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GPO 232 for a Good Price

Started by SUnset2, October 27, 2021, 01:13:16 AM

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SUnset2

I got this GPO 232 on Ebay for $20 and $10 shipping.  The dial had been replaced with a more modern plastic dial.  I have a GPO 232 with a damaged case, so I swapped the dial with the older style dial.  These are probably common and cheap in the UK, but they aren't all that common in the US, and a classic and iconic telephone.
I am missing the dial number card retaining ring, so if anyone knows of a source of these, I would appreciate it.

tubaman

#1
You got a bargain there as even here in the UK they rarely go as cheaply as that, and mostly for significantly more. The dial card clips are often missing and actually not always very easy to get.
Here's one available in the UK now - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124809817712 - but I don't know if the seller would ship to the USA or if you'd like the price if they do. The clip plus postage could easily end up costing more than you paid for the phone unfortunately.
:)

Edited to add - I can't be quite sure but it looks from the photo that it has the early style cradle (fully flush with the case at the front and back and thus without the lips that allow you to pick up the phone). If that is the case it's an even better bargain.

FABphones

Nice phone at a very good price.

Would you add a photo with the Directory Card Drawer opened?

Link http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=23477 to a thread where I added an image of a Directory Card for another member. They are folded in half and placed in the Drawer.

*Close up image of the cradle please!   :)
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

tubaman

#3
I've found the original eBay listing - https://www.ebay.com/itm/185081042331 - and it does have the early cradle. No directory card unfortunately but the dial card looks like a decent original. PARK was the Bayswater and Notting Hill area of London according to this list http://rhaworth.net/phreak/tenp_01.php.

LarryInMichigan

That is certainly the bargain of the month, if not of the year.  It even has the original plaited cords in decent condition.  Those are often tattered if still present.  For the snap ring which holds the card, you can probably improvise.  I think that I improvised one once using a key ring cut to length.  A local hardware store had a selection of key rings in a variety of sizes, so I chose one with a slightly larger O.D. than the dial card.

This phone should be the next FOTM.

Congrats,

Larry

SUnset2

As you can see from the Ebay pictures, there is no card in the drawer.  The number card is original, though.  Thanks for the tip about the key ring.  I'll check them out.  I can probably cut it with a Dremel. 

From the information I can find, these share the capacitor in the Bellset with the talking circuit.  To connect it to a standard line, I'm guessing that I would connect the red lead to one side of the line, the white to the other, and connect a capacitor between the green lead and the white lead.  Would 0.47uF be adequate?

tubaman

Here's a diagram of the Australian version of the same phone (from https://www.britishtelephones.com/aus/232cbt.htm) which helpfully includes the bellset.
The original capacitor would be 1.8uF but if using it without the bell and just in its spark quench function I imagine 0.47uF would suffice.
Note that the line connects to Red and White.

countryman

Here is an example of a card to go into the drawer. I received the files from FABphones for my GPO 312. Ideally the directory card should match with the area code of the dial card though.

SUnset2

Thanks for the scan of the card. It's unlikely that I will find the "correct " one.
I'll try a .47uF cap as I have plenty of them.

countryman

My first impression from the above diagram is, that the capacitor is also important for the speaking circuit.
You could always wire 2,3 or 4 of your .47µF types in parallel and see what happens.