Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Switching => Other Switching Technologies => Topic started by: teka-bb on November 23, 2012, 11:07:08 PM

Title: Remco's PABX Rescue Mission - Philips UH200
Post by: teka-bb on November 23, 2012, 11:07:08 PM
Last Thursday two of my friends and I successfully retrieved a 1500  pound pabx from the basement of a hotel on the Belgium coast.
It's a UH200 made by Philips Telecommunications Industries in the Netherlands. The one we recovered exist of 2 cabinets and has a maximum capacity of 104 extensions, 14 trunks and 2 operator consoles. Each cabinet measures 80 x 40 x 20 inches.
An interesting detail is the fact that this switch has twice survived flooding by seawater. The switch we recovered is electromechanical and was impregnated with oil before getting under water.
It was totally taken apart in order to be able  to move it.
The switch is now in storage in the Netherlands where it will be  rebuild to working order.
Title: Re: PABX rescue mission
Post by: Phonesrfun on November 23, 2012, 11:13:05 PM
Remco:

Wow, quite a find.  When you say that it was impregnated with oil before becoming submerged, was that on purpose to keep it safer from the salt water, or was the fact that it was impregnated with oil and then submerged a double whammy?

Title: Re: PABX rescue mission
Post by: teka-bb on November 23, 2012, 11:17:06 PM
Quote from: Phonesrfun on November 23, 2012, 11:13:05 PM
When you say that it was impregnated with oil before becoming submerged, was that on purpose to keep it safer from the salt water, or was the fact that it was impregnated with oil and then submerged a double whammy?

To keep it save from the salt water.
Title: Re: PABX rescue mission
Post by: Phonesrfun on November 23, 2012, 11:23:46 PM
Where are you going to put it once it is refurbished?
Title: Re: PABX rescue mission
Post by: teka-bb on November 23, 2012, 11:29:32 PM

For the time being it will remain in storage. The first priority was to rescue it from destruction. There are not many of these bigger PABX's left in existance.
Title: Re: PABX rescue mission - Philips UH200
Post by: AE_Collector on November 23, 2012, 11:42:06 PM
Hhhmmm, looks sort of like THIS one! Need parts? This one is still abandoned in Vancouver to the best of my knowledge. I guess I should make another attempt at getting it. This is a PAX only, no trunks. well, tie trunks but not CO trunks. There was a companion system at a second location interconnected with this one by the tie trunks but the other PAX has been gone for years. Mr kerman apparently has one (or more) of these as well.

Nice rescue job Remco!

Poor Dennis, now you are getting me fired up to bug him about a Switching Board here again. I've been bugging him a lot lately!

Terry
Title: Re: PABX rescue mission - Philips UH200
Post by: teka-bb on November 23, 2012, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: AE_collector on November 23, 2012, 11:42:06 PM

Poor Dennis, now you are getting me fired up to bug him about a Switching Board here again. I've been bugging him a lot lately!


When I posted this I was actually looking for a Switching Board to post it to...

We have quite a few parts already and probably a similar system that we can get just for the parts.
Title: Re: PABX rescue mission - Philips UH200
Post by: AE_Collector on November 24, 2012, 12:05:24 AM
I wonder if it is as easy as adding a CO trunk in place of the tie trunk modules. Can trade you a couple of trunks for it! What do they call the rotary switch, a Uniselector? I rmemeber studying up a bit on these when I forst found this one. Did you get paaperwork with it?

Terry
Title: Re: PABX rescue mission - Philips UH200
Post by: teka-bb on November 24, 2012, 12:38:28 AM
Quote from: AE_collector on November 24, 2012, 12:05:24 AM
I wonder if it is as easy as adding a CO trunk in place of the tie trunk modules. Can trade you a couple of trunks for it! What do they call the rotary switch, a Uniselector? I remember studying up a bit on these when I first found this one. Did you get paperwork with it?

Terry

Yes, we have all the paper work. I also have an interesting article that was published in a PTI magazine that describes the system.
The name we use for the rotary switch translates to 'selector column'. I don't know the term in English but will look when I'm at home.
Title: Re: PABX rescue mission - Philips UH200
Post by: Weco355aman on November 24, 2012, 02:30:02 AM
Hi. Is this a sxs type of switch or a crosspoint or a combnation of the two.
Title: Re: PABX rescue mission - Philips UH200
Post by: teka-bb on November 24, 2012, 02:41:14 AM
It uses rotary U55 uniselectors that are placed in the selector column.
The selector column is driven by a DC motor that was originally designed for a record player and used in this PABX because of it's stable speed.
Title: Re: PABX rescue mission - Philips UH200
Post by: oldphon on November 24, 2012, 11:41:15 AM
Nice job, Remco!  These are not very common at all, even less so on this side of the pond!  I'd love to hear more about the seawater story!  It looks to be in great shape as well!

Jeremy
Title: Re: Remco's PABX Rescue Mission - Philips UH200
Post by: Weco355aman on December 09, 2012, 12:35:23 AM
How will it be cleaned. If it was covered in oil what can you use to ensure
that there is non left. I would be concerned about a fire. (very low possibly)
Phil
Title: Re: Remco's PABX Rescue Mission - Philips UH200
Post by: teka-bb on December 09, 2012, 01:26:38 AM

I've been told only the contacts have been preserved with oil. The oil has since been removed using a solvent.
Title: Re: Remco's PABX Rescue Mission - Philips UH200
Post by: AE_Collector on December 09, 2012, 01:53:29 AM
Do you have plans to assemble it soon Remco? Take lots of pictures for us.

Terry
Title: Re: Remco's PABX Rescue Mission - Philips UH200
Post by: teka-bb on December 09, 2012, 02:04:32 AM

Hi Terry,

The switch is about 2 hours drive / 180 miles from my house so that's a task for my friend Robert.

Here is his website: http://www.actw.nl/English/Index.htm