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Dictograph mania

Started by gpo706, September 06, 2009, 08:05:45 PM

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gpo706

Just got this for £6:

10 key set:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330355275775&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT ( dead link 02-15-21 )

Hardly "1921" theres a date stamped on the receiver "29/11/63" the day LBJ instigated the Warren Commision!

I took it out the packing by the cradle set and one of the sides and the top came off, but its all fine otherwise, just needs glued together again.

Handset is the best I've seen no chips or cracks, the mouldings on these Dictographs are very thin at the edge of the cups and rarely have no chips in them.

The handset cord is 3 wire straight braid, and the slightest application of a fingernail will strip the braid sheath off, so it's getting a new modified 706/746 black coiled cable instead.

So now I have a nice wallmounted 6 key, its scabbier sibling, the greasy 6 key base unit (must been from the canteen) and the 7 key that came with the 706.

Waiting for a set of croc clip test leads for my linesman phone to try and get a voltage through them, for now they all (apart from the decorative wallmount) in their respective bits in a box.

One day, eh?

"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

McHeath

That's a cool phone, will you be able to set it up to work?  I've never seen anything like them in my travels in the US, but maybe there is something out there as I in no way know much of what is out there. 

gpo706

I think It was a US company to begin with, but hived off their operations in UK/Europe at some point, these turn up quite often on e-bay, but there's a dearth of info as to voltages/diagrams etc.

Also surprising that the company would take the installations away after about 10 years, and replaced them all the old units being scrapped or recycled, maybe not surprising seeing all the wooden housings were custom built.

Nice display items, nevertheless.

http://www.bobsoldphones.net/Pages/Dictograph/Dictograph.htm

http://www.dustygizmos.com/arcpages/arcphones.htm
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

HobieSport

#3
An incredibly cool looking gismo. Albeit early 1960s and not 1920s, not that I would know anything about it. I hope you get it working. I admit that I always wanted a working dictograph so that I could call my reliable secretary from the next room by flicking a switch and saying in my best Bogart voice...
-Matt

gpo706

"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

Owain

Here's a dictograph in a rather smart style I don't think I've seen before

Ebay


gpo706

Owain, another drink I owe you, mine for £5 & £6 P&P.

Looks like a Charles Rennie Mackintosh inspired design!

Thanks again dude.
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

Owain

I think you have to buy some multicore cable and wire them up as Dictographs rather than POTS phones.

gpo706

Owain, you're welcome to try, I'll buy the cable and supply a screwdriver if you want! ;D
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

Owain

I've got my hands full with a HES 4 thank you very much  :D

Owain

And another one with lightning flashes ...

ebay


twocvbloke

Nice Double-D's you got there..... ;)

gpo706

#12
Nice set! (so to speak).

Its a master station, and looks like it has a mother-in-law or watch receiver on the side, rather than a handset.

Very archaic looking, could imagine it on some millionaires desk in a Marx brothers movie.

Also seems to have "dolls eyes" indicators on the first rank of switches, never seen that before on a Dictograph.
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

gpo706

This is  sitting on the shelf gathering dust, I tried the old style 2 wire rewire and I can get a dialling tone but it is very faint.

Maybe it needs 12V in it to make it work?
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

Owain

Quote from: gpo706 on October 28, 2012, 08:16:35 PM
This is  sitting on the shelf gathering dust, I tried the old style 2 wire rewire and I can get a dialling tone but it is very faint.

Maybe it needs 12V in it to make it work?

induction coil / impedance matching issues possibly.