[GreenKeys] Another Whats-it ???

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <gfmurphy at earthlink.net>
To: "John Hensley" <w5jv at hotmail.com>; 
<greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>; "MilSurplus QSLNet" 
<milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 7:31 PM
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Another Whats-it ???



Hi all:   It's a fire alarm box mechanism.  The wheel is 
coded to identify it as Box 2123.  Made by the
Gamewell Co.  The large black coil is part of the 
non-interfering mechanism.   If  2  fire alarm boxes
on the same circuit are pulled at the same time, the first 
box pulled will send out 4 rounds of its box
code while the other box will turn but not send out 
anything.  When the second box senses that the
first box has finished, it will release the pulsing switch 
and send out 4 rounds of its box number.  With
the non-interfering mechanism, one box will not interfere 
with another.   Do an epay search for
"GAMEWELL" and you'll see a lot of identical mechanisms.

Take a look at this epay item: 
http://cgi.ebay.com/271099343581

Most fire alarm boxes had a small morse key and a sounder 
inside the box.  The epay item does not.

Jerry Murphy

     I sent a message to Jerry Murphy meaning to send it to 
the list.


    I was working for the Los Angeles Police Department when
the Gamewell fire alarm boxes were discontinued.  We began
to have an increasing number of incidents where some drunk
went down the street and pulled every alarm box he passes.
The police communications room had an alarm annunciator and
recorder since we announced the location when an alarm was
pulled (code 8).   LAPD still had Gamewell police telephones
in the downtown and North Hollywood areas and they were used
all the time for stuff we didn't want to go on the air or
which would take up too much time on the air. This was all
around the mid- 1960s and all is different now.
     Some of the old text books on telegraph technology
cover the various fire and police alarm systems.  Some were
also used for calling a Western Union messenger.
     Note that I was a radio operator, not a cop.

--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickburk at ix.netcom.com