Grey 746 with a different name, and probably is, but why it's been Storno labelled, that'll be a bit of fun to figure out... ???

Next the 8746:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171263705331

Won for £10, has a plastic base, pretty much a standard phone, only bought it cos I want somewhere to sit my Handset no. 17A (Neon indicator + amplifier) on that matched, I was going to use the Storno above, but, I feel that one's a bit too unique to pull apart and re-configure... :)

P&P for both seems to be £11, so £29.50 total, thought it'd be a little cheaper sending the two together, but I guess the seller decided otherwise, and interestingly, their username suggests they're into the Citroen 2CV aswell... ;D

Anyway, pics, first two are the Storno, last three the 8746:

Matilo Telephones

Nice project phone. Will you post the results on the forum?

Interesting puzzle. Could it be that Storno supplied the phone as part of a larger installation?
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

twocvbloke

I haven't a clue how the Storno phone ended up as it is, given that it has a NATO stock number (N. S. N.) on it, it may have been refurbished by them as part of a contract for the MOD, or part of a military telephone installation (fixed or mobile), who knows!! All I know is that Storno's commercial side made radio telephones (or resold other brand radiophones under their own brand, much like how Bell offered radio phones in the US but were made by companies like Motorola), but either way, it's another phone, and it's got a friend in the form of my Mk. 28 which also has an N.S.N., but also has a handset clamp... :)

The 8746 though will just be cleaned up and given the Handset No. 17A (see link below for my demo of it on my ringer-volume controlled green 746 phone), though I may end up giving that one (with the original handset) to my uncle as he's dyslexic and finds it easier to dial on a rotary phone apparently... :)

And a link to my 17A neon lamp operating on a green 746:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUaowMnLUP4

twocvbloke

Well, they've arrived, and boy the Storno Phone is odd, it's a standard late 746 type phone through and through (including the cost-reduced all-plastic dial no. 54A, but, it has additional features, such as a foam seal round the base, holes in the base taped up with foil tape, metal grille over the vent in the carry handle, but the wiring is weird, it seems it's been wired up so that the transmitter and receiver are connected pretty much directly to the line cable (only the transmitter goes through the hookswitch, nothing else in the phone seems to be line-connected), so it seems to be pretty much an intercom setup, which if the phone is meant to be connected to a radio would make sense, of sorts, but, it is weird in that it is complete with dial and ringer, but none of them are wired into the circuit... ???

The dial card is fun though, cos it's not card, it's a piece of aluminium with the Storno name printed onto it, and stuck in place inside the fingerwheel, took some careful peeling to get that out... ;D

I'll upload the pics later in a separate thread, cos this one is rather unusual for me... ???

The other phone though, nothing out of the ordinary there, standard 746 adapted for BT use, just needs a good cleaning up and it'll be good, even comes with a transmitter no. 21A, line cable's pretty grotty though, but those BT-supplied things always are, they just absorb dirt, grime and stains, but that's easily replaced... :)

Anyway, must put the Storno back together before I lose bits due to an inquisitive cat walking over it... ::)

Matilo Telephones

Very interesting indeed.

The only phones that are sealed up I know are the ones that are spark proofed for use in environments with a high risk of explosions such as mines, grain elevators, petrochemical installations etc.
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

twocvbloke

I wouldn't say it's explosion proof, more insect proof, but I could be wrong, I just don't want to put it to the test in an explosive environment... ;D

Well, I figured out it's model number, it's a Pye-TMC 1746, as there's a circuit diagram pasted inside the phone that has that model printed on it, didn't see it until processing the pictures in PSP7, so it was made by the same people as my Pye-TMC 1705 Linesman phone, the foam around the base of the shell is shot though, it's left most of itself on my bed, might replace it at somepoint though, as it's a nice feature... :)

Still sorting out the pics at the moment, so , they'll be up shortly... :)

Scotophor

Quote from: twocvbloke on March 20, 2014, 05:58:54 PMI wouldn't say it's explosion proof, more insect proof<...>
I think you've nailed it there; I have read elsewhere of some kind of electrical equipment being "tropicalized" in just such a way for exactly that reason. I seem to remember in that instance that there was also some additional corrosion protection, but since I can't remember what kind of equipment it was or where I read it, I could be mistaken about the corrosion protection too.
Name: A.J.   Location: LAPNCAXG, EDgewood 6

twocvbloke

Just thought I'd throw in a picture if the grey brigade, still not cleaned up the Stornophone yet, but had to take the picture... ;D

From Right to left; 8746 with Handset No. 17, MOD Mk. 28 with Handset no. 6 and Clamp, and the Storno with it's weird wiring... ;D

HarrySmith

Probably similar to the US Signal Corps "MFP" process for military phones. MFP = Moisture Fungus Proof. Also had screens and such added for insects. The guts were coated with some substance, I cannot recall at the moment what it was but I am sure one of our experts will identify it!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Matilo Telephones

Nice set! They look so similar, but are oh so different. Something for the connnaisseur. :-)
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

twocvbloke

Yep, electrically and physically identical (well, the 8746 has a plastic base rather than metal), but all three have something different about them, though the 8746 has been altered cos I wanted something to alter... ;D