555 Switchboard

[pdxjim911]

I discovered a 555 switchboard both on Ebay and, after emailing with the owner, on Craigslist.  After renting a trailer and kidnapping my neighbor for muscle power, we retrieved the switchboard yesterday.

It came from a rehabilitation center in Southern California.  It is one of three; one of them was scrapped, the other given to one of the operators who retired, and this one.  It is equipped for 120 extensions and 8 trunks.  As you can see, it is in remarkable shape.  The only flaw I can find so far is that the knob to turn the BAT off & on has been snapped off.  Any ideas where I might find another knob?

My plan is to get the board running with a 1A2 power supply and once I get an Asterisk server up & running to create CO trunks to the 555.  I am hoping to connect a Sanbar ring down circuit between my key system and one of the CO trunks into the 555. Does that sound doable?

Many thanks!

[DavePEI]

Yes, the two 75 pair cables do lead to the STA lines. Only 120 pairs maximum would actually been used. You can see the remaining pairs coiled up. And yes, the other thin coiled up line goes to the ring supply line. You can use that one to connect to your ring generator.

I sincerely doubt you will ever actually have it connected to al 120 lines.. Therefore, you can easily remove the 75 pair stuvs and use 50 pair lines going to a 66 block on the wall to connect up to 50 phones. As I mentioned in a PM, I have mine connected to the 66 block with two mating Amphenol lines, so the board can quickly and easily be moved out from the wall for servicing.

The board does appear to be in good condition, and the knob can easily be repaired by transplanting the core from a similar key.

Dave