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Radar Telephone

Object/Artifact
Sound Powered Telephone Station Magneto Howler Call Number A541S7 unit from the United States Instrument Corporation of Charlottesville, Virginia. A green metal wall mounted telephone with hand crank and long, curled cord attached to the black handset. Telephone has crank to provide ringing and signalling power.
Radar Telephone picture number 1
Radar Telephone picture number 2 Radar Telephone picture number 3 Radar Telephone picture number 4 Radar Telephone picture number 5

2022.35.01

Text by This phone was mounted on the FPS-18 Control Monitor, at the north end of the equipment room centered between the two rows of radar transmitter and receiver cabinets. It was most likely connected to an identical phone in the radome to allow technicians to coordinate calibrating the transducers that sent the antenna position and speed to the Control Monitor and FST-1 Coordinate Data Transmitter. Operating the crank would turn the magneto and cause the howler on the receiving phone to, well, howl, alerting the person on the other end to take the call. Being sound powered, the phone did not require batteries or any other source of power to work.

Winthers, Sally

12 in

11 in

3-3/4 in

History Museum at Mt. Baldhead Park/Pump House Museum

Mount Baldhead Gap-Filler Radar Annex 1956-present

Object Label

Part 3. Sound-powered Telephone with Magneto and Howler. This phone was mounted on the control monitor in the equipment room. It was most likely connected to an identical phone in the radome to allow technicians to coordinate calibrating the antenna. Operating the crank would turn the magneto and cause the howler on the receiving phone to alert the person on the other end to take the call. Being sound powered, the phone did not require batteries or any other source of power to work.

04/26/2022

06/27/2022