Are these made of Unobtanium yet?

I'd like to add a "master" set and maybe one or two "slave" sets to my collection. Does anyone have any they'd let go? Working condition and preferably no cut Amphenol cords, please. Color isn't really a big deal, I understand they came in orange, blue, and wood grain (??).

scott (dot) bonk (at) vzw (dot) blackberry (dot) net or just send me a PM.

Thanks all!

To be perfectly correct (and politically correct, I suppose) the sets were referred to as "Primary" and "Satellite." The name of the whole concept is "4A Communication System." The BSP's are available on-line.

They came only in ivory (-50) and had interchangeable faceplates in the following colors:

-100 AVOCADO
-108 TEAK
-109 WALNUT
-111 GOLD, harvest
-112 ORANGE
-113 BROWN, textured
-114 RED, bright
-115 BLUE, royal
-118 BLACK, textured

That's way more colors than I was expecting. I used master and slave for lack of a better term, thanks for sharing what the right one is.

Do you have any sets? I sent you a PM last week.

I don't have any complete sets. I have a box of replacement parts such as dials, key strips, intercom/DSS buttons, switch hook assemblies, etc.

There's a guy on Ebay right now selling a few satellite sets.

I don't have any complete sets. I have a box of replacement parts such as dials, key strips, intercom/DSS buttons, switch hook assemblies, etc.

There's a guy on Ebay right now selling a few satellite sets.

You'll also need a 91B or 91C connecting block to feed the first two CO lines into the Primary set, once you find one.

I'm thinking the connecting block is going to be near impossible to find, that's a pretty specific part. I was trying to avoid eBay if possible, and wanted to reach out here first.

I actually have had that listing on my watch list

Thank you for the responses. I think I'll buy one of the satellite sets, and hopefully someone on here might have a master poking around.

Thanks, and Happy Friday!

Scott

Well, I feel dumb. Just found a connecting block on eBay.

In all of the years that I installed ComKey systems, I never used one of those connecting blocks. I always just ran home run cables to 66 blocks and cross-connected the lines there. I know that this goes against the intended modular design of the system, but I was never a big fan of all of the different adapters that were part of the program. Besides, Bell did most of them that way as well in these parts since many installations were replacements for existing 1A2 installations where the cables were already terminated that way.

What Ed said. The connectors are more trouble than their worth.

Don't listen to those other crabby old telephone men. The 91C is the correct way to go, even for a tiny demo system. There are logical and electrical reasons, but I don't want to start a war about 40-year old technology. It's more fun to argue about whether yellow is Tip or Ring in a quad wire, or what the "S" in "KS-" stands for, or when a B- handset mounting is considered a 102 or a 202.

It's funny you say that Ed, because that's exactly what I was planning to do! lol! I'm not comfortable spending $29 for the connecting block when I already have a couple of 66 blocks around I can use.

Arthur: Is there a possibility of damage to the equipment if I use a 66 block instead? I'm assuming that so long as I follow the wiring diagrams I should be good to go. You said you didn't want to potentially start a war, so you're welcome to shoot me a PM with an explanation if you're up to it. I'm always looking to learn more about this stuff.

Thanks all,

Scott.

P.S. I ordered a brown wood grain Satellite speakerphone set last night, and I sent the eBay seller a message asking if he had any Master sets around.

I found a 91B in my collection, what is that adapter for?

Jeff:

"A typical system involves at least a Primary set, zero or more Satellite sets, and a 91A or 91B "connecting block" which interfaces the Primary set to the CO lines, and any number of optional Satellite sets.

Do you have any use for one? It's just collecting dust here.

I have a few 91B. You can have one when I find them.

The reasons for injecting the CO dial tones using the BSP method:

Conformance with USOC rules: the subscriber needs to have access to the network interface, in this case the RJ11 or RJ14 that plugs into the primary block.

The primary sets send system power back to the satellite sets via the violet leads. If you send T & R to the primaries on the violet leads in a running cable, you prevent the system from getting its maximum available power.

If the phones in the system gets moved around, the installer has to go back and figure out which 25-pair cables to use to re-assign the dial tones.

If you don't, the Antique Telephone Police will storm your house and arrest you.

etc, etc, etc.

not the Antique Telephone Police!

LOL I had to laugh. Maybe it was the Phone Cops?

NO ONE... expects the Antique Telephone Police.

Jeff: I would appreciate it if you don't need it. PM me please.

Arthur: Thanks for clarifying!