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Oh dear oh dear, a Planphone A (GPO N625 + 706 in one package)...

Started by twocvbloke, March 09, 2018, 06:21:37 AM

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twocvbloke

The phonitis is strong this week, bought a Planphone A, which as per the title is an N625 Planset base with a 706 affixed to it, which were often supplied as one unit to make the installer's life easier, saving them the need to fit the additional switches, capacitors and other parts, aswell as wiring the phone to the base...

Paid a total of £16 (£8.50 winning bid, £7.50 Postage), it started off at 1p with no postage, so wasn't that interested, but Owain reminded me of it and it had the postage added to it after I'd dismissed it as it was too far away for collection, so gave it a punt:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222858564839

Quite obviously from the pictures, it's filthy, BUT, it's the fact that the plastic is still bright that is what interested me, there's a similar one from another seller that has suffered a bit of a suntan (coupled with "shadows" in the plastic where the sun didn't get to), but this one seemed to remain sheltered and remained bright, so, I can't wait to give it a bath and reveal it's bright colouration... ;D

Haven't even gotten the Elephant Grey planset yet, and I've already bought its' replacement!!! ;D

Anyway, pictures, rotated versions of the ebay pics:

Owain

The junction box appears to be non-standard.

Third time lucky? This one might be a complete set with buzzer in the extension as well, described as new/refurbished unissued.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-telephones-Plan-107-set-planset-625-plus-extension-746/302660797559

twocvbloke

That one is the suntanned one I was referring to, and no, no third time, I've already cut into my supposed-to-be-saving-up-for-a-welder budget...  ;D

david@london

i think that's a very nice buy. i was watching it but didn't bid.
it looks like the 706 could be an early one as there are no chevrons on the backplate.
early number card too.
maybe you have a diakon phone.....hope they pack it properly.

yes, it'll look great after a good soak in the bath.

twocvbloke

If it is Diakon, it would explain why it's so bright and avoided yellowing, so fingers crossed for the packing indeed!! :o

twocvbloke

Quote from: Owain on March 09, 2018, 08:28:47 AM
The junction box appears to be non-standard.

I was having a look about to see what terminal block (or Block, Terminal in GPO parlance) that is, and it turns out it is what I believe to be a GPO issued unit, it's a "modern" version of the BT27A (similar to the BT37B but with solder tags), labelled as the BT27SS, which I found on the TelephonesUK site:

http://telephonesuk.co.uk/connection_boxes.htm


FABphones

A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

twocvbloke

So am I, I just need to wait for Mr. Hermes to bring it to my door... ;D

On an amusing note, I've watched a few 706 phones selling for more than this Planset as a whole, so in theory, I could remove the phone and sell it for more than I bought the whole thing for, I won't do that though, it's just a theoretical thought... :)

Owain


twocvbloke


twocvbloke

Well, it's confirmed, the telephone portion of this planphone is indeed Diakon plastic!!!  ;D

Handset, caps, shell, all Plastic No. 12 (aka Diakon, ABS is Plastic No. 17), the Planset base though is later ABS though (1971 I think), can't see a plastic type stamp, but it doesn't have the same semi-translucent appearance that the Diakon does, so, they were mated together at a later date... :)

Phone seems to be a 706L made by Phoenix Telephones & Electrical Works Ltd. of London in 1962, Seems in decent shape, dial turns freely (see next paragraph though), and someone appeared to shove a load of tissue paper into the bells to quieten it down, I guess they got tired of being shocked out of their skin when it rang... ;D

The fingerwheel is intriguing though, I took it off and looked at the back and it's hollow, I thought initially that it was stamped metal, but nope, it's hollow plastic, very thin hollow plastic, almost like it was made for use on a toy, amazing it's still in one piece given the fingerstop had been bent inwards a bit presumably from being impacted or squashed at somepoint, as trying to dial resulted ion the wheel catching on the stop and scraping off some of the accumulated dirt...

And speaking of dirt, she's a filthy one, definitely in need of a good wash on the outside, probably one of those things that sat in someone's shed for years before selling to some mug... ;D

Need to go through the pictures now, not an easy task as my doc put me on Tramadol for my back, and the world is a tad spinny for me at the moment... :o

twocvbloke

Right, between dozing off and just being generally absent-minded, I finally got the pics together, a few things to note that I haven't already:


  • The dial still retains it's original warning label to use the correct methods to remove the dial window
  • The handset cable has a split sadly and is somewhat distorted from having been twisted the wrong way for many years
  • The transmitter cup in the handset is missing the metal spring to keep the carbon transmitter in place (should have a spare handset somewhere for that)
  • The N625 appears to be a Mark 1, apparently there's something it needs doing to it to make it more reliable, must look that up
  • The relay in the N625 is open to the elephants, which means the contacts need a clean (sometimes the key lights don't operate, which could mean it's also not operating other parts)
  • Someone filed some metal off the clapper, resulting in a little dust pile under the phone on top of the N625, presumably part of silencing it with a snotrag!
  • And the left Buzzer key has plastic nibbled out of it, no, seriously, it looks like it's been chewed on by a mouse by the look of it!! :o

Anyway, pictures!!:

twocvbloke

And some more:

HarrySmith

You have one part chewed by mice and one part bothered by elephants!
You should send it back to the zoo!!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

twocvbloke

Nah, if I sent it to the telephone zoo, the monkeys in the Kelly Communications enclosure would break it...  ;D