Looks like the MJ circuit we used on the submarine.
The box had a selector to select what station to call.
Select the station and turn the hand crank that was attached to a magneto.
This caused the growler on the selected station to growl alerting the watchstander that there was a call.
Communications were via sound power phones.
Very reliable.

Glenn ETCS(SS) USN Retired
 

On 9/26/2023 3:37 PM, MARK DORNEY via MRCA wrote:

Could be sound powered. The crank is attached to a magneto that in turn powers a ringer.  Idea behind a sound powered phone is to provide a means of voice communication if the ship lost all power. In the Army, they provide a nice, light weight means of voice communication.  The WW2 issue T-10 did not have a ringer - both a blessing and a curse. Both ends require an operator to constantly monitor the phone, but also eliminated any forward position from a ringer giving away a position. The Vietnam vintage TA-1 had a ringer, but was limited in that any splicing in the phone lines significantly cut down transmission signal.   

Mark D. 
WW2RDO

“In matters of style, float with the current. In matters of Principle, stand like a rock. “.   -   Thomas Jefferson 

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 26, 2023, at 3:10 PM, [email protected] wrote:

Nick,

Interesting reading.

We periodically take a trip to Delaware via the Cape May-Lewes ferry. I like to stand on the upper deck beneath the bridge. The last trip out was foggy. I noticed when the fog rolled in a crewman was stationed at the front (is it called bow on a ferry) of the boat. When he observed a buoy or a ship close by he opened a phone box, took out a handset, turned a crank and spoke into a handset. Even though the ferry has radar and GPS I've wondered if this was standard or they were testing the phone and if this was a sound powered phone. 

I've attached a jpeg of the phone. It has a bell on the top.

Mike N2MS

On 09/26/2023 2:29 PM EDT Nick K4NYW <[email protected]> wrote:


Thanks to Hue W7HUE, I have posted a document covering shipboard damage control communications (probably WW2). In case you've wondered how sound-powered phones are used, this makes interesting reading. Even if if you haven't wondered that, it makes interesting reading. 15 pages, typewritten.
https://www.navy-radio.com/manuals/ic-damage-control.pdf

Nick England K4NYW
www.navy-radio.com (http://www.navy-radio.com)

<Cape-May-Lewes.jpg>
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