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Strange F1 Transmitter

Started by Charles, May 19, 2014, 04:41:16 PM

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Charles

Has anyone see one of these?

It is an F1 transmitter but it looks different than any others I have seen.
Not sure of the manufacturer. I bought this as New Old Stock. It came sealed up in original factory packing, hermetically sealed with an old time silica gel packet. The package is dated 1949 and the transmitter is dated 1945.
It does work in my phone it just does not look as high quality as a Western Electric part.

Any info is appreciated.

Thanks

Charles

Doug Rose

Looks like it has a military stamp, might be a Connecticut Telephone transmitter....Doug
Kidphone

Phonesrfun

I agree, it looks to be miitary, which means it could have been made by a vairety of manufacturers, including Western Electric. 

Items made for the military (MIL SPEC) were supposed to be made to very heightened standards as opposed to a run of the mill part.  Military items were supposed to go through combat and be subject to extremes that normal items would not.  If it is military, it should be made to that higher standard, especially back in the 1940's before MIS SPEC became another name for $300 hammers.
-Bill G

Charles

Could be military. The back is composed of thin smooth metal with the outer metal ring screwed in place. the inner metal circle is crimped on as expected. All seams are sealed with some type of varnish. The package reads:

STK NO 4B1109E/3
1 EACH
TRANSMITTER ELEMENT
VPP PKD 12/49 BY SSD

I assume that the military used 302 type phones. Could this be a moisture proofed "jungle" variant ?

LarryInMichigan

It looks like a Connecticut to me.

Larry

Charles

It has the marks CCN and MFP on the front and also 9200-AS.

I was expecting a WE model to match everything else in my phone.
The site I bought it from just said NOS F1 Transmitter.
It is definitely NOS. It does work and it fits my phone.

Should I be happy with this thing?

LarryInMichigan

QuoteShould I be happy with this thing?

Sure, as long as it works, why not?  I do not know what "CCN" means, but "MFP" has already been explained to stand for "moisture and fungus proofed".  It is common to find that on many military items which were treated to be used in tropical environments.

Larry

mentalstampede

I suspect this was intended for use in a military TP6-A, where the moisture/fungus treatment is part of the specification. If it works and fits your phone, there's no reason not to use it.
My name is Kenn, and I like telephones.

"Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something." --Robert Heinlein

Charles

Thanks for all of the info. The place I got this from also sells restored TP6-A phones, so it all fits together.

I guess I will be happy with this transmitter. Apparently I can now use my phone in a jungle setting (at least the transmitter part).

Charles

One further question:

I noticed that when I am using this transmitter, I am hearing occasional static. This transmitter appears to be slightly thinner than a WE F1 (there is a little less resistance when I screw the endcap on). When I switch back to the original transmitter the static stops. I ruled out the phone by going to an old princess phone and there is no static.

If the transmitter is not making perfect contact with the handset will it cause static?

Phonesrfun

Yes, if the transmitter is not making good contact, it will cause static.  Jut bend the silver plated contacts in the transmitter cup upward a bit to make it tighter.  Don't bend too far as to break the contacts.  They will actually take quite a bit before breaking, however.

That being said, the cause is more likely packed carbon granuals in the transmitter iteself.  If this NOS transmitter has been sitting on a shelf for 60+ years, the carbon granuals can get packed together.  The solution may seem odd, but just give the transmitter a couple raps on a table or something hard.  Don't smash the thing, but just a couple raps.  Put it back in the handset and test it out, and hopefully between the two above suggestions, the static will go away.

-Bill G

Charles