DICTOGRAPH TELEPHONES | ||||||||
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Dictograph telephone list - Thumbnails This section has been compiled using little information and may therefore have inaccuracies. Please advise of all mistakes or inaccuracies. The Dictograph was Kelly Turner's telephone system but the name is often used in error to mean a Dictophone, which was Thomas Edison's wax cylinder dictation machine. The Dictograph Company made intercom telephones that were only connected to each other, within a building, or buildings close to one another. There was a Master Station, which was normally a loudspeaker telephone and Sub-Stations which just had a handset or watch receiver and calling keys. The telephones were connected together by multicore cable. These telephones are confusing because the company did not normally identify the model type or number on the product. To make life more difficult the telephones were made and sold in different countries, with slightly different fittings and styling. The company also described telephones either by the total number of keys (including the ring key) or the total number of connections (not including the ring key). The early Master stations, described by the number of keys, used mechanical indicators instead of bulbs. The models, using connections, are defined in the following manner:- Taking the model HL20/1A for example. This is Model HL, which is a sub-station with a maximum of 20 connections. It has 1 connection to a single master station (identified by a lamp associated with the key) and the A means that the telephone is capable of connecting to an automatic telephone system. Some Master Stations also have keys marked "Wait", "Engaged" and "Enquiry". These keys operated lights outside of the office door and the "Engaged" key would could also indicate on another set that the user was not available. This system was called the "Portograph" door control. Notes The model ranges CL, DD and DL were Master Stations only. Model HL - Sub-stations that could be supplied with connections from 4 to 64 stations. Model DHL - The HL model range was superseded in the early 60's by the DHL range. Telephone Rentals used Models SM (Master station), SL (Sub-station) and ST (Answer only Sub-station) on their Dictograph 69 and Dictograph Multi-Master systems. Dictograph also supplied listening devices for Detectives, motor car intercoms, alarm systems, hearing aids and clocks. |
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Last revised: November 27, 2025FM2 | ||||||||