[GreenKeys] 'Old' portable Teletype...

[Duncan M. Brown]

Roy (and the group),

Roy - You said that your M31 was a military version but that it has a 115
VAC motor.  Does it have a military nomenclature plate on it? Does it have
the red & green Transmit & Receive lamps?  Does it have a handle on the
cover?

The M31 at the AWA Museum is definately a military version in that it has
the 24VDC governed motor-generator.  But it has no cover, tape reel or the
red & green T/R lamps and some of the wiring is slightly different from
that shown in the Bul. 200 manual.  The only identification other than a
standard "Teletype Corp." plate are two brass plates; one says "KK-1   3"; 
the other "MODEL-D1".  This unit came form the original Teletype Corp
Museum and may have been a M31 prototype or pre-production unit.



I previously stated that the M31 production started in 1949.  That
information came from the Teletype Corp Museum book.  But I now notice that
the original M31 Manuals (Bul. 200 & 1140) are both dated 1947.  From my
manufacturing/engineering experience, I've seen units go into production
and start shipping before there was a manual available, but I've never seen
a manual in existance two years before the unit went into production.
(Perhaps they had trouble getting orders to produce any??)

Can anyone support or refute my supposition that the M31 was originally
designed for the military; but when the military didn't buy many, Teletype
Corp put a 115 VAC motor in, took out the T/R lamps, added a handle and
sold it as a "portable" press unit??  

have fun,

Duncan




> [Original Message]
> From: Roy Morgan <k1lky at earthlink.net>
> To: Ken L. Gartland <trnsrme at glinx.com>
> Cc: <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
> Date: 09-Feb-10 23:51:29
> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] 'Old' portable Teletype...
>
>
> On Feb 9, 2010, at 1:38 PM, Ken L. Gartland wrote:
> > A few weeks back, on our favourite (!) auction site, there was... a  
> > Model 31...
> >
> > Does anyone out there know the approximate production
> > numbers of this machine, how it came to be, what were they used for,  
> > and who used them?
>
> Ken,
>
> I have no info on  production numbers, but they were used by sports  
> reporters and any reporter who was "on location" and needed a portable  
> (really relocatable) teletype machine to send the news back to the  
> newspaper or radio station.  For the military application, see below:
>
> > Don, K9TTY had mentioned there were less
> > than 7 units known of.
>
> Don's informal accounting may include the one I have. It is a non- 
> cased one meant for the military.  These were used in aircraft such as  
> the B-52 where space and weight were at least somewhat at a premium.   
> Quite possibly one main system requirement at the time it was  
> developed (possibly in the late 40's) was the need for encryption.  
> This could be done far more easily for teletype then than for voice.   
> (In the 60's many operational aircraft had voice encryption.)
>
> Robert Downs reported:
> "The military model is the AN/AGA-1. The printer itself is the TT-30/ 
> AGA-1, which has a 28VDC motor."  My unit has a 115 volt motor and  
> presumably was meant to run in an aircraft that had that sort of power.
>
> There are reports of two unused  basically NIB uints, mine is one of  
> them.  It will get used here, as soon as time permits me to get it  
> cleaned and put into operation.
>
> > I am also wondering, why Teletype
> > Corp'n developed and mfd. this particular machine,
>
> - Portable operation
> - small size and weight
> - military adaptations for aircraft
>
> For a write up and some pictures, see:
> http://www.kekatos.com/teletype/gil/gil-M31-KSR.htm
>
> The pictures there do not show the case. You really can't believe how  
> cute this thing is when in its case and all set for operation.  It  
> looks like a toy, but is not at all.
>
> Roy
>
> Roy Morgan
> k1lky at earthlink.net
> 529 Cobb St.
> Groton NY, 13073
> Home: 607-898-3607
> Cell: 301-928-7794
>
>
>
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