Huge Haul of Teletype Equipment on the Way!

[AE_Collector]

Sort of like working in a Strowger C.O.!

Yeah I miss that. Even the Seattle Museum doesn't have a way of putting any amount of traffic onto it's SxS office so we can hear it process any more than a call at a time.

Terry

[Phonesrfun]

Phil McCarter has a way to put lots of traffic on his SxS, using his computer that drives his C*Net system.  Pretty impressive.

My first computer was a TI 99-4A with a serial port.  Someone gave me a TTY 33 that had an RS232 port and I used it for the output of my computer before I upgraded to an Oki serial dot matrix printer.  The TTY was so noisy that my wife and family insisted that I keep it out in the garage.  It did not print very well below about 40 deg. F.

[Mr. Bones]

Phil McCarter has a way to put lots of traffic on his SxS, using his computer that drives his C*Net system.  Pretty impressive.

My first computer was a TI 99-4A with a serial port.  Someone gave me a TTY 33 that had an RS232 port and I used it for the output of my computer before I upgraded to an Oki serial dot matrix printer.  The TTY was so noisy that my wife and family insisted that I keep it out in the garage.  It did not print very well below about 40 deg. F.

Bill,

     My first 'home computer' was also a TI 99/4A. Used it for quite some time, then moved into the world of CoCo's. Always missed the polyphony of the TI 99's; TRS 80's couldn't do that, for some reason...

      Still love to program in the various BASIC languages....

Best regards!

Terrence

[DavePEI]

My first computer was a TI 99-4A with a serial port.  Someone gave me a TTY 33 that had an RS232 port and I used it for the output of my computer before I upgraded to an Oki serial dot matrix printer.  The TTY was so noisy that my wife and family insisted that I keep it out in the garage.  It did not print very well below about 40 deg. F.

That is what I used my KSR-33 for when I first got it in 1984 from Island Tel. First with a Timex-Sinclair TS-1000, then with a VIC-20. I eventually did as you did and upgraded to an OKI printer. When I did that, I loaned the KSR-33 to a friend, who used it for about a year until he got a dot matrix printer, then it sat in his barn for 20 years, until I recovered it. The mice had been living in it, the cover and platen were broken, and it was seized solid with mouse urine and rust. It really was a nightmare! It took me at least two months to find parts, and to do it, but I did manage to rebuild it, and it is today a prized and working part of the collection.

I still have that OKI printer that replaced it, in a box in a cupboard in the museum. I also still somewhere have the TS-1000, interfaces and memory modules, a C-64, a Commodore PET and a Commodore Super PET computer, and yes, even a TRS-80. I still have my interface box for the early computers and the teletype as well. I guess that is the definition of a pack-rat; it is amazing what happens to stick around over the years!

Just to show you what 20 years of bad storage does to a machine, see the photos below - 1 and 2, after solvent cleaning and removal of pine cones and seeds, but before rebuilding. There were even small pine cones stored under the keyboard! The platen and most parts were frozen in place, and 3rd, after rebuilding!

Most would have given it up as a lost cause, but it had special meaning to me, as it had been my first teletype, and came direct from Island Tel in 1984. They gave away several at that time to local Hams including me. At the time, it was really amazing, having a "real" printer for my computers! My how things have changed.

[Owain]

Whenever I see the forum title I think "Teletype's what?"

[DavePEI]

I received the news  last night that my haul is being picked up today by my "agent" in Ontario, he will be inventorying it for me, then bringing it down to the Island on his various trips this year!

It really is incredible that the transportation has worked out so well - the night I was offered it all, I had no idea how I would get it here, and then the following day, I had the offer to bring it down. Now, if only transportation would always work out so well!

Update: January 27th: The pickup took place as expected yesterday. Brian and his wife traveled to Severn Bridge and picked up the Teletype stuff from Gina, and were able to fit it all in their mini van.

Brian is busy today, but will be doing a full inventory of what he has (not including the parts boxes and what is in them - that would be a huge job, which I will tackle when they get here). The main thing is it is safe, and now out of Gina's way, and will be coming to PEI as he has room on his Island trips this year!

Thank God for wonderful helpers like Brian and his family!

Dave

[Rokumoncat]

I remember the Teletype Corporation building on Touhy Ave in Skokie, IL, not far from where I grew up and a mile from my grandparents' house.  Years ago, it was converted to a shopping center.

Larry

A lot of people don't know that Teletype Corp. became a subsidiary of AT&T/Western Electric from the 1930 onward. That is why the later Teletype documents are covered in BSPs.

Dave

By the end of its life, the Teletype facility had become an AT&T Bell Labs facility.  In earlier years, the sign in front said "Teletype Corporation" and had the old square wave logo.

Larry

Yep, and sadly, even that is gone now! Just like AE in Brockville - it is now a business center housing dozens of small businesses!

I have been thinking, that it is odd that more don't collect teletypes, as they were definitely part of telephone history, but I suppose a lot of it has to do with the complexity of the machines, and their size and weight. You need a lot of room to properly display them! I am thankful I had room to represent them in the museum, and I love working on them.

But so sad to see former huge corporations belonging to Bell, that if they exist at all today, are now only a vestige of their former prominence. I guess good things never last forever!

Dave

I collect and 'rescue' Teletype units as my main hobby! I discovered phones later. I mostly have model 28 equipment, but will rescue any TTY gear from the landfill. I usually get the other stuff (Model 14, 15 etc) working and find loving homes for them. I never sell a Teletype, I give them to someone who will appreciate and preserve them. I have never bought a Teletype, but have paid folks for time, gas and inconvenience. I just found a home for a Western Union model 15 in the original (but filthy) green crinkle paint. There is a gent on the other side of the state that I live in that collects just those, so he is coming to claim his newest child. A master TTY engineer, Jack K0TTY, adjusted and lubricated it for me (I am quite ignorant of the model 15s quirks), and now someone who really digs those machines will have it in their setup.

If anyone is really interested, check out the Greenkeys mail server. There are many very cool folks there that will be happy to help you get into Teletype machines.

R.Cat

[DavePEI]

IBrian is busy today, but will be doing a full inventory of what he has (not including the parts boxes and what is in them - that would be a huge job, which I will tackle when they get here). The main thing is it is safe, and now out of Gina's way, and will be coming to PEI as he has room on his Island trips this year![/i]

I spoke with Brian yesterday, and I will soon have the equipment here. He is going to drop it off here either he last day of May, or the first day of June. I still can't wait to do an inventory of parts, as I intend to share them with other teletype collectors...

Dave

[AMCer]

I'm so jealous...

I'm STILL looking for a Model 33!  The rare times they come up on eBay, they are "pick-up only" or in Europe.

[DavePEI]

I'm so jealous...

I'm STILL looking for a Model 33!  The rare times they come up on eBay, they are "pick-up only" or in Europe.

Hint. Ask around your local University.... I was lucky, I had my KSR-33 from years ago, albeit loaned to a friend 25 years ago and stored in his barn, but also got another ASR-33 from a lady from Mass. She even delivered it! But my poor old KSR was in terrible shape after 20+ years of barn storage - it took me a good two months to find the needed parts and get it working!

http://www.islandregister.com/phones/teletype/rtty.html

Join the Greenkeys list - one might come up in your area.

http://www.rtty.com/greenkeys.htm

Dave

[Phonesrfun]

RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY RYRYRYR

[Jim Stettler]

I am pretty sure I still have a large stack of Teletype BSP's. I will post if they turn up.
Jim

Large = several inches

[DavePEI]

Hi All:

I received my Teletype stuff today, and amongst it was a Telephone Service Decal someone asked about a few months ago, and who asked for a scan of it is soon as it arrived. Now, I am going to use the decal in the museum, on the door to its service department, but here is a scan.

This 8 inch diameter decal is labelled on the back Sign No. 126W Double sided Date 17 3 58 and made for NE by Beaver Decalmania of Montreal, Quebec. Made in Canada. When I apply it, I will do so very gingerly!

It was beautifully preserved, as it had been protected front and back by waxed paper.

The decal is 8 inches in diameter.

Dave

[DavePEI]

Also, along with the teletype items there was a surprise, a Northern Telecom "Installation Tool" NR-2315 stamping set, more or less the same as the Neuses N-2315 version I have and the Western Electric ones others have.

The rest of the items will take quite a while to inventory - give me a chance till I have everything inventoried.

[DavePEI]

Here is some more of the haul....

1) CDC SDA-103 Signal and Distortion Analyzer/Tester

2) CDC TMG-303 Fox and Signal Sender

3) Digitech 2652 Signal and Distortion Analyzer/Tester

Dave