[GreenKeys] Model 15 sort of

[Larry Tighe]

Hi Folks,

I bought a 15 KB on eBay.  It was local to me so I drove over to pick it up. 
Just $28.  I figured I'd start collecting parts of a 15 and finally make one 
for me to enjoy.  It gets better........

She has several RCA Communications 15 kinda machines.  I bought the base and 
typer too for peanuts.  They were laying on the floor.  She also had a 
strange 15 kinda TD with a raised square top on top of the normally rounded 
cover.

I cleaned  up the base, KB, type basket and soaked it in oil.  Even the 
motor didn't want to turn till I soaked lots of oil into the oil caps. 
Almost operational now.  I haven't got the range finder "fingers" doing 
anything yet....more oil soaking I guess.

With it comes a box of relays ...made in West Germany.  I pushed each relay 
figuring one will start the motor and it did!  Pretty smart huh :>)

The cabinet is a strange green...needs a new glass.  Also two of the typing 
unit's hold down screws are missing...one of the knurled thumb types and a 
smaller one....I'm begging for some from the group.

She gave me an extra KB.  That had the U shaped springs for the keys and the 
key caps missing from the one I bought on eBay.  At least I have a "stash" 
of key caps now :>)

QUESTION:  What speed did the RCA's run at?  I'm going to run it, I hope, at 
60 WPM.

It has a box aside from the relay box with a telephone dial.  So, I guess 
you could have dialed another machine on some kind of switched network once 
upon a time.....did RCA have their own network?  In back, on the base, is a 
weird relay looking thing with springs that appear to want to resonate when 
the coil is activated with AC....I think it was a kind of "ringer".

Anyway, this machine will come back to factory specs in the near 
future....it even has a "Here Is" lever on the front!!!

Any typing basket hold down screws would be appreciated :>)  And, any info 
about RCA would be interesting too....many thanks.


Larry
K2JIA
www.antiquetelephone.com