GPO 706 Field Trial Phone

[ThePillenwerfer]

You could well be correct, Andy, with your ideas about the trial.  Maybe the GPO were always trialling things for the new design (the 746) rather than modifications to the existing 706 design.  It would be interesting to know just when they started adding chevrons to the coloured number plates.

Both these look to have No 21 dials to me.  As an aside, I thought the official designation for the colour of the later number plates was "Antique Silver."  Of course it's quite possible that both that and "Light Gold" were used at different times.

[andy1702]

Aren't old gold and antique silver the same thing? I must have got a couple of hundred dial plates this colour, both the chevron ones and the bog standard ones from 746s and they all look the same colour to me.

I agree, these two phones definitely have dial 21s. The finger stop is a different shape to the one on a dial 12.

As for when the printed chevrons appeared on GPO phones... It seems to have been sometime in 1963 judging from observations of actual instruments. It happened about the same time they switched to ABS cases and the domed feet were replaced in favour of those with the recessed center.

[Hotline]

I think Andy may be correct about Ericsson/GPO trialling the clear finger wheel, although as mentioned previously the case and handset parts have different moulding markings to other 706 phones, not 12 or 17 but they have a small circle with a line though them, but maybe Ericsson used this marking on their cases for their 706 clone and used the same cases in this phone?

With regard to old gold and antique silver the same thing, they are different as per my my photo elsewhere on this thread that shows a side by side comparison.

The dial is a 21 type.

Andy mentioned earlier that type 12 dials with the 3D arrows were plastic, I can confirm this as I recently acquired one that I have put into recently bought 1959 Ericsson 706 (another eBay bargain!  ) - but that phone deserves its own thread, so I will post some details on that phone hopefully tomorrow.

[Hotline]

I just checked the dial on my 1963 field trial and it says 21 C 63

[andy1702]

I just checked the dial on my 1963 field trial and it says 21 C 63

If I'm rememebring this right (someone please tell em if I'm not) a 'dial 21C' means 'dial 21 coloured', so this should have been a normal coloured dial. The part was obviously moulded for the GPO but then that particular part of it was used to make this trial set.

So what's teh difference between the gold and silver, because looking back through this thread I can't see it. They all look the same to me, at least on my monitor.

[Hotline]

If I'm rememebring this right (someone please tell em if I'm not) a 'dial 21C' means 'dial 21 coloured', so this should have been a normal coloured dial. The part was obviously moulded for the GPO but then that particular part of it was used to make this trial set.

So what's teh difference between the gold and silver, because looking back through this thread I can't see it. They all look the same to me, at least on my monitor.

Yes the 'C' means coloured, so as you say they just used a standard dial for the field trial. It will be interesting to see what is on the '64 version when it arrives.

Maybe you need to adjust your monitor Andy! 

[Hotline]

I have received the 1964 telephone.

The handset is original Ivory, it's just discoloured more than any other one I have seen previously! It will need the acetone treatment!

The base and inside the case are stamped Field Trial, just like my 1963 version.

The plastics are ABS, marked 17.

The dial is marked 21 C 63, so dates from 1963.

The microphone has been replaced at some point with a more modern 1980s type 23A electronic transmitter.

Once I clean it up I will post some photos and I will then probably put it back on eBay.

[andy1702]

I'd suggest e-bay is probably not the best place to sell a rare phone. Most people watching e-bay listings won't appreciate what it is. To them is will just be a cream phone like the hundreds of others. You might be better selling it at some kind of collectors event.

[ThePillenwerfer]

Fair point, though some things can get high prices, eg that 162 with a Brighton Dial as discussed a few weeks ago.

[FABphones]

Another Field Trial 706 has come up on eBay. Am adding it to this thread as in the pics it looks like it has the chevrons in common with the phones mentioned here. Also same info on baseplate as on phone 1 on this thread.

Ebay listing number 292801961639.  ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/292801961639 )
(My device won't let me get the link, thanks for adding).

Photos below:

[poplar1]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292801961639

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-GPO-2-Tone-Green-706L-Telephone-Field-Trial/292801961639

[andy1702]

The green one doesn't look quite right to me. The finger wheel has edges that are too sharp (should be more rounded over) and it's colour should be the lighter green not the darker one. Also the dial label looks to be a photocopy. The originals were printed a lighter mid-grey colour with only the exchange name and number in black.

[Jim Stettler]

The green one doesn't look quite right to me. The finger wheel has edges that are too sharp (should be more rounded over) and it's colour should be the lighter green not the darker one. Also the dial label looks to be a photocopy. The originals were printed a lighter mid-grey colour with only the exchange name and number in black.

A field trial set doesn't typically match a production set. Many times there are subtle and not so subtle differences.
From your observations  it lends itself towards a field trial set from my point of view.
Jim S.

[andy1702]

It's definitely a field trial, but the question is what were they trialing? My guess is it's that plate with the arrows, like the other two before it. The piont I was making is the finger wheel looks like a modern plastic repro, togerther with a non-authentic dial label.