Off the wall Question: I'm in the process of setting up a Panasonic 616 PBX with a few vintage rotary phones exclusively for intercom use. A few EBay posts have antique intercom phones (Samson, WE, SC) with cool watch case receivers I wouldn't mind adding to the circuit. Does anyone have any experience integrating these? Is that possible? Attached is a photo example of what I'm seeing.
Thanks!
Mark
Hi Mark.
Disclaimer... I don't know those phones.
If they are intercoms, they will prob need a voice coil and a CB hook switch to make them a complete phone.
Then they shud hook right up.
They will have no signal capability, but may ring from the 616.
Can you post a pic or two of the insides?
That will help.
Thanks. I haven't purchased any yet, so the pix are limited to what they show on EBay. The one I've attached as an example is a Stromberg Carlson intercom phone. The other is a Samson Jr but no inside pictures. I'm pretty sure I could get them to buzz but I'm wondering if I could utilize the call button to be functional in this set up.
If they were intercoms and you intend to use them as intercoms they should be fine. Once you connect them properly and add a power supply you should be good to go.
I don't know about runnin them through a 616 tho???
don't think that setup will fly.
Yes, you may be right, I missed that. I do believe they can be connected together and work that way.
Ralph Meyers book has intercom circuits. Some use a 1:1 audio isolation transformer to keep them isolated. This is the type of circuit that MAY work for your application.
I think their is a link for a free download of Ralph's book on this forum. If not the book may be on this site or in the TCI library.
In the past I posted a link to Ralph's Dreyfuss article. I asked permission and got it, as well as a free download for his book. I couldn't easily find it the link , but it should be on the forum.
If anyone finds the free link to Ralphs book, please post it to this thread.
Thanks,
Jim
Here is a link to download the book from the TCI website:
https://www.telephonecollectors.org/OldTimeTelephones.htm
Thanks for your help. I figured it was a long shot question to see if anyone matched the two types in one system. I have an older version of the book and reviewed the circuits. If I had an intercom phone already I'd try it, but I'll walk away from bidding on one to integrate at this point.
Mark
I had an old "Tesla"" branded Intercom phone in Mexico that I connected to an ATA . I rented a house on a large shared property in San Miguel de Allende and was often in another city. I wanted the landlord or other visitor to be able to lift the receiver and reach me whether I was home or answered on my cell. They would have no idea where aI was really answering from. I used a SIP ATA and Asterisk to connect the Tesla intercom phone which had only a few components inside of it. It seemed to do well on a Phone Line .
I set up another one of these that was a Mixed brand of intercom phones in a 2 level house I rented. It was exclusively for calling from upstairs to downstairs or downstairs to upstairs. I never had an issue using these devices as they were for the audio part but most were configured to ring by a buzzer or vibrator inside of them. I did have to swap those out for electronic ringers that I managed to stuff inside the housings.
I have seen a very Basic 4 component telephone circuit that I have always wanted to reproduce but never could remember exactly . I once found it in an "answer only" phone that I purchased in the 1970s. It was built into an AE type handset that I migrated to a WE handset and added a Buscom soft touch for TT dialing . That circuit consisted of 2 resistors (220 and 330 Ohm?) 1 mf Capacitor and a diac, and standard handset components.
Of course there is also the "mini network" solution from an AE Starlite or some ITT Trimline types
Quote from: markosjal on November 15, 2022, 05:26:31 PMOf course there is also the "mini network" solution from an AE Starlite or some ITT Trimline types
Any network is a good alternative to get voice working. All the "phone" needs to provide is working transmitter, receiver and at least a single pole switch. Some info on mini networks is here:
https://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/search?q=mini-network (https://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/search?q=mini-network)
Circuits also support dialing, if you add an external dial.
Ringing may be more of a challenge. Has anyone tried using a low-voltage intercom ringer/buzzer on a Panasonic 616?
A separate ringer, such as a Western E1-type ringer could be used.