atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Any demand for the original Crest TKM-6?

I'm trying to find out if anyone has a need/desire for the original Crest TKM-6 switches?

To make a long story short, I know the man who created the TKM-6 and founded the company Crest Industries. I worked for him off and on over the years from 1993 until Crest closed down in 2003.

I recently found out that he still has all the manufacturing equipment and who knows how much old stock of TKM-6 switches, covers and Crest Phone jacks sitting in storage.

I have thought about talking with him about pulling all of this equipment out and cranking out some product, or at the least clearing out what is left but I am not sure that there is any demand for these products, or enough of a demand to warrant the amount of work this project will take.

So I'm asking you all for advice and opinions, is this old Crest stuff desirable or has the ship sailed long ago for the TKM-6 and crest jacks?

Yes this is my first post to this site.

Thanks for your time!
Marcus

I rarely use them, but are sure handy to have a couple in stock just in case.

Like Dave rarely use them anymore, but wouldn't mind having a few in stock. They are hard to find but can be had.

I still have a few around also , sandman has a version out
The doors on the Jacks where problematic and customers often had problems getting the line cord plugged in securely

The ones i have were removed from previous change outs of system up grades.

It was not uncommon in the 70's to see them tied to
a 10A2 system.

Amazing how Installers would have them wired with a short on the circuit, defeating the purpose of the switch.

Don't remember any door on the switch or place to plug in jack, as they were before RJ series.

not many 1A2 systems or dial up modems around anymore, I don't think it would be worth manufacturing them. It would be worth selling old stock though, they aren't going to suddenly be in demand in the future.

Don't remember any door on the switch or place to plug in jack, as they were before RJ series.

Separate product , Crest made flush mount and surface mount jacks as well as the switch's

They also did some two line phones with ICM as I recall

They were a quality product - no question, but I think their time has come and gone. Not that there's not an occasional need for a DPDT switch - there always is - but it's occasional.

Back in the 1A2/10A2/2500 days SYSTEMS COULD BE MESSED WITH AND MODIFIED. Not only could they - you were expected to. Not any more - at least to my limited knowledge.It appears to me that the new systems are designed to do just what they do - and no more. I don't see a big market for the TKM-6, no matter how good a product it was.

I happily await correction from my fellow boarders.

Sam

Weird how these subjects come up. I needed one the other day, and couldn't find one in the pile-o-stuff. I figured that from now on, I would need to make them.

I took a single surface-mount biscuit, drilled a hole in a keystone blank, installed a Radio Shack mini DPDT switch and assembled my own.

I'd love to get my hands on a few dozen of them but I can't see the justification is setting production back up. I suppose that Sandman might be interested in picking up some of them as well since his units leave quite a bit to be desired for the price.

I have some sitting in my basement. They are certainly nice to have, but I don't remember the last time I actually needed to use one. They are a very nice product though.

Thank you all for your input.

I suspected that indeed the market for these products is not really there in this day and age, that is kind of what caused Crest to close down in 2003.

I was told that Harry was going to scrap everything when we shut down, but I guess he couldn't bring himself to doing that. I know he had a lot of sentimental feelings around the products and equipment he built to make the products.

It was a fun company to work with, felt more like family than a job. Harry had a sort of mini telecom museum with pictures, old phone(s) and switching equipment going back to almost the beginning of the industry. I loved looking at those old phones and hearing him lay out the history and point out the technological changes that made each one a 'big deal'. Good times.

I'll have to ask him how much old 'new' stock he has when I talk with him next and go from there.

If anything comes up and he decides to put this stuff out there, I'll be sure to post that information here.

thank you guys again for the honest opinions. I really appreciate it.

It seems like the TKM-6 switches have been replaced with electronics. I cannot remember how many service calls I have been on because someone forgot to flip the switch back.

I remember years ago working on the Federal POTS contract that some, who shall remain unnamed [Sharon - the Boss], ordered TKM-6F and couldn't understand why we couldn't use them...

Sometimes I miss the ol' 1A2's but not often enough to want them back full-time.

Ok so the bad news is that Crest was able to clear all of their existing inventory just before the plant was shut down. I remember seeing inventory when I left but it took a couple of months for them to wind down operations and apparently they found a buyer for the remaining stock.

Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up. I honestly thought they still had product stored with the manufacturing equipment.

If anything changes, such as them finding any new old stock they missed I'll be sure to let everyone know.

Thanks!
Marcus

Can anyone enlighten me on what this switch does? I've run out of things to add to my 1A2 system, maybe this could be something to throw in the mix someday.

It's just a low voltage DPDT switch.

mostly it was used to isolate a line and send it to one device or another . back in "the day " off dial up you might take a line and share it between a dial up modem and the phone or phone and fax or turn a external ringer on and off of anything else you could come up with to turn on and off

they where small and you could buy various colored covers for them

we still use them in systems where we have a copper trunk used for the FAX and as our modem access into the PBX for remote programming and diagnostics. We use a replacement for the TKM-6 from Sandman.

Quite a few of them here in the local jail so the guards can turn access to the phones in the common areas off if the prisoners misbehave. =)

Hmmm. Personal observation, or word of mouth?

I need tkm 6 switches, at least 5