AEI Centenary Neophone - Intercom?

[paul-f]

I believe the external black box is a simple terminal block, used to hook the phone up to the building wiring.

An intercom with that many wires would normally have some form of selector switch to identify the station to be called and a simple DC buzzer for signalling.  Perhaps the speaker was used for an audio paging feature, but that would normally be accompanied by a push-to-talk button on the handset or set.

Phone bodies were also used for various communication or dictation controllers, as we've seen in other topics.  Most of them had other switches for control functions.

Are those just status lights on the front, or are they buttons or switches?  Are there any buttons or switches with labeled functions?

I wouldn't draw the conclusion that this model was used because it was a poor seller.  In the US, WE, ITT, North, AE and SC (and probably others) sold components to other companies that made non-phone products out of them.

[Doug Rose]

Yes...you outbid me  Is the intercom made out of metal of plastic? I was hoping it was metal and to strip it. You got a great deal....Doug

[twocvbloke]

Is the intercom made out of metal of plastic?

The original Siemens design states Impact Resisting Polystyrene, later ones are most likely ABS like their GPO cousins that AEI contributed to making...

[benkeys]

It is plastic of some sort. It has status lights on the front of it. It has a black button on the handset, probably a PTT button. Nothing is labeled or marked. So, now that I have it, what can i do with it? Usually I like buying things that can be functional but this just looked unique enough to want it..

[G-Man]

It is very possible that it is a remote control unit for two-way radio service. They were commonly used so radio communications could be carried on from a service counter or dispatch desk with the actual radio being located either elsewhere in the building, campus or on top of a mountain or hillside.
If located off-site only two-wires of a leased telephone line were used while addition conductors were used as an intercom for several units being used within close proximity. Motorola, G.E. and other two-way manufacturers and suppliers routinely modified WECo, AECo, and Stromberg instruments for this type of service.

The switches could have been used for such functions as selecting various frequencies and local-intercom/remote-radio use.





This type of instrument (211) would have been used along with an external speaker, in the cab of a locomotive.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WALLMOUNT-MOTOROLA-HANG-UP-BOX-WITH-STROMBERG-CARLSON-HANDSET-/121294535592?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3db7bba8


Here is another that would have been used on a desk or counter.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-One-of-a-Kind-Telephone-Tel-E-Mote-Mark-60-Very-Different-J3-/390600405161?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item5af19930a9

(EDITED TO FIX LINKS)

[G-Man]

Here is another model:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Red-Telephone-Motorola-Model-No-T1375AB-Speaker-Phone-/191099686453?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2c7e6dce35

It is very possible that it is a remote control unit for two-way radio service. They were commonly used so radio communications could be carried on from a service counter or dispatch desk with the actual radio being located either elsewhere in the building, campus or on top of a mountain or hillside.
If located off-site only two-wires of a leased telephone line were used while addition conductors were used as an intercom for several units being used within close proximity. Motorola, G.E. and other two-way manufacturers and suppliers routinely modified WECo, AECo, and Stromberg instruments for this type of service.

The switches could have been used for such functions as selecting various frequencies and local-intercom/remote-radio use.





This type of instrument (211) would have been used along with an external speaker, in the cab of a locomotive.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WALLMOUNT-MOTOROLA-HANG-UP-BOX-WITH-STROMBERG-CARLSON-HANDSET-/121294535592?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3db7bba8


Here is another that would have been used on a desk or counter.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-One-of-a-Kind-Telephone-Tel-E-Mote-Mark-60-Very-Different-J3-/390600405161?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item5af19930a9

(EDITED TO FIX LINKS)