[Milsurplus] WTS: Subscriber Set CE62603 (NSA National Security Telephone)

[Jack Sullivan]

 I'm trying to whittle down my collection to its core which is WW2 radar ECM & IFF gear & manuals. This item is therefore surplus to my needs & I'm looking for a buyer in the U.S. because I think this falls in the military equipment category & therefore cannot be exported.
I took this to the National Cryptographic Museum just outside of Fort Mead. They confirmed that it is genuine NSA equipment as I was told that they have one in their warehouse inside the Fort (no public access) but had no info on it. Here is a note that they posted online concerning this set:==========================================================We are looking for information from any of our Web site visitors who may know who, how, when, and where this device was used by cryptographers, radio operators, or other NSA/DoD personnel. The DoD transfer form attached to the unit describes it as a "National Security Telephone."The artifact pictured is believed to be a 1950s era predecessor to today's modern secure phone system. It carries an NSA label of CE 62603 Subscriber Set No 1094, which designates it as "Communications Equipment" (CE) vice "cryptographic equipment" (KL). This subscriber set uses vacuum tube technology and may have been connected to a stand alone voice encryption device such as an early KY-3 or KG-13/HY-2 secure voice system. In tandem, it likely provided secure encryption for voice communications between facilities. The "CE" nomenclature was a designator often used by Bell Telephone and the DoD/US Army for their systems, which may point to the origin of this subscriber set. This particular set, in private hands, was shipped from an Army MARS Radio Station in Fredericksburg, Texas to Kelly AFB in San Antonio. It may have been released from DoD inventory in 1974. We have a similar set in our Museum inventory with no other clarifying information. The unit itself appears to be heavy gauge cast aluminum. The top has a carry handle/latch that when elevated & rotated loosens and removes the bolt that secures the top to the base. The interior is a heavy black plastic base with a center raised console. There is a a small speaker above the handset cradle. The handset is heavy black plastic with a conventional coiled cord that is connected to the left side of the console with a heavy duty mil-type Cannon/Amphenol-type connector. On the right side of the console is a phone jack. On the front of the console is a push-button labeled CALL and to its right is a black knob labeled VOLUME. The only possible external connection (perhaps to a stand alone encryption device) is a hole in the center of the bottom of the phone base.   =============================================================An FOIA request about this to the NSA resulted in receiving no information.
Kelly AFB is or was a depot for cryptographic equipment in the military. While apparently not cryptographic equipment itself, it was apparently designed & built sometime in the 1950s or thereabouts (vacuum tube & dry battery technology) to connect with crypto gear. There is an empty hole in the top chassis where external connections were apparently made. The unit itself was designed to be man portable.
I know of only 3 of these sets being in private hands, mine being one. So it is a rare bird that deserves a good home with someone who can appreciate a true piece of Cold War electronic memorabilia.
Please contact me direct if interested & I can supply pix of both the interior & exterior.
Jack
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