atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems 1A2 and Comkey Telephones & Systems My recent prize

Okay, that checks out with your description Ed.

The card to the left of the interrupter is labelled "8C I/C Cont" which according to my book is the "dial I/C control." The card in the lower left hand slot (green unit, picture 4), is labelled "4131 L1" which is the "dial I/C line sel"??

The rack is a hinged unit (yes, loaded full of 66 blocks behind it) and it has two sub frame units which have 7 slots each. So my question is, why did they call this a 13 slot when it has 14 slots with both sub frames?

TP ---

WHAG ( Wild Hairy A** Guess) as I didn't invent it, but 13 CO lines and 1 ICM. ??? :rofl: :dance: :idea:

Actually, check your manual --- so many slots were wired for CO lines, some have to be strapped for other use --- maybe --- depending on the manufacturer.

Normally factory wiring is connected on the bottom of the 66 block lug. WECO, ITT, everyone seemed to do it that way. Field installed wiring was on top.

The 66-blocks are for termination of the rack mounted card slots. Most installers would extend the wiring to outside the KSU onto blocks to do the x-connects, etc., to make maintenance easier.

But back to your question, ITT called their version a 512 but it was wired for 13 COs. WECO had a later version called the 513 (totally different configuration) with a 514 adapter which then became a 515 (or could be ordered as a 515). The 513 was only good for eight COs without the 514. (If my memory isn't too bad.)

TP, have fun and don't forget to get a butterfly tool for your museum.

Where did you find such a neat package of 1a2 stuff? I have a wall with 620 panels, power supply, 66 blocks etc and would have loved to have such an enclosed setup as you. As for 1a2 it's very easy to figure out, the art comes in neat wiring and being able to see colors! I have to take the cable outside to seperate the pairs. Yes and get the butterfly tool unless you're lucky enough to have solder-on 25 pr cpnnectors. I wish I had some more of those!

I actually saw it on eBay and I sent Ed a PM with the link to get his opinion on it. It was located about 3 hours away from me and since it weighed a ton, I made a deal with the seller to pick it up next time I had a service call close enough to him. Well needless to say I won it (no one else in their right mind would bid on it!) and it took about 6 weeks but I finally had a call within an hour drive of the seller so I went and picked it up. When I went to grab it and load it into my van, I couldn't believe how heavy it was!

The seller was a great guy. I ended up talking to him for a bit and he was very knowledgeable on restoring old NE and WE phones. He advised me the KSU was working when it was pulled out.

Why would I need the butterfly tool? Is it so I could terminate station cables for the sets?

Yes, TP, but it is also a museum piece. R 500, I know where an ITT 512 is hanging on a wall --- customer would probably sell w/10 button sets, some wall, some desk.

So the ITT 512 would be similar to the one I have here? And what does ITT stand for?

What you Twisted Pair has is the Northern Electric equivalent of ITT's K36A key system. It was a bundled package that combined the basic power and line functionality of the K512 (13 line) KSU, but included some factory-wired intercom functionality. It also was Northern's early equivalent to Western Electric's Comkey 718 packaged system, though the Comkey was much more advanced.

Soldered connectors on 25 pair cables are a thing of the past; you'll only find them if you pull them out of existing locations. They stopped using them in the early 1970's; the last date codes I saw on them was 1973. IDC connectors are still plentiful, but it's a whole lot easier to buy pre-terminated cables than to assemble the connectors in the field.

I.T. T. (International Telephone & Telegraph )

Darn K-36 very touchy had harness for blf i think.

But i think it had dial tone on intercom path (modern ha.)

Cards had color coded tabs.

Was the ITT stuff used here in Canada too or only the NE equipment?

Trying to figure out what the difference is between the intercom control card and the dial intercom line select card.

NE equipment was traditionally sold/leased by Bell Canada. It was also sold in the US to interconnects and sold/leased by independent telcos on a limited basis. ITT equipment was traditionally sold by interconnect companies throughout North America, including Canada. It was also sold/leased by independent telcos in the US.

I know this answer is somewhat vague, so in a nutshell, the primary market for NE was in Canada through Bell Canada.

I haven't ever acutally seen those intercom cards, but ITT's setup was similar; one card was the basic rotary dial intercom and the second card provided touch-tone capability. I would guess that's why you have two different cards as well.