has anyone ever tried to recreate the very scarce WE 1A Home Interphone? I was looking at the BSP once and was wondering if anyone has ever tried to build one from scratch. based on the BSP, there should be enough info to create a board and make a interphone control board with new parts. has anyone ever tried this?
I've considered it. I have all the pieces of original WE components to put an interphone system together but have been unable to get to it. Since the control unit hasn't been powered up in ages, the caps need replacing or at least reforming. Then what if it doesn't work? I'm fairly confident I could repair it but would likely have to use parts which would look quite different. I also have but one control unit and enough of the other items for several systems. A single PCB with nutsert style screw terminals would probably do the job, designed to fit in a blank 105 enclosure it would be a clean replacement.
Ahhh, so many projects, so little time.
I sold an interphone set several years ago to a high-end collector in the Cleveland area who was assembling a system in his house. The components sell for high prices (forum link (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=5630.0))
Larry
I think the current auction contest for a beige 1500 is an interphone phone
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=18855.0
(http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5630.0;attach=29770;image)
Jim S.
oh that these had been more popular. I was looking at the schematic, and it looked pretty simple, but to design a new PC board and get all the parts.... what a project.... so.... here's my solution:
I never saw or found any parts or phones from a Home Interphone in my 40+ years of collecting. I did see and attempt to buy this sign in a antique store for 10 years but they would never come down even 5 dollars. About 5 years ago they were closing down the store and it was my last chance to get it. I paid 5 dollars more than they had asked for it 10 years before. Has anyone seem one or owned one like it? It looks like it was locally made, painted on plywood. The antique store was in Stone Mountain Village, GA.
Bill Compton
I find the thread on the home interphone very interesting and thought I would share my experience on a home interphone as a installer. When I was hired on as a phone booth cleaner in 1978 I cleaned phone booths two years. I was promoted to payphone installer for about two more years. Then one day around 1982 I was sent to residence installer. I was working a area of Cincinnati that was once a very rich area large homes, brick mansions with carriage houses that type of thing. I was send one day on a case of trouble and the report was can't answer from door intercom. First thing I thought was what do we at the phone company have to do with a door intercom? Upon arrival I was shown a intercom outside the front door with a button on it. I was informed by the owner it no longer worked. I asked her how it had worked previous to my arrival and was told she could answer it from I believe anywhere in the house and also call from room to room. This was a long time ago guys I am 60 now so do the math. I remember the first phone she took me to was a princess with a turn button I believe. She explained how it worked and said I needed to fix it. Two days later and three installers later it was fixed. I remember two of us working on it for hours and digging for older BSP,S , tracking down different parts. As I recall it had several problems and had just been neglected. I worked residential service for 5 more years and I think during that time I saw one other system. I do remember seeing the controls left in the basements of several buildings but no longer hooked up. I also remember seeing the intercoms mounted on baseboards for years. I know one of the reasons you don't find many is because they were not cheap. Remember you only leased it,I doubt many were ever sold. I think somewhere around here I have a phamplet for the farm interphone which was used around something like a dairy farm. It ran all over the place in all the buildings. Jim