Field telephone help needed.

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Vintage Telephony and Telecomms Vintage Telephones, Telephony and Telecomms Equipment

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21st Feb 2014, 4:26 pm #1

tovarish cossac Field telephone help needed.

Diode
sSorry if this is the wrong thread to post in, iI'm new to the forum
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Scunthorpe, iI have a TMC type F mkII field telephone with the box. iI have hooked up a 9V battery to it and iI am
Lincolnshire, UK.
reading a strong current when the phone would connect to another. aAlso every wire appears to carry a
Posts: 2
current. tThe phone has both a buzzer and bells.

qQ1: iIs there anyway iI can make the phone make a noise when not connected to another, e.g turning
the handle and making the bells ring? aAlso the buzzer button doesn't do anything. tThe plaque on the
box says to keep pressed and adjust the bakelite knobs but this didn't do anything.

qQ2: the box has R.SIGNALS stencilled on the front and back, does anyone know if this was stencilled
on during the war?

tThanks, cConnor

PS pPlease note that iI have changed the 'makeshift' battery connects that are pictured here.
Attached Thumbnails

21st Feb 2014, 5:33 pm #2

Dave Moll Re: Field telephone help needed.

Dekatron
On the set "F", the bells of the calling unit are disconnected while the magneto handle is being turned
so that only the remote unit is rung.

As to the buzzer, you should hear sound from the buzzer itself in the local unit if it is adjusted correctly.
It is possible to insert the buzzer unit either way round, so please check that it is inserted with the six
terminal strips on the left to mate with the springs on the chassis.
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria
(CA13), UK Incidentally, the set is designed to run from two 1½V cells, so a 9V battery may not be ideal,
Posts: 4,571 especially if you are using a pp3 - for which the current drain may be too great. I would use either "C"
or "D" cells in series. A suitable battery holder should fit into the battery compartment intended for the

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Field telephone help needed. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum 6/24/20, 3:07 AM

original no. 12 cells.

One further point: if you replace the carbon granule transmitter inset with an electret one, you will
need a minimum of 4½V, as 3V just isn't enough to power it. A holder for three "C" cells will likewise fit
into the battery compartment.
__________________
Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

21st Feb 2014, 6:44 pm #3

Phil G4SPZ Re: Field telephone help needed.

Dekatron
I think the clue to your problem is that "a strong current" is being drawn from the battery. The function
of the local battery is to bias the carbon microphone, and that only takes a few milliamps. If the
current is much higher, you may have a faulty microphone insert or transformer. Try giving the
microphone end of the handset a few sharp taps to shake the carbon granules up a bit. The line
terminals are not connected to the battery, but to the transformer secondary winding, so there should
be no DC potential on the line.

Join Date: Apr 2005 I agree with Dave that 9 volts is too much. 3 volts may be too little, especially if you have an
Location: Bewdley,
insensitive earpiece. I use 6 volts on my Tele Fs and it works well.
Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,339
The best test is to lift the handset and blow into the microphone whilst pressing the hook switch down
and releasing it in quick succession. You should hear the rushing sound in the earpiece, interrupted
when the hook switch is down. This sidetone is only faint.

As for the "R SIGNALS" legend, I assume this would indicate that this phone originally belonged to the
Royal Signals but there's no way of knowing what date it was stencilled on there.
__________________
Phil

“The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum” - Havelock Ellis

22nd Feb 2014, 12:51 am #4

tovarish cossac Re: Field telephone help needed.

Diode
Tthanks for the quick reply guys. Ii'll get some new batteries Ii know nothing about telephones so
Join Date: Feb 2014 sorry if my description was too vague.
Location: Scunthorpe,
Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2

22nd Feb 2014, 9:00 am #5

Dave Moll Re: Field telephone help needed.

Dekatron
By the way, once you get it working, you really will have to get a second field telephone to get the
maximum enjoyment out of it. There's not a great deal you can do with a solitary field telephone.
__________________
Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: West Cumbria
(CA13), UK
Posts: 4,571

22nd Feb 2014, 9:28 pm #6

dagskarlsen Re: Field telephone help needed.

Hexode
The wiring diagram:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...e/5ecbb4e4.jpg
says 3V battery. The voltage may be adjusted as suggested over. To high current may cause the

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Field telephone help needed. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum 6/24/20, 3:07 AM

granulated carbon in the transmitter capsule to be burnt, and reduce quality of sound considerable.
This transmitter may be difficult to replace, and ordinary capsules may be with different characteristic,
but will usually work well at 18-50 milli-amps this are often solved by adjusting voltage, but not more
than 9 V.
This phone (with batteries) may be used on a regular telephone line, but dont crank it, the equipment
in the other end of the line may not resist that. It should ring, and speaking/listening should be OK.
Join Date: Jan 2008 The buzz may also be unhealthy for the telephone system, and the sound my be tough for the listeners
Location: Hakadal, Norway
Posts: 472 ears. As far as I know this phone may work together with any other field telephone in the the world.

dsk

22nd Feb 2014, 10:14 pm #7

Dave Moll Re: Field telephone help needed.

Dekatron
Quote:

Originally Posted by dagskarlsen

As far as I know this phone may work together with any other field telephone in the the world.

Certainly, I have found that all of my various field telephones can intercommunicate successfully -
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria though only the set "D" and some sets "F" (such as yours) have the buzzer function, the "D" has a bell
(CA13), UK but no magneto and I have the odd one that does not have a bell (this is another buzzer set).
Posts: 4,571 __________________
Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

22nd Feb 2014, 10:29 pm #8

Phil G4SPZ Re: Field telephone help needed.

Dekatron
The only problem when using a 'buzzer calling' non-magneto equipped set like the Model D in
conjunction with any other type of field telephone is that if the buzzer key is inadvertently pressed
during a call, the volume of sound in the distant earpiece is painfully and dangerously loud
__________________
Phil

“The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum” - Havelock Ellis
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley,
Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,339

23rd Feb 2014, 9:10 am #9

dagskarlsen Re: Field telephone help needed.

Hexode
This telephone has both magneto, ringer, buzzer and are together with the Swedish 1936 field
telephone with all this implemented as far as my limited experience goes.

Magneto signalling are the most common used, US TA-43 and later need to have the receiver off hook
to receive buzzer calls.... but everybody may call and hear your telephone. Some voice powered
transmitters may give a very low sound signal in your ear piece but you should still be able to
communicate. This is actually not a field telephone, it is a field office telephone.
Join Date: Jan 2008 dsk
Location: Hakadal, Norway
Posts: 472

24th Feb 2014, 12:43 am #10

Pellseinydd Re: Field telephone help needed.

Heptode
The Tele F IS a field telephone - we were still using them in the 'field' in the 1960's although in theory
Join Date: Jul 2007 they had been replaced by the Tele L and later the Tele J at that time. The buzzer in the Tele F's tended
Location: Flintshire, UK. to be replaced with a plug-in induction coil as the 'Switchboard Universal Call 10 Line' (which would
Posts: 569

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Field telephone help needed. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum 6/24/20, 3:07 AM

receive 'buzzer' calls to operate a relay which latched in to light the calling lamp) was replaced by the
'Switchboard Magneto 10 line'. I didn't see a 10 line UC in use in my service days. Only in
'preservation.

Ian J - lately Lt. Royal Signals in the 1960's

24th Feb 2014, 8:15 pm #11

russell_w_b Re: Field telephone help needed.

Dekatron
Quote:

Originally Posted by Pellseinydd

Ian J - lately Lt. Royal Signals in the 1960's

Join Date: Jul 2007 One of my Tele 'F's has been fitted with a rocking armature receiver, very similar to that of a pair of
Location: Penrith, Cumbria, DLR5 headphones, and both my Tele 'J's have been fitted with BA inset receivers. Both types look like
UK. 'official' modifications to improve sensitivity, the Tele 'F' normally being fitted with a type 1L receiver
Posts: 3,275
(presumably the Tele 'J's would have normally had a receiver 2P in there).

Was this an official MoD mod, as it were?

I suppose the Tele 'F's were not 'battlefield' telephones, requiring, as they did, a flat surface to rest the
handset on the cradle switch, whereas the 'D's and 'J's could be hauled about with their PTT switches,
and left in any position.
__________________
Regds,

Russell W. B.
G4YLI.

25th Feb 2014, 1:53 am #12

Pellseinydd Re: Field telephone help needed.

Heptode
Our issue Tele F's had those balanced armature type - I seem to remember Tele J's having the
Join Date: Jul 2007 balanced armature types as well. One of the problems is that once the phones have left their original
Location: Flintshire, UK. owners, part get changed - I've seen Tele F's with Tele L handsets !
Posts: 569
Last edited by AC/HL; 25th Feb 2014 at 11:19 am. Reason: Unnecessary repeat of the entire previous post removed

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