Does anyone know the difference between the Teltone EX-18 and the EX-18A ?
Both are for sale on Ebay, and the labels look similar. Is the A version just an improvement on the same circuit, or does it do something different/ better?
Thanks,
I sure don't know a thing about that. Thanks for the kudos, Dean, but Arthur can run circles around me. If he comes along asking a question, there probably isn't an answer!
Ed, thanks for the...compliment?...I think.
Speaking of packaged dial intercoms, such as the Teltone and Melco ones, there are two specialized punch-down blocks on Ebay right now. (not my auction) They are designed to accept a double-ended 25-pair cable from the icm units and provide all the outputs you need, with the correct terminal designations, without having to punch down the feed cable. Nice addition to the collection, Chris, or Moss-51. Just sayin'
Yes, Sam, they are nice. When I worked for AT&T at Mt.Sinai Hospital, we had probably 300 dicms in service. We would take a 66B-50 and slide the back off and remove the pins. Then we'd populate the block with 6-across, 3-across, and 2-across pins from a 66M -50 block to make, pretty much, what these are. I guess we were ahead of our time.
One project we had was replacing, one by one, the 207C/216A wire spring relay KTU's with the Teltone packaged units.
The head installer, a telephone genius by the name of Jay Yovino, "invented" that scheme, along with another of his clever items, a 66B populated with 2-across, two blank spaces, and 2-across, creating a dense common audible diode block that took up a great deal less real estate on a backboard than the WE version. We had several closets where just the diode matrix blocks took up a 4' by 6' space. He also was instrumental in getting the company to supply power cord extensions for the 79- and 90-type modular power units, where the cords on the 620 and 640 panels were too short to do a neat installation.
that is pretty neat, but I don't have a use for one personally
As an old telephone collector (not me) who has several barns full of old phone stuff likes to say "Need has nothing to do with it."
Absolutely, Arthur! We would always make our own matrix blocks. The big decision always was - do you do them by phone or by line? As I recall, it depended on the circumstance. I knew one guy who would always order B-3-75 blocks and take them apart to remove the middle set of pins. I always had trouble with the backs not staying on, so I didn't do that.
Sam
Well, I'll be dipped in donkey dust.
The Ebay seller, with whom I've had lots of successful interactions, has cancelled the order. I got a refund. The lame explanation is "Sorry, they are out of stock."
Right. Somebody saw how cheap the final price was and "interfered" with the transaction by offering more money, is my guess. Oh well, like the man said, I can make my own. But it would have been nice to have a commercial version, all stamped and everything.
I liked the mounting panel that Tone Commander made for their intercoms (I'm sure it was compatible with other brands). It was fashioned in the form and footprint of a 641/642 modular panel. It had two positions, each with an internal 25 pair tail, so one of their other units could also be installed. It even had the yellow cross connect field and Burndy cord. I never saw them in the flesh, only in catalogs. I'm guessing they were mighty expensive.