Siemens Fg Tist 283a Push Button Phone

[tubaman]

This interesting phone just went for a good price (€201). I can't seem to find any details of this model so don't know if it is part of an intercom system or a push-button phone.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Old-Telephone-Siemens-FG-Tactual-283a-Grey-Made-in-Germany-VGC-/313176583590
( dead link 05-31-21 )

"Verkaufe hier ein gebrauchtes, aber noch sehr gut erhaltenes Telefon: 
Altes Telefon - Made in Germany - Marke Siemens
Typ: FG tist 283 - Fg Sk 54 S ....
Altes Tastentelefon... Sehr selten inzwischen.
Käufer bekommt das Telefon so wie abgebildet. Kabel ist mit angeschlossen, aber endet ohne Stecker. Keine Ahnung,ob man es noch anschließen kann.
Habe es vor längerer Zeit mal auf Flohmarkt gekauft, da ich alte Telefon gesammelt habe.
Die Wahltasten lassen sich einwandfrei drücken und springen auch  voll wieder zurück! Die Hörergabel ist sehr gut gängig und frei beweglich.
In der Hörer- und Sprechmuschel ist noch alles vorhanden und auch hier sind kaum Gebrauchsspuren zu sehen.
Am Gehäuse und Hörer sind nur leichte Gebrauchsspuren zu sehen. Korpus hat keine Risse.
Auf Wunsch eines Interessenten habe ich nun noch ein Bild vom Innenleben des Telefons gemacht - siehe letztes Bild."

Translating, courtesy of Google, to:

"I am selling a used phone that is still in very good condition:
Old telephone - Made in Germany - Siemens brand
Type: FG tist 283 - Fg Sk 54 S ....
Old button phone ... Very rarely now.
Buyer receives the phone as shown. Cable is connected with, but ends without a connector. I don't know if you can still connect it.
I bought it a long time ago at a flea market because I collected old telephones.
The selection buttons can be pressed perfectly and also jump back fully! The earpiece fork is very easy to use and can be moved freely.
Everything is still there in the earpiece and mouthpiece and there are hardly any signs of use here either.
Only slight signs of use can be seen on the case and receiver. Body has no cracks.
At the request of a prospective customer, I have now taken a picture of the interior of the phone - see the last picture."

[countryman]

That's interesting indeed.
Siemens made a couple totally different phones with this outer appearance. According to this thread they were chiefly intercoms. These had labels next to both rows of keys, like the shown phone has. But there should be more than 10 wires in the mounting cord in this case...
Then it is mentioned that there were phones with input keys, to be used in combination with CO equipment (generating the actual dial pulses). In this case there also should be more than 2 mounting wires.
Next, Siemens experimented with what was called DEV (Dioden-Erd-Verfahren). Matilo describes a similar system on his Heemaf 1955 with push buttons, called GDK here (I believe it's the same thing at least?)
Finally Dietrich Arbenz, author of a book about the Siemens history, states there were some very early DTMF phones made. He mentions Fg Tist 283a in this context. Such a device is shown in the linked thread. There are 2 coils visible, used to generate the DTMF tones. I can't see components like this inside the auction phone.
To sum it up, I have no clue what was sold here :-)
Hopefully the buyer was very sure that it is just the item he sought for, to avoid possible disappointment. The price seems steep for an ordinary plastic phone...

[tubaman]

It is very odd. It looks to me like it has a motor and a flywheel of some sort, but I've no idea how that would work (some sort of stepping mechanism perhaps?).
Unless someone on here bought it I doubt we'll ever know.

[Jim Stettler]

It is very odd. It looks to me like it has a motor and a flywheel of some sort,

Maybe a speed dialer.
Just a guess

[countryman]

The round white object "Fg tph 52a - 2x15 Ohm" seems to be a receiver element. Funny to see it in the base of the phone?!
https://www.ebay.de/itm/124253589573 ( dead link 05-20-21 )


There seems to be nothing inside the phone that corresponds with the hole for a (ringer) volume control in the bottom plate. I suspect the Fg Tist 283a bottom plate does not belong to the interior or upper shell of this phone, which might have been an intercom.

[HarrySmith]

I was thinking that white round object was the ringer. Maybe a type of tone ringer?

[Jack Ryan]

Siemens made a couple totally different phones with this outer appearance. According to this thread they were chiefly intercoms.

The Fgtist 283 was only an intercom. The phone is the same housing but without the label holders was a conventional telephone but did not have a Fgtist code.

The round white object "Fg tph 52a - 2x15 Ohm" seems to be a receiver element. Funny to see it in the base of the phone?!
https://www.ebay.de/itm/124253589573

I think that receiver element is the ringer.

Jack

[tubaman]

The round white object "Fg tph 52a - 2x15 Ohm" seems to be a receiver element. Funny to see it in the base of the phone?!
https://www.ebay.de/itm/124253589573

Well spotted - indeed it does.

The Fgtist 283 was only an intercom. The phone is the same housing but without the label holders was a conventional telephone but did not have a Fgtist code.

I think that receiver element is the ringer.

Jack

I did wonder about the label holders. All makes sense now.
Someone has paid an awful lot of money for an intercom set in my opinion.

[FABphones]

The round white object "Fg tph 52a - 2x15 Ohm" seems to be a receiver element......
https://www.ebay.de/itm/124253589573

Screenshot and description text from above link:

Siemens Fg tph 52a Hörkapsel Fg Bv 41/3001, 2x15 Ohm. Zustand: Gebraucht.
'Siemens Fg tph 52a earpiece Fg Bv 41/3001, 2x15 Ohm. Condition: used'.

[HarrySmith]

HMMM...Does that make it a speaker phone?