Anderson Jacobson ADC212

Another device that had already fallen out of use by the time I started. Manufactured back in the days before grey or biege plastic was the norm, this little box is actually made of wood.

Opening the front half reveals the couplers for the handset plus switches for half or full (duplex, I presume) and the power switch.

As well as looking its age, it’s also showing its age as well. The black foam in the lid has gone hard and drops dust onto the coupler housing everytime the lid is closed. The foam around the couplers themselves is also going the same way, sadly, and the rubber of the couplers is also going hard:-(

Opening the back reveals the glorious components that formed the circuitry.

On the side are TTY connections for a terminal, a D-25 serial connector, labelled CCITT, plus a very proprietry mains cable.

I have no idea on the speed that this thing used to communicate at, nor do I know what systems is was used for. I doubt it was much fun tho’!

The Ultratec Supercom

Quite a nifty little unit, which you can see, still works:-) Again, quite a substantial qwerty keyboard, which emits the most awful beep everytime you press a key! From the keyboard, it doesn’t look like it has an extensive character set so would imagine it was quite limited functionality wise. It also doesn’t appear to have a serial interface. However, when you remove the small plastic cover between the acoustic cups, there is a strange printer port.

Removing the cover also reveals another little gem. This thing could run on batteries! Not, however, the ones that are in it, they must be at least twenty years old. This view also shows the acoustic cups clearly (I assure you, that brown stuff in there is not ear wax) and also the strange little printer interface.

Again, I have no idea what this was used for but it must have been in circulation for a while after I joined the organization as the mains adapter with it was tested by electrical contractors in 1995. The company had started installing PCs on desks by this time and had also started using the Internet, so who ever used this was really being left behind!

Incidentally and FWIW, I still have the original box for this, as well as the original warranty card. Wonder if I could get any support for it these days?

Actually, it does look like they still exist, and still sell acoustic couplers!

Ultratec

The Texas Instruments Silent 700 Electronic Data Terminal.

This is one of a couple of Acoustic Couplers I collected. This had already fallen out of use when I started and was going to be dumped. Actually, quite a nice self-contained unit, in its own carry case. Undo four clips on the side, and the whole lid comes away.

Once the lid is removed the device is revealed in all its glory. It has a good, solid qwerty keyboard, some extra buttons on the side and at the top, the cups for the phone cradle to rest on. I’ve no idea what this was used for, but the label says:

‘TO DELETE CHARACTER(S)
JUST ENTERED USE
SHIFT O (LETTER OH) (S)

FOR CASCAID OR LEDGER
ENQUIRY SYSTEMS’

As you can see it still has its original thermal paper roll still installed.

This rear view shows the phone cups more clearly and also its serial interface, which is a 15-way D-Sub connector. I have no idea what speed this thing ran at, but it couldn’t have been much fun to use. To anyone that complains how slow their Internet service is, just think of being in the shoes of whoever used this;-)