[GreenKeys] Teletypewriter with Harris

[E.]

In my opinion, that is a very fine-looking TT!  I’d say try to take him down to $175 or $200… you won’t find many more in better shape than that one and like Anthony said, those heavy metals are tanks!  As being such, they are really easy to fix once you do some studying up and know how.

Also, a 9V battery works well too to see if the magnets are fried or not.  Hook a couple of test leads from the battery to the DC-side and see if you hear tiny clicks with the magnets.  If they do, all the better!

…and if you do get it, make sure to oil/grease in all the proper places for a very happy, long-lived machine ;) .  My first TT was last on in the 70's and was assumed to be still working (with some known defects) when I first got it almost ten years ago now.  Once home, it did what I was told — defects and all, so don’t be all that afraid of the unknowns :) ~


> On Apr 17, 2024, at 4:40 PM, Anthony Watson via GreenKeys <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> 
> Hey Jacob, 
> 
> That’s a really nice looking machine.  Looks like there may be a good chance it shares parts from the M15/M19.  But that’s totally a guess based on the keycaps and design language there haha. High chance its fine, the metal machines are tanks compared to the plastic ones.  Wait till you lift one!
> 
> If you are going to see in person, might ask if it would be ok to look inside, turn the motor by hand and hit a key while you turn it - watch it cycle through. Take a DMM and make sure the selector magnets aren’t fried (open or dead-short, there should be ohms). That should be a reasonable or super conservative test to know what you might be taking on.  But it could bring the price down if you know you have to find and replace magnets, etc…. 
> 
> Prepare to possibly see/smell a lot of grease that is now wax… That was the root of some of my problems but it cleans up…
> 
> If he offers to power it up - If the power supply is DC, separate, in that desk, or external (the motor could run on DC) that will be capacitor and possibly vacuum tube checking, which will need doing anyway, so I wouldn’t fire it up unless its been on recently - In that case. 
> 
> Otherwise, if it’s just an AC motor, as many are - let the guy do it for a minute! It will still need cleaning up and oil before i’d run it too long.
> 
> As for finding parts - I just restored a m15,  a M28 TD, and M28 Typing reperforator (can see on my QRZ, WB7PZZ) and only had a couple wish-list things I couldn’t get - but nothing mission critical.  eBay, green keys, and see below…
> 
> $400 for the machine and the desk is pretty good in my opinion, for those of us who don’t have generous RTTY Elmers nearby! Especially how clean that looks.  If it is as posted, clean and lubricate, check electrics, and be running with metal - worth it!
> 
> You have Paul Cembura, RTTY Electronics, in Northern Cali (El Sobrante, CA)… And he will ship parts so you don’t have to go unless you want to. He has machines too, come to think of it, just have to go get those and repair them yourself.
> 
> A quick email or chat might help make a decision if he has M26 parts you might potentially need.
> 
> RTTY Electronics 
> (510) 243-6651
> mr_rtty at pacbell.net
> 
> 
> Anthony
> WB7PZZ