[GreenKeys] I bought one like this on ebay

Tue Feb 22 21:58:36 EST 2022

A similar device was used in early mobile phones.  Talking about the ones that sometimes took up
about 1/5th of one's auto trunk!  I saw one of these in about 1963 or 64.  I met a chap at a party
and he was talking about his recent acquisition, the mobile phone.  When he heard I was a ham
operator, he just had to show me this thing.

It was a good sized steel box with snap clasps, and he opened it and this revealed several 
chassis devices and that 'selector device'. Not EXACTLY  like the one in the eBay ad, but
very similar.  

I don't have a clue as to how his was implemented into the regular phone system.  He was quite
happy with it.  But it was just 'weeks old', and no telling what he experienced in the long
haul.  I would be strictly guessing if I came up with a brand name for the radio items.
(Motorola, G-E, RCA, Dumont, and several others were big in the two way market, and his phone
radio elements could have been made by any of those companies.)

Then there was the device under his dashboard!  Large handset like from old W/E 400 series
home phones.  I don't remember if it had a dial or not.  He may have had to go through an
operator to place calls.  

He tried to make a call to demo it, but from where he was parked, I guess signal strength
was not in his favor.  He was in some kind of business where a phone at one's fingertips
was a big advantage.  Otherwise it would require a stop somewhere to find a pay phone.

While the box was open, I did note a clear plastic covered device with a circular rotor
inside, and it had holes in it and manually inserted 'tabs' to do something in a sequential
manner.  

All from memory, folks, 58 years ago!

Ralph - W8ROI

-   -   -   -   -   -   -   - 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Wills (CKT&T)" <pdwills at cedarknolltelephone.com>
To: "greenkeys" <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2022 6:20:53 PM
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] I bought one like this on ebay

It's part of a Western Electric selective calling system generally used 
by railroads but also found in other places.

Basically it takes 17 polarity reversals broken into three strings of 
reversals.  The code wheel steps up with each reversal.  If there's a 
pin in place during the pause between strings, the wheel stays in 
place.  Otherwise, it returns to the home position.  The wheel with the 
pins set to match the strings of pulses eventually winds up and closes a 
contact to ring a bell.  At least that's the 60 second explanation.

The one in the picture is interesting in that it has four additional 
contacts that can be selected.

PDW

On 2/22/2022 5:28 PM, steve bennett via GreenKeys wrote:
> I bought one like this on ebay.
> What is it and what can I use it for?
>
> 1746 GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCTS 60BC SELECTOR | eBay 
> <https://www.ebay.com/itm/294299466895?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818142401%26meid%3D8d28f6dfcfa14183b5abc7ab67d57d0e%26pid%3D101124%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D403459165008%26itm%3D294299466895%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2563228%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb%26brand%3DStromberg&_trksid=p2563228.c101124.m2109>
>
> $59.99 	
>
> 	
>
>
>     1746 GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCTS 60BC SELECTOR | eBay
>
> <p>PREVIOUSLY OWNED 60BC TELEPHONE SELECTOR</p> <p>GREAT COLLECTOR 
> PIECE!</p> <p>PLEASE REFER TO PICTURES</p> ...
>
> <https://www.ebay.com/itm/294299466895?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818142401%26meid%3D8d28f6dfcfa14183b5abc7ab67d57d0e%26pid%3D101124%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D403459165008%26itm%3D294299466895%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2563228%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb%26brand%3DStromberg&_trksid=p2563228.c101124.m2109>
>
>
>
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