Help with Creed 444 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Anthony · 14th Jan 2015, 4:39 pm

I have gone back to a 444 which I have not used for about 5 years. I cannot get any Local (from the Keyboard) printing. The motor is running and there are reassuring noises when keys are depressed but the carriage does not move with the Space Bar nor do keys move. I never knew much about it and suspect it is my ignorance. It has been carefully stored and moved and I cannot imagine anything too drastic has happened. Any ideas? Thank you.

g8jzyian · 14th Jan 2015, 5:26 pm

Hi

is the telegraph supply +- 80V connected? I seem to recall that it is required for local printing.

Ian

Anthony · 14th Jan 2015, 6:41 pm

Ian
Many thanks. Ouch! You are absolutely correct. After fixing a duff mains switch on the Terminal Unit, the 444 sprang to life.
I have a lot to learn!
Kind regards
Anthony

14th Jan 2015, 6:52 pm

When I was a kid (1970's) I was given an uncased Creed 7B which I bolted to my bench (I did start young, having a bench in my bedroom) this shook the whole house. Grandad made me a foam 'isolator' much to the relief of the family and next door. They are quite wonderful things, glad it's working.

Anthony · 14th Jan 2015, 7:42 pm

Well Merlin at least I can now have my 3 year old grandson do some typing for me. Don't worry - it's all well earthed. Best wishes.

14th Jan 2015, 9:38 pm

On a telex at work (a while ago) one of the ladies using it had to slow down to 10 characters per second (approx) so it didn't jam.

Quote:

...3 year old grandson do some typing for me. Don't worry - it's all well earthed

or have an isolated grandson!

Are you going to try it out receiving RTTY traffic on the amateur bands? Probably the only source of live teletype available now. There are (free) soundcard to serial programmes out there, all you need is a +/- 8V (or so) to +/- 80V amplifier. At a push an old (transistor) hifi amp may work.

Anthony · 15th Jan 2015, 2:52 pm

Merlin - yes HF RTTY is planned Rx maybe even Tx.

Dave757 · 16th Jan 2015, 12:50 am

Hi Anthony,

I wonder if your machine is an ex Post Office Telex 15. If it is it will be a
50 Baud 444 unless it has been regeared. Amateur RTTY is at 45.5 Baud. . I
have heard that it is possible to electronically alter the speed but I don't know
any details.
Flat out speed on Telex is approx 66WPM - around 5 characters per second,
so I expect Merlin's friend was using a commercial 444 which was also
available in 75 and 100 Baud versions on which you could type faster, and
were much better to use for tape prep offline.
If you type faster than the rated speed of the 444 it doesn't jam like the old
model 7, it just misses characters!
Incidentally, 50 Baud RTTY is still used for HF Weather broadcasts from Germany.

Kind regards

Dave

Denis G4DWC · 16th Jan 2015, 9:26 am

I had a 75 baud Creed 444 for several years and used it with a home brew speed convertor using a couple of 6402?? UARTs so it would run at 45.5 baud. There was no transmit buffer in the convertor but as I couldn't type very fast it worked ok on transmit. I still have the convertor in the shack somwhere. It worked just fine and the 444 is a nice quiet machine. The juniors also liked playing with the tape reader and perforator.

Denis

14th Jan 2015, 4:39 pm	#1
Anthony Hexode Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Hertford, Herts. UK. Posts: 338	Help with Creed 444 I have gone back to a 444 which I have not used for about 5 years. I cannot get any Local (from the Keyboard) printing. The motor is running and there are reassuring noises when keys are depressed but the carriage does not move with the Space Bar nor do keys move. I never knew much about it and suspect it is my ignorance. It has been carefully stored and moved and I cannot imagine anything too drastic has happened. Any ideas? Thank you.

14th Jan 2015, 5:26 pm	#2
g8jzyian Pentode Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, UK. Posts: 149	Re: Help with Creed 444 Hi is the telegraph supply +- 80V connected? I seem to recall that it is required for local printing. Ian

14th Jan 2015, 6:41 pm	#3
Anthony Hexode Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Hertford, Herts. UK. Posts: 338	Re: Help with Creed 444 Ian Many thanks. Ouch! You are absolutely correct. After fixing a duff mains switch on the Terminal Unit, the 444 sprang to life. I have a lot to learn! Kind regards Anthony

14th Jan 2015, 6:52 pm	#4
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Help with Creed 444 When I was a kid (1970's) I was given an uncased Creed 7B which I bolted to my bench (I did start young, having a bench in my bedroom) this shook the whole house. Grandad made me a foam 'isolator' much to the relief of the family and next door. They are quite wonderful things, glad it's working.

14th Jan 2015, 7:42 pm	#5
Anthony Hexode Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Hertford, Herts. UK. Posts: 338	Re: Help with Creed 444 Well Merlin at least I can now have my 3 year old grandson do some typing for me. Don't worry - it's all well earthed. Best wishes.

15th Jan 2015, 2:52 pm	#7
Anthony Hexode Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Hertford, Herts. UK. Posts: 338	Re: Help with Creed 444 Merlin - yes HF RTTY is planned Rx maybe even Tx.

16th Jan 2015, 12:50 am	#8
Dave757 Heptode Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Scratby, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 651	Re: Help with Creed 444 Hi Anthony, I wonder if your machine is an ex Post Office Telex 15. If it is it will be a 50 Baud 444 unless it has been regeared. Amateur RTTY is at 45.5 Baud. . I have heard that it is possible to electronically alter the speed but I don't know any details. Flat out speed on Telex is approx 66WPM - around 5 characters per second, so I expect Merlin's friend was using a commercial 444 which was also available in 75 and 100 Baud versions on which you could type faster, and were much better to use for tape prep offline. If you type faster than the rated speed of the 444 it doesn't jam like the old model 7, it just misses characters! Incidentally, 50 Baud RTTY is still used for HF Weather broadcasts from Germany. Kind regards Dave

16th Jan 2015, 9:26 am	#9
Denis G4DWC Pentode Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brackley Northamptonshire, UK. Posts: 240	Re: Help with Creed 444 I had a 75 baud Creed 444 for several years and used it with a home brew speed convertor using a couple of 6402?? UARTs so it would run at 45.5 baud. There was no transmit buffer in the convertor but as I couldn't type very fast it worked ok on transmit. I still have the convertor in the shack somwhere. It worked just fine and the 444 is a nice quiet machine. The juniors also liked playing with the tape reader and perforator. Denis __________________ If you take something apart often enough, eventually you'll have two of them....