atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems Antique Telephones What is this?

Saw this while browsing some other stuff...thoughts?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/phone-man/6309706391/in/photostream/

Looks like a line conditioner for data transmisson. We put those on data to get the levels right, long time ago.

It was definitely used for data. The hand written number on the cover is a private line (dedicated, non-switched) data channel number. Unfortunately, I don't recognize the item.

Dick

It's a Western Electric 500Z Telephone coupler with surge protection. The 2602BE WE10MG82 transformer is for audio: characteristics are a frequency response of -1 dB at 200 KHz, -1 dB at 35 Hz, and -2 dB at 20 Hz. Maximum 0 dBm at 50 Hz.

Voice, not data.

WE obviously used that similar design for a few products. At first glance, I thought it was an RF filter (a little large) but the dip nomenclature said otherwise. Also, if it HAD been a data conditioner as Bill and Dick thought, I was going to say that would have been back in the 110 - 300 baud days!

So if it is a telephone coupler, I hadn't used one since my first 1A2s required a transformer coupled connection to the CO lines.

The cover shows an FDPA circuit number. Isn’t that a radio circuit?

This appears to be a 150a channel service unit(csu).BSP section 590-101-000 1.03-The 150a csu is a passive device which provides a 2-wire interface between voiceband data station equipment and a 2-wire private line(pl) service or polled network service such as the dataphone select-a-station and the transaction network. 1.04- The150a csu provides the following: 2-way transmission path,2-way protection against hazardous voltages,2-way current surge protection,balanced termination,signal level adjustment and dc isolation between the station equipment and the telephone facilities.

So THATS what it is! Cool to see some of my Flickr pics have made it on here!

I figured it was some kind of balancing or filter device.

Since it was stamped Western Electric, I knew it deserved a spot in my collection, even if I didn't know what it was!

Jeff, thanks for posting that on here, I meant to and never got around to it.
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back!

So Dave, RDMZR, RDL, STCQX? All couplers that I had to deal with hooking my Baaaad CPE to the GOOD SWBTC.
Remember the APCM? Authorized Protective Connecting Module OR Almost Perfect Control of Manufacturers. It was a coupler that the manufacturer could build, install in his equipment and pay a license fee for. That way, they didn't have to use a coupler from the Phone company. UNLESS, it wasn't a Bell Operating Company. Then the rules could be, and often were, different. UNLESS the Manufacturer was Western Electric. They didn't have to use it because they knew how to build stuff to connect to the telephone lines safely.