TELSOL The World's First Automatic Phone Robot

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TELSOL The World's First Automatic Phone Robot

I picked this up yesterday where I got the 1912 NE N1317 Picture Fame Phone that I posted yesterday.

I went to Pembroke, Ont. to a former Sears Store that was being renovated. I had got an email saying that I could have all the phone related things in there for free. But not the N1317, he wanted paid for that. So I bought that for myself.

The Telsol was just one of the items there. This is going to be donated to Dave Hunter for the Museum, along with the rest of old Reliant 50 phone system that was used by the Sears Store.

I'll post the list in another post later.

I powered up the Telsol and it actually works. Not bad for something that was made around 1983 and costed $5000.00 US.

[TelePlay]

Okay, new to me. What does it do, how does it work, who would use it?

[.....]

Okay, new to me. What does it do, how does it work, who would use it?

Sears used it to call there customers to let them know there catalogue order has arrived at the store. But it was also used for this.

http://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/11/nyregion/high-school-computer-calls-homes-to-cut-down-truancy.html

[zenithchromacolor]

Similar to this unit?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGnZMLf5QOI

[DavePEI]

Similar to this unit?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGnZMLf5QOI

Pretty well the same idea. It is a desktop computer designed for sending Robot messages after hours in a school or business environment. In schools, they were used for sending truant messages to parents who worked during the day. In the evening, it would dial the house - if the phone was answered, it would leave the message. If it wasn't, the message would be re-cued and sent again later in the evening until it had been delivered.

In a retail environment, it would do the same, only in the case of this one from a former Sears location, it would send messages to those who had ordered when their orders had arrived.

[DavePEI]

The Telsol in operation in the Museum today. For an early unit, it is pretty slick! It dials the programmed numbers and announces, "Your Sears parcel has arrived at your downtown Pentanguisine, Ontario location. It may be picked up between the hours of 9 and 5 tomorrow." The consumer can leave a message in return, or if the robot doesn't get through, the call is rescheduled to go out at a later time. Calls are logged on a dot matrix printer.

[HarrySmith]

Very Cool!

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Now Dave you will have to start Robo calls for the museum.

"Hello, this is the Telephone Museum of PEI Our hours are by request, Come by and join us for a great day at the Museum. Our number is ......"