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S.H. Couch Intercom Set

Started by VictrolaMan, February 27, 2012, 12:17:00 PM

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VictrolaMan

No luck - thanks to all for your help. I'm mailing it to someone to wire for me. Thanks again. Wish I had your knowledge!

Nick in Manitou

VictrolaMan,

I know that this thread has been dormant for a while, but I just came upon it as I searched the forum for information about the intercom set I picked up a couple decades ago at an auction.  After moving the intercoms in boxes through ten(!) household moves, I finally dug them out and I am trying to figure out what to do with them.

Did you ever get your set to work?  If you did, could you take a couple revealing photos of how they were set up?

I am attaching some photos of the units I have.  They are very similar to the ones you linked to at the Victrola Shop, though not identical.

If anyone else has any suggestions about where to locate a schematic for these, please let me know.

Thanks,
Nick

dsk

#17
It looks like some connections are missing.

The diagram without numbering and screw terminals should be easy to make, but identifying the real points are difficult from the pictures.

dsk

Nick in Manitou

DSK,

This gives me something to start with!  Thanks!

Nick

dsk

Just remember to to x the wires, or just reverse the battery polarity on one of the units. Battery voltage should be just high enough to energize the ringer in the other end. Try 3v and increase if needed. AA cells or greater.
dsk

Nick in Manitou

DSK,

That makes sense to me!  I really appreciate it.

Nick

Nick in Manitou

Well, I sat down with DSK's schematic and was going to make this pair work so that I could either hook them up at home, or sell them. 

When I was checking out the leaf switch on one of the units, I found that there is a broken contact.  Now what?  I don't suppose that there is a source for replacement parts for the hook switch in these units.

Suggestions?

If someone else wants to take this pair on, I would be willing to pass them along pretty cheaply...too many other items on the shelf calling for my attention.

Thanks,
Nick

Nick in Manitou

I have passed these intercoms on to another member of this forum.  I hope he gets them up and running and posts about his success.

Nick

Babybearjs

Heres the one I have:
John

HarrySmith

They are pretty cool sets. As far as converting one to be used as a telephone I have never tried it but connecting a pair as an intercom is straight forward and fairly simple from what I have seen. I am the one who got the pair from Nick. I have not worked on them yet, they are on the to-do list ;D
BTW - Instead of adding them to the pile of phones awaiting work I hung them on the wall in our front hallway near the front door. Took some convincing but once I put them up my wife said " Wow, they look very nice!". I was surprised but very happy. They get a lot of comments from everyone that enters!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

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

Babybearjs

harry, is there any surviving documentation on these phones? the TCI library has the basic info for the conneticuit set, but has nothing for the couch sets. I'd like to find the schematic for the unit I have, as I am trying to restore it to working order and am not sure about the proper wiring. the switch hook is SPST and not SPDT as first thought. though it does have 3 wire terminals, only 2 are used...
John

dsk

Quote from: HarrySmith on August 12, 2015, 09:53:38 PM
They are pretty cool sets. As far as converting one to be used as a telephone I have never tried it but connecting a pair as an intercom is straight forward and fairly simple from what I have seen. I am the one who got the pair from Nick. I have not worked on them yet, they are on the to-do list ;D
BTW - Instead of adding them to the pile of phones awaiting work I hung them on the wall in our front hallway near the front door. Took some convincing but once I put them up my wife said " Wow, they look very nice!". I was surprised but very happy. They get a lot of comments from everyone that enters!

They may work with many door intercoms of a sudden age.  Using them on the POTS may be done, and the schematic's under may show how. It is a simple solution and will not fulfill what we expect of a regular phone, but it will work.  The ringer part (orange) is more like probably possible on these too, the only ringer I have tested this on is an ericsson intercom from 1940.  A capacitor of 2 microfarad will probably give a REN load of 4-5! My pots line accepts it, my 1946 PAX does not.  The transformer is some how not extremely critical, but should be e small one designed for just small wattages. The input output voltages should be between 10:1  and 20:1.  I will expect a project like this to be more for demonstration, than for longer conversations :-)

dsk

Alex G. Bell

Quote from: Babybearjs on May 19, 2017, 03:19:24 AM
I just reposted the question concerning this topic. totally forgot about this thread.... sorry about the extra post...
I don't understand.  What's the goal at this point?