[GreenKeys] Chatting to All

[Richard YOUL Brisbane]

I'm more than happy to put all my ramblings for the group to read, I just
hope you don't get sick of me once I get started. Anyway that's probably
what the delete key is for.

Obviously my experience is largely limited to the machines I have, and of
course how much work I have had to do to them. In most cases it has just
been some oil and motor adjustment, although the odd one has been more of a
challenge.

I forgot to mention two items of test equipment. The first is a TSG 40
(Telegraph Signal Generator) which creates Brown Fox test messages etc,
capable of being transmitted with a variety of baud rates and stop unit
lengths. It's really just a toy for me. Far more useful is the TDMS 80
(Telegraph Distortion Measuring Set) (Both units by Plessey UK). Without
this latter it is debatble whether the dial-up system would be working at
all. It can be used to precisely check motor speeds, and also faulty signals
caused either by a machine transmitter out of adjustment, or gremlins in the
electronics of interfaces etc. They date from the mid 80s, and unfortunately
many of their IC chips are obsolete.

So if anybody wants to know more about Creeds, Siemens' or Sagem, all they
have to do is ask.

Briefly the Sagems first arrived with the TX 20 in 1975. The idea was a
maintenance-free Telex machine. The demonstration models worked fine. But
when the production models arrived, they were a disaster. Apparently the
former were built with top quality IC chips and other components. When the
production models came out, cheap chips were used, with the results you
would expect. Apparently maintenance staff soon discovered the first thing
to do was to turn on a new one in the workshop for 24 hours and see if it
was still working the next day. Eventually these problems were overcome with
the manufacturer. The TX 35 (marketed as the Sagem 2000) had a small screen
and is my favourite to use on line. They had their problems, but again I
think these were largely overcome. The 35E (2001) came in 1986 and some of
these are still in Telex service. I have heard rumours that the earlier two
models are also in service in small numbers.

Yesterday I took photos of my collection, removing covers and taking some
detailed interior shots  of machines not common in the US. A CD will be
prepared and I will send by Post to Jim Haynes. If anyone is interested, he
probably would know how to circulate these photos which were taken on a 5
megapixel camera and would take forever to download in present form.

I thought the inbox would be full of weekend correspondence, but it looks
like everyone went away for the weekend.

Regards,
Ricahrd Youl