Ran into an old work friend today and we started talking about old phone equipment (what a surprise! )

He said that GTE had a system like ITTs 76A (Call Announcer) system called the 17A. I worked for GTE - but only worked on their PBXs and COs. I can find references to the 17A system, but no description. I do know for a fact that GTE installed the ITT 76A system, and why they would do that if they had their own version leads me to question him. Perhaps it was like the 36A system (multi link ICM, a la WEco 6A)?

Can any old AE Key installers help me out on this?

TIA,

Sam

Well, it apparently was like the ITT 76A system with little built in speakers in the sets. There's also mention of a 16a system that appears to be like the 6A/36A system. (I found a sales brochure on line).

Did they ever sell well? Were they ever any good? Anyone know?

Sam

I put in several of the 17A and the 17A1. They had Automatic electric all over them. When they first came out the documentation was terrible. They had A, B, and C phones and they worked out of same 25pr or 50pr. I amp'd a lot of cables and CPC'd them Some installers would CPC them in the ceiling. The rule was all CPCs would be at the Equipment. for obvious trouble shooting reasons. I have the manuals we sold a lot of them (over a hundred) in our small area. Were they any good, they were a POS. Lightning in our area ate them up. They were labor intensive and no advantage over 10A2. Then we started to install the TIE skinney wire systems. We initially had a lot of problems with them, but that was because we were not using static straps and lightning was eating them up also until GTE got with ITW-linx and developed the secondary lightning protection and the procedure of installation.

Thanks for the info!

Sam