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Old 30th Jan 2021, 4:53 pm   #1
LTTGSecretary
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Default A GPO 332... Or is it?

Afternoon All,

Following on from my thread a few months ago concerning my experiments with a LiGo Bluewave and a GPO 746, I am currently selling the 746 and have purchased a Bell (Belgian?) Instrument and what appears to be a GPO 332. It was advertised on eBay as a "Vintage 1950s/60s Black Bakelite Phone" so I was suspicious that it may be one of the later Indian ones rather than a GPO or Ericsson original. The price was reasonable though so I bid for it and won.

It arrived and once I'd cleaned it up and looked inside its age was immediately apparent, but I'm still not convinced that it's a GPO instrument. There's no reference to the GPO, or the number 332, anywhere on the machine. The label on the dial is non-standard, reading "Listen before calling" then "Pull dial round to stop & let go", "No.15" (Number is handwritten) then informs me that it's a GEC-Manufactured instrument. There's also the remains of a label on the front of the bakelite body. GEC is moulded into the handset.

My guess is, therefore, that it's a GEC product to the same spec as the 332 but instead sold for the private/internal telephone system market. I'm not sure whether this affects its value at all but would be interested to find out. I'll possibly post some photos later if I can work out how.

At any rate it's polished up nicely and works as well as any of my other 'phones, though the dial is a tad loud.
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Old 30th Jan 2021, 8:01 pm   #2
AndiiT
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Default Re: A GPO 332... Or is it?

Hi, I suppose technically there is no such thing as an official "GPO telephone" manufactured in its own right, as it were, as they were all made under licence (I think) by manufacturers such as GEC, Plessey, Ericsson, Pye, Ferranti etc. the GPO assigning their own model number range to them.

Is this phone perhaps similar to yours? There's some more information on the link in that picture.

Regards

Andrew
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Old 30th Jan 2021, 8:34 pm   #3
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Default Re: A GPO 332... Or is it?

What's stamped on the handset lozenge? Indian ITI telephones have the components attached to the base-plate: British instruments have a chassis with bells, ASTIC and capacitors attached, secured by three screws.

Has it a number on the bottom preceded by an 'N'?
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Old 30th Jan 2021, 8:46 pm   #4
Dave Moll
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Default Re: A GPO 332... Or is it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by LTTGSecretary View Post
I'll possibly post some photos later if I can work out how.
Some pictures would certainly help. If you click "Post Reply" (rather than using "Quick Reply") you will find a button marked "Manage Attachments". Clicking on that enables you to add up to five images (or certain other file tyes). Don't forget to finish off by cliicking "upload".

Quote:
Originally Posted by LTTGSecretary View Post
... the dial is a tad loud.
Do you mean the mechanical sounds from the dial or that it creates loud clicks in the receiver. If the latter, it may be that the "dial-off-normal" contacts of the dial which short out the receiver aren't making good electrical contact.
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Old 31st Jan 2021, 7:33 pm   #5
LTTGSecretary
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Default Re: A GPO 332... Or is it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AndiiT View Post
Hi, I suppose technically there is no such thing as an official "GPO telephone" manufactured in its own right, as it were, as they were all made under licence (I think) by manufacturers such as GEC, Plessey, Ericsson, Pye, Ferranti etc. the GPO assigning their own model number range to them.

Is this phone perhaps similar to yours? There's some more information on the link in that picture.

Regards

Andrew
Excellent - Thank you; That's a pretty much perfect match for my instrument. A lot of GEC ones I saw online had a grille in front of the handset that is absent on mine.
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Old 31st Jan 2021, 7:37 pm   #6
LTTGSecretary
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Default Re: A GPO 332... Or is it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by russell_w_b View Post
What's stamped on the handset lozenge? Indian ITI telephones have the components attached to the base-plate: British instruments have a chassis with bells, ASTIC and capacitors attached, secured by three screws.

Has it a number on the bottom preceded by an 'N'?
The losenge is stamped with GEC. It's definitely not an Indian instrument then as it has the chassis pattern that I'm familiar with from my 746, secured as you say by three screws.

There is no number on the bottom of the chassis. The only markings read "WHEN RE-ORDERING QUOTE TEL/IP/ATS.
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Old 31st Jan 2021, 7:38 pm   #7
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Default Re: A GPO 332... Or is it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Moll View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by LTTGSecretary View Post
I'll possibly post some photos later if I can work out how.
Some pictures would certainly help. If you click "Post Reply" (rather than using "Quick Reply") you will find a button marked "Manage Attachments". Clicking on that enables you to add up to five images (or certain other file tyes). Don't forget to finish off by cliicking "upload".

Quote:
Originally Posted by LTTGSecretary View Post
... the dial is a tad loud.
Do you mean the mechanical sounds from the dial or that it creates loud clicks in the receiver. If the latter, it may be that the "dial-off-normal" contacts of the dial which short out the receiver aren't making good electrical contact.
I'll try and sort out some photos later then, thanks.

Loud mechanical sounds on the dial.
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Old 31st Jan 2021, 8:57 pm   #8
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Default Re: A GPO 332... Or is it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by LTTGSecretary View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by russell_w_b View Post
What's stamped on the handset lozenge? Indian ITI telephones have the components attached to the base-plate: British instruments have a chassis with bells, ASTIC and capacitors attached, secured by three screws.

Has it a number on the bottom preceded by an 'N'?
'The losenge is stamped with GEC. It's definitely not an Indian instrument then as it has the chassis...'
It'll behave electrically as a GPO-sanctioned instrument would - might even be slightly better quality components!

Look forward to the photos.
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Old 1st Feb 2021, 9:23 pm   #9
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Default Re: A GPO 332... Or is it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by LTTGSecretary View Post
The losenge is stamped with GEC.

There is no number on the bottom of the chassis. The only markings read "WHEN RE-ORDERING QUOTE TEL/IP/ATS.
1P, not IP.

ST 3504 (TEL/1P/ATS) 332 Automatic Non-Director areas
https://britishtelephones.com/gec/tel1p.htm

https://britishtelephones.com/gec/st3500.htm
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