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"King" Dictograph (plus a bonus)

Started by gpo706, November 21, 2010, 03:55:53 PM

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gpo706

Nobody bid on this apart from me, mine for less than a tenner...

Its the behemoth of the range - the master station with speaker facilities, comes in at whopping 50cm long, 15cm high and 20cm deep, (19 3/4" x 6" x 8").

I've only ever seen two, and they were both on TV - one on "The Avengers", one on "Department S", both these series were made at Elstree Studios around the same time 1968/69, so must be the same prop from around the end of the Dictograph production, I suppose the company would supply an empty "dummy" case for the props department.

I adore the side mounted handset, like my ITT multi-line.

Check out the size of that line cord!

Bigger desk hunting now...

"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

gpo706

McHeath found a screengrab on an earlier thread, from "The Avengers":

"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

Kenny C

i saw on of these on a movie a couple of days ago and I thought of you when I seen it  ;)
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

gpo706

Oh Kenny I'm flattered!

LMAO!
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

gpo706

Bonus:

The seller had another - no bids, it was too similar to my 11 key set for me, he emailed me saying I could have it for a fiver plus 4 quid extra postage, so another Dictograph orphan joins the fold.

Note he calls it a "Telephone Rentals" Dictograph in the description, this making the set post 1967 when TR took over the company.

Also in the rear view you can see the royal warrant plaque which was on the Dial-up Dictograph set on another thread.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260690905392&ssPageName=STRK:MEUSX:IT

"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

Russ Kirk

I like the lines and overall look of this set.  It gives is somewhat an art deco look or a 50's look.  

I see the royal emblem on the back.
Why is it there?

I recall that companies had the right to place a royal seal or emblem on their products if it was sold to or used by the monarchy.  Is this correct?  and if so, still is use today?    

(forgive me if I used the wrong royalty terms)

Russ....
- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

gpo706

#6
Russ - you are correct, it just means the manufacturer had  the "royal warrant" by virtue of supplying products to the Royal family.

These "warrants" weren't for perpetuity, but I think from a year to year basis as they often appeared and disappeared from labels etc from time to time.

Companies who were granted the warrant took them really as a mark of prestige, often the warrant emblem would be displayed prominently from everything from stationery to full colour gilt transfers on company vehicles, I have even seen it about company HQ's doorways in a full sheild.

It's probably the Royal Court of Heralds that decided who got the right to  advertise "royal approval".

It's probably also tantamount to heresy if a manufacturer kept advertising the warrant after their expiration, after all their ancestors granted the warrant,,,

"cough"

http://www.royalwarrant.org/

Doesn't mean this particular Dictograph was used in Buck House though, if it had labels like HRH QEII, or HRH P. Charles it may be worth more than 5 quid!
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

gpo706

#7
Just emailed them, a lass called Pippa is gonna trawl their archives and send me some info, Pip Pip!
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

AE_Collector

Quote from: gpo706 on December 02, 2010, 06:13:09 PM
Just emailed them, a posh bit called Pippa is gonna trawl their archives and send me some info, Pip Pip!

Isn't "pip tone" an official or maybe unofficial name of a tone on the GPO systems? Was it possibly the tone you get from a coin phone when you need to quickly depoit more coins?

Terry

gpo706

#9
Terry you are correct and go through to the $10 final round...

UK payphones - you dialled the number, got a ring tone, and when the call was answred you had about 20 seconds to insert the coins with a "pip-pip-pip" tone, if you were too slow the call would disconnect and you had to start all over again.

One of the bafflements I found whilst in the US on holiday years ago was that you had to insert the coins BEFORE dialing, this nearly got us into serious doo-dah outside Philadelphia (is it Penn Station?)  train station one night when approached by a "gentleman" who offered to sell us some dope and we told him to"go forth and procreate", at which point he said was a Vietnam veteran and had a sidearm on his person.

Luckily one of us had figured out how to pre-load the coinbox and dial 911, so he disappeared into the bushes, followed about a minute later by a PPD cop car sirens and lights blazing.

We went back in the station and got the security guy to call a cab for a hotel and an unexpected overnight stay!

Now I have a 1C2 in the house, oh happy memories!

Found it!

http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/sounds/paytone.wav

Usually called "pips" or "beeps".
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

gpo706

I was rather taken with too much of a bargain and bought another Pana 616 for 99p. (honestly - I don't think any other bidders had a clue from the vague description the seller had).

So what to do?

Make it a sub PBX and connect all my Dictographs through it, I'll assign a line out from Master PBX to a CO line on the sub PBX and assign ringing directions with my trusty 7130E programming set.

Now - I had expected I would need another 7130E for the "sub", but I have a spare 7050E which can be accommodated somewhere and used as a "switchboard" to redirect the sub PBX, just need a linecord for it - which I have ordered naturally.

Also have been stocking up on GPO 33 buzzers to adapt them, and have 2 ready and waiting, - you TOO can have a 60's style POTS phone and an internal sub-system!

It's a bit confusing and mad, but I think I can get my head round it eventually...

No reply from the lovely Pippa as yet, must be off to Closters for some off-piste fun.

"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

Phonesrfun

You'll have phones ringing all over the house!  Good buy on the 616!  Amazing price.
-Bill G

gpo706

#12
I finally got a reply from Pippa, which I cannot reproduce due to the following scary disclaimer on the bottom of her reply:

"This message and any attachments should only be read by those persons to whom it is addressed and be used by them for its intended purpose.  It must not otherwise be reproduced, modified, distributed, published or actioned."

So suffice to say they could find nothing in their archives relating to "Dictograph" or "Telephone Rentals" ever being granted a Royal Warrant.

Curiouser and curiouser...

Anyhow I emailed her back with a shot of the back of unit with Warrant plaque, explaining it is quite a perplexing mystery for us both...
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

gpo706

#13
I just e-mailed Pippa this, and asked her if it was a fake.

If not (which it isn't) shows how much you can trust that organisation and their so called "archives".

Kinda utterly devalues the whole point of the entire Royal warrant org doesn't it?

Be as well stamping your own plaques and gluing it on your bumper (fender).
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

gpo706

A fine brace of 60's sets, from the same site, look at all the abbreviations on the keys, wonder what they all connected to?

£5.50 and £10 postage, some of these go under the radar, other sellers start bidding at £50 upwards...

Also another pic of the Royal Warrant plaque on the back, which the RWA informs me they have no knowledge of, I suppose the Dictograph company just moulded their own and glued them on the case then eh?

"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"