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Author Topic: What was this thing used for?  (Read 3782 times)

Offline savageje

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What was this thing used for?
« on: April 13, 2015, 08:01:43 PM »
« Last Edit: April 14, 2015, 06:49:55 AM by TelePlay »
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Offline paul-f

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Re: What was this thing used for?
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2015, 08:24:08 PM »
It started life as a dial unit for a Magicall dialer sold through the Bell System.
 
It looks like it fell prey to a hobbyist that hacked it for some purpose we can only guess at without tracing the added/modified wiring.
 
If you want to research the original unit in the TCI Library, try a Google site search for KS-19194 and a standard search for Magicall.  There's a GSP that describes the version sold through GTE.
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Offline savageje

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Re: What was this thing used for?
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2015, 09:17:30 PM »
Thanks for the great info Paul. I really enjoy your site, btw. Lots of great information there.
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Offline AE_Collector

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Re: What was this thing used for?
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2015, 01:36:21 AM »
Interesting that the hobbyist actually flipped the dial around 180 degrees carving a new notch for the finger stop.

Terry
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Offline savageje

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Re: What was this thing used for?
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2015, 06:32:05 AM »
Quote from: AE_Collector on April 14, 2015, 01:36:21 AM
Interesting that the hobbyist actually flipped the dial around 180 degrees carving a new notch for the finger stop.

Terry

I didn't notice that until now. Those look like BNC coax connectors at the top. I have half a mind to bid on the thing just to see what is hacked together on the inside. But then, I'd be taking $$ away from stuff I'm interested in adding to my collection.
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Offline TelePlay

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Re: What was this thing used for?
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2015, 06:49:23 AM »
That may have been used as modified in a HAM radio set up. Don't know for sure but that was my first impression after seeing those BNCs. Just a guess.
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Offline DavePEI

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Re: What was this thing used for?
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2015, 06:49:57 AM »
I have an NOS Magicall here that I got in one of the shipments from Don last year. They are neat units!

Dave
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Offline DavePEI

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Re: What was this thing used for?
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2015, 06:53:31 AM »
Quote from: TelePlay on April 14, 2015, 06:49:23 AM
That may have been used as modified in a HAM radio set up. Don't know for sure but that was my first impression after seeing those BNCs. Just a guess.
Not with a pulse dial it wouldn't have been. Many TT dials were converted for use with early VHF and UHF rigs to access auto-patch, but these all used TT dialing. Back in the 80s, I took an NT TT dial and interfaced it to a Motorola DT-75 for TT access to the local auto-patch.

http://www.islandregister.com/phones/tt.html

Dave
« Last Edit: April 14, 2015, 06:55:36 AM by DavePEI »
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Offline AE_Collector

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Re: What was this thing used for?
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2015, 07:46:08 AM »
These program units look like they have a puse dial and while it may be, they aren't a typical dial. There is no speed governor on them . They feel as though they are broken when you wind them up and let them go. Taking a second or less to return to normal they (comparatively) slowly gain speed and then slam to a stop at the end of their travel.

The dial records something onto the equivilent of recording tape in the MagiCall Dialer main unit indicating each digit that you dialed when using this programmer to program the MagiCall Dialer.

MagiCall Dialers were made for the Telco's by Dasa Corp. in their day they likely were all rental units just like telephones were.

Terry
« Last Edit: April 14, 2015, 11:46:35 PM by AE_Collector »
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Offline Mr. Bones

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Re: What was this thing used for?
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2015, 11:44:31 PM »
Quote from: AE_Collector on April 14, 2015, 07:46:08 AM
The dial records something onto the equivilent of recording tape in the MagiCall Dialer main unit indicating each digit that you dialed when using this programmer to program the MagiCall Dialer.
Terry

Makey-breaky? Sounds like early binary, one or zero sorta stuff. Might be wrong, but just sayin... quite true that recorded pulses can be encoded, read, deciphered much faster... usedta be done lots with Morse code, via 78rpm records, early on...

Best regards!
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