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Yet another unusual flea market phone find for me!

Started by AdamAnt316, February 06, 2011, 02:58:55 PM

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AdamAnt316

Earlier today, I was perusing the goods at a local flea market. While browsing one seller's wares, a small black box caught my eye. Since it was sitting on a high shelf, I could only see the edge of the top, but part of what I could see was a row of four buttons, one of which was red. I pulled the box down from the shelf, and what should I have in my hands but a Western Electric Autovon adjunct dial! :o I asked the seller about it, and she claimed there was a phone which might go with it, but a search of the area around the dial turned up nothing. Nevertheless, I was able to purchase the dial alone for the princely sum of $10. ;D Hopefully, the seller will be able to find the phone it goes with, but either way, I think I did pretty well. 8)
-Adam

AE_Collector

#1
Will there be "Pictures at 6"?

(Maybe that doesn't make sense to anyone but I can always hear the promo for the 6 o'clock news on TV telling us about some event of the day with "Pictures at 6" tagged on at the end).

Terry

AdamAnt316

#2
Quote from: ae_collector on February 06, 2011, 03:22:52 PM
Will there be "Pictures at 6"?

(Maybe that doesn't make sense to anyone but I can always here the promo for the 6 o'clock news on TV telling us about some event of the day with "Pictures at 6" tagged on at the end).

Terry

Ask and ye shall receive!  ;D


A view of the top. Note the short cord, with the DB-9 at the end.


Another view from the top, at a different angle.


A view of the bottom. Most of the dates I can see place it as having been made in late 1965.

-Adam

Jim Stettler

You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Phonesrfun

-Bill G

Dave F

Adam,

This is a wonderful rare find.  On the rare occasions that these turn up, they usually end up selling in the $200+ range.  You are very lucky.  Definitely a prime candidate for February's "Find of the Month"!!

Dave

Dennis Markham

Adam, educate those of us that have no idea what an adjunct dial is, please.  I've heard the name before but have no clue.  Thank you.

AE_Collector

#7
Quote from: Dave F on February 06, 2011, 10:39:43 PM
Adam,

This is a wonderful rare find.  On the rare occasions that these turn up, they usually end up selling in the $200+ range.  You are very lucky.  Definitely a prime candidate for February's "Find of the Month"!!

Dave


Okay, I was waiting to hear someone confirm that it is worth substantially more than the $10 that Adam paid for it. I agree, off to the Feb 2011 "Find of the Month" with it!

I'll put it onto the Find of the Month thread.

Terry

AdamAnt316

Quote from: Dennis Markham on February 06, 2011, 10:54:41 PM
Adam, educate those of us that have no idea what an adjunct dial is, please.  I've heard the name before but have no clue.  Thank you.

I actually have very little idea of the exact purpose of it, myself. My theory is, it was made to allow for Autovon capabilities to be added to a phone which did not normally have them, for use when necessary (say, for example, on a phone line which was normally set up for pulse dialing only). Western Electric also made rotary adjunct dials, for use with Autovon phones (or regular touchtone phones) for the times when DTMF dialing wasn't available. I'm not sure what sort of phone my Autovon adjunct was meant to be connected to; if the flea market seller ever manages to find it, I'll update the group.
-Adam

Dave F

Quote from: AdamAnt316 on February 06, 2011, 11:11:28 PM
Quote from: Dennis Markham on February 06, 2011, 10:54:41 PM
Adam, educate those of us that have no idea what an adjunct dial is, please.  I've heard the name before but have no clue.  Thank you.

I actually have very little idea of the exact purpose of it, myself. My theory is, it was made to allow for Autovon capabilities to be added to a phone which did not normally have them, for use when necessary (say, for example, on a phone line which was normally set up for pulse dialing only). Western Electric also made rotary adjunct dials, for use with Autovon phones (or regular touchtone phones) for the times when DTMF dialing wasn't available. I'm not sure what sort of phone my Autovon adjunct was meant to be connected to; if the flea market seller ever manages to find it, I'll update the group.
-Adam
Right-on, Adam.  These were installable on any phone, rotary or touchtone, where AUTOVON cabability was needed but not available.  Your variation, with the 9-pin connector, was originally intended to be used in upgrading older switchboards for use on the AUTOVON network, but it could also have been connected to a phone.  The versions which were usually connected to telephone sets had spade-lead cord tails on them (see pic).  If you ever get bored with it, be sure to let me know (heh,heh)!

Did the seller say how she acquired it?  Maybe she has a big pile of other AUTOVON items lurking in some dark corner.  That would be the phone collector's equivalent of winning the lottery.

Memo to all:  The word AUTOVON is actually an acronym for "Automatic Voice Network".  As such, it is technically correct to use all caps when writing it out.  Not a big deal, but as we are always trying to impart our wisdom correctly, blah, blah....you get the idea.

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Dave F on February 07, 2011, 12:43:50 PM
Quote from: AdamAnt316 on February 06, 2011, 11:11:28 PM
Quote from: Dennis Markham on February 06, 2011, 10:54:41 PM
Adam, educate those of us that have no idea what an adjunct dial is, please.  I've heard the name before but have no clue.  Thank you.

I actually have very little idea of the exact purpose of it, myself. My theory is, it was made to allow for Autovon capabilities to be added to a phone which did not normally have them, for use when necessary (say, for example, on a phone line which was normally set up for pulse dialing only). Western Electric also made rotary adjunct dials, for use with Autovon phones (or regular touchtone phones) for the times when DTMF dialing wasn't available. I'm not sure what sort of phone my Autovon adjunct was meant to be connected to; if the flea market seller ever manages to find it, I'll update the group.
-Adam
Right-on, Adam.  These were installable on any phone, rotary or touchtone, where AUTOVON cabability was needed but not available.  Your variation, with the 9-pin connector, was originally intended to be used in upgrading older switchboards for use on the AUTOVON network, but it could also have been connected to a phone.

Adam,
I have a spare switchboard if you need 1 for this AUTOVON tt pad.

Let me Know,
JIm
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

AdamAnt316

#11
Quote from: Dave F on February 07, 2011, 12:43:50 PM
Right-on, Adam.  These were installable on any phone, rotary or touchtone, where AUTOVON cabability was needed but not available.  Your variation, with the 9-pin connector, was originally intended to be used in upgrading older switchboards for use on the AUTOVON network, but it could also have been connected to a phone.  The versions which were usually connected to telephone sets had spade-lead cord tails on them (see pic).  If you ever get bored with it, be sure to let me know (heh,heh)!

Glad to see that I surmised correctly. Thanks for the info on this particular style of adjunct dial. I've seen pictures of these with both long and short cords, and wasn't sure of the reasons for the variations. I hope I can figure out a way to test this dial without using a switchboard, since one of those would probably take up far more space than I have to work with. I haven't decided what I'm gonna do with this dial, but I'd at least like to test it.

Quote from: Dave F on February 07, 2011, 12:43:50 PM
Did the seller say how she acquired it?  Maybe she has a big pile of other AUTOVON items lurking in some dark corner.  That would be the phone collector's equivalent of winning the lottery.

I believe this seller tends to buy out estates and such. Some of her stuff has come from the home of at least one telephone repairman, but most of what I've seen was test equipment. I dunno if there's any more AUTOVON stuff to be had, but I'll do my best to find out.

Quote from: Dave F on February 07, 2011, 12:43:50 PM
Memo to all:  The word AUTOVON is actually an acronym for "Automatic Voice Network".  As such, it is technically correct to use all caps when writing it out.  Not a big deal, but as we are always trying to impart our wisdom correctly, blah, blah....you get the idea.

Thanks for the clarification. I find it easier to type "Autovon", but I'll try and use the correct capitalization in the future. 'Course, wouldn't it be a bit closer to spell it "AutoVoN"? ;D
-Adam

paul-f

Great find, Adam!

You'll find some useful info in the BSP for the 66-type dials.

   http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=2389&Itemid=2

It describes dials with variations including connectors for special purposes.  The connector on the 66D3A seems to match the one on your adjunct.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

AdamAnt316

Thanks, Paul! I've indeed identified the dial I have as being a 66D3A. Unfortunately, I've hit a snag in trying to connect this dial to a standard 2500. Mainly being, the color code between the 66D3A (in the BSP listed above) and your average 35A3A (as found on the 2500D BSP) don't swap straight across. I can identify where six of the nine wires should go in a 2500D, but the rest are a mystery, with the color codes not matching, and the schematic diagrams being less than clear. Any ideas? Once again, thanks in advance.
-Adam

GG


I have a gray WE Autovon 5-line set around here (missing the faceplate, anyone know where I can find one?) so if you like, I could dig it out and see exactly how it's wired.   I have another WE Autovon dial sitting here (right on the shelf where I could find it easily:-) , type 66A3A, dated 10-73, with ten wires of which 5 are "taped and stored" (using proper insulating sleeves) so it's likely that only 5 wires were used when it was in a phone.  I'm going to guess that the dial in the telephone is the same type, which may be wired differently than your 66D3A. 

BTW, I got that phone + the extra dial in trade for a properly reconditioned/new-equivalent orange 2500 that happened to be on my truck at the time.  This was at an old mil surplus place in Oakland CA, over 10 years ago.  The guy at the counter said he didn't have any more of those and I didn't want to be a pest by asking to dig through the proverbial pile.