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I just received these in the mail from the seller and the pictures and description are a little deceiving. The intercoms are not "child's" intercoms, but regular intercoms made by the Connecticut Phone Co. Despite the missing parts and what appear to be frayed cords in the picture, the intercoms are actually in remarkable shape. The cords are just kinked. They are perfect otherwise, very clean and pliable. The paint is 100% intact, with a few light scratches that don't penetrate the layer of paint. The cardboard backing is mint. The guts look new, no dust or corrosion anywhere. These appear to have been lightly used if at all. Best of all they line up exactly with the holes in the wall where the previous intercom system was in place. My Mom says that they are perfect matches for the ones she remembers growing up. The intercom was installed during construction in 1928 by my great-grandfather so he could communicate with one of his daughters, who lived upstairs. In later years my grandmother and her sister never used it preferring to bang on the ceiling with a broom and yell up and down the stairs, or send one of the kids.
I have no idea how to wire these up. What do I use as a power source? There are three connectors: B-BL-L. Anyone have any experience with old intercoms?
Here are some pics:
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_26I3Nyjgm7Q/SSNZmbGR9eI/AAAAAAAAFKk/jRxsWathSwU/s640/DSCN7772_edited-1.JPG)
(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_26I3Nyjgm7Q/SSNZmJmE4uI/AAAAAAAAFKc/HGECsGSKR5c/s400/DSCN7779.JPG)
(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_26I3Nyjgm7Q/SSNZmTi_UFI/AAAAAAAAFKs/RE_30laEAvE/s640/DSCN7776.JPG)
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_26I3Nyjgm7Q/SSNZm5IOLfI/AAAAAAAAFK0/3fa7P6sH8Og/s640/DSCN7777.JPG)
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_26I3Nyjgm7Q/SSNZnEVtgYI/AAAAAAAAFK8/JjnD3H4sTnc/s640/DSCN7778.JPG)
I have a set of these with the instruction sheets. I don't have a scanner, but I may be able to take a picture of the instructions that's sharp enough to be legible. Give it an hour or so, and check back in.
Thanks! You are truly a font of information!!! :o
Here are the photos of the instruction booklet. It's four pages, and all but the first page are split into two images (2A & 2B, etc.):
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/bingsterdc/Conn1.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/bingsterdc/Conn2A.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/bingsterdc/Conn2B.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/bingsterdc/Conn3A.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/bingsterdc/Conn3B.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/bingsterdc/Conn4A-1.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e376/bingsterdc/Conn4B-1.jpg
Quote from: Sargeguy on November 18, 2008, 09:01:42 PM
Thanks! You are truly a font of information!!! :o
Nah, I just have a lot of junk. ;D
I don't have any #6 Dry-Cells in my battery drawer at the moment, do you know if I can use a lantern battery instead. It also says I can use a "C", but that sounds a little wimpy.
I'd think a lantern battery would be fine. I think all that matters is that the devices get 1.5 volts DC. No wait, that can't be right... Since the batteries are shown connected in series, that means you'd have to use multiple lantern batteries, because each would need 3 volts. Right?
Batteries confuse me. ???
Wow, you guys know everything! I saw a set of these this summer at an antique store over at the coast. They wanted 35 clams for them and the tag said they were an old phone set. Seemed more like an intercom or private wired phone set to me, and it seems I was barking up the right tree. This set looks great, like brand new. But these are wired up, no tube needed right?
Quote from: Sargeguy on November 18, 2008, 07:10:50 PM
I just received these in the mail from the seller and the pictures and description are a little deceiving. The intercoms are not "child's" intercoms, but regular intercoms made by the Connecticut Phone Co.
Funny thing about those intercoms from Connecticut Telephone... they actually promoted them as both a child's toy
and an intercom for adult use! I don't have a scan of one, but I've seen promotional pieces that clearly state use by children or for communication between a home and barn, upstairs and downstairs, etc. They seem fairly common today, so I guess their broad marketing approach worked!
Quote from: McHeath on November 19, 2008, 01:29:13 AMBut these are wired up, no tube needed right?
Yup, just wire and some batteries, and you're good to go.
I know lantern batteries are actually 4 "F" cells in a series, so hopefully they should work. I am not running wire very far so I should not need too much juice.
Unfortunately, none of the pictures are viewable anymore. I have a Connecticut Intercom and I'm trying to find a wiring schematic. I've toyed with converting this to a telephone, but if I can find another intercom similar to this one, I would like to install them in my house. Can anyone help with the wiring?
I have the same phone - albeit a little dusty. Maybe later this year I'll get to it. As for the wiring, these photos show it in the same state as I found it. Mine has a Stromberg-Carlson receiver, not sure this is the correct receiver.
Russ
Rewiring them for use on a phone line would be a bit of work, since these intercoms did not have induction coils and capacitors in them, and they use a DC ringer.
You could do it by running the intercom through a subset, but still it would require some wiring changes. I just checked the TCI web site, and I don't see a diagram for it there either. If you eventually get another one, you could hook them together using a 6volt lantern battery.
What are the designations on the terminal strip?
I found it!
We have the style #41 and various schematics are in the file.
If the file does not upload due to its large size, email me directly and I will send it.
Zipping it dose very little in reducing the file size.
Russ..
Although my box looks almost identical to Russ's, my terminal strip is different, and is completely different from the Connecticut Intercom with the green box. My terminal strip has 9 terminals, numbered 1-9 below the screws, and labeled underneath the numbers, R between the 1 & 2, OL below the 3, RB BB S 1 H & T.
1 = receiver
2 = receiver, from hook switch
3 = Button
4 (jumpered to 5) = Button
5 = Ringer
6 = Ringer
7 = blank
8 = Hook Switch, main contact
9 = transmitter
second hook switch to transmitter.
Although I don't think it would be much trouble to hook to a subset and convert to a phone, I would prefer to pick up another intercom and wire them both together, but I suspect I'm missing something, or at least the power supply. By the way, my phone is dated 1914. Thanks for the schematic - I think I found my box!
I think I have a model 50, or it could be the 41. I hooked up the intercom to a battery and it works great - the ringer works with the button. Very cool - now I just need to find a second one......... Thanks again for the schematic!
Quote from: Russkirk on June 06, 2010, 07:09:06 PM
I have the same phone - albeit a little dusty. Maybe later this year I'll get to it. As for the wiring, these photos show it in the same state as I found it. Mine has a Stromberg-Carlson receiver, not sure this is the correct receiver.
Russ
This may be an interesting page: http://oldphoneguy.com/local_bat_1.htm
dsk