[GreenKeys] Fwd: Need advice - 28 selector almost works OK

Fri Feb 27 19:51:40 EST 2015

In the 70's I worked on a 35ASR that had a selective call system in it
(85A1?).
Every so often, it would start to garble characters on a regular basis. 
The fix was to replace a small PC card in the base (not the selector magnet
driver),
wait for it to generate a puff of smoke, and then the machine was good to 
go. I never did get to figure out that one...!
The 35 was in a stock broker's office and was always on the
verge of flying apart...it ran 24 hours a day.

Jack K0TTY

NNNN

-----Original Message-----
From: GreenKeys [mailto:greenkeys-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Don
Robert House K9TTY
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 6:21 PM
To: Nick England
Cc: Phil Schelinski; Greenkeys
Subject: [GreenKeys] Fwd: Need advice - 28 selector almost works OK

I would say that Phil's memory is pretty darn good!
A weird problem on one 35 ASR was the lamp socket over the perf.  When you
closed the cover the socket would short the capacitor.
Don

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Phil Schelinski <phil10661 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: Fwd: [GreenKeys] Need advice - 28 selector almost works 
> OK
> Date: 27 February 2015 4:23:06 PM CST
> To: Don Robert House
> Reply-To: Phil Schelinski <phil10661 at yahoo.com>
> 
> I think I had one tty tech that seemed to have a "feel" for working on 
> high speed "perfs" maybe he had great eyesight or superior hearing . 
> We kept a strobe in the shop to slow down mechanical actions and try to
run a pattern thru the selector that high high error rate.
> One method we never used was to put a O'scope on the current driving 
> selector ..On the model 35 I found a capacitor that was breaking down
supplying voltage to the selector card causing random errors ..
> My memory is gone however I do remember contacting a foreign speaking
(german?) TTY engineer about the perf failures .
> and how springs operate under certain repeated character strings .
> What was needed was a Swiss Watch technician
> 
> From: Don Robert House
> To: 
> Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 2:38 PM
> Subject: Fwd: [GreenKeys] Need advice - 28 selector almost works OK
> 
> How far back does your memory go?!
> Don
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Don Robert House K9TTY <62.5milliamps at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Need advice - 28 selector almost works OK
> Date: 27 February 2015 2:30:34 PM CST
> To: Nick England
> Cc: Greenkeys <greenkeys at mailman.qth.net>
> 
> Jacks advice is gospel.
> 
> Our foreman gave us a time limit on getting problems with reperforators
fixed.  After that time was used up we sent the units back to Western
Electric for repair.
> When we ordered replacements we seldom received the units we sent in. many
of them were new from TTY Corp.
> In one case, I will never forget, one of our guys put a linen tag
(remember them) on a part that read "Follow this string to the trouble!"
> Three days later we got the same unit back with the tag still attached.
The unit became a large paper weight in the shop that was always ripe for
discussion.
> The worst reperf ever was the TYPING reperforator  for the Model 37.
Eventually we gave up on them and replaced them with NON-TYPING
reperforators.
> They were difficult to repair as well but without the typing mechanism the
trouble reports dropped significantly. 
> 
> The other day I drove by 78 E. Dundee Road, in Wheeling, IL where our shop
and garage was.  Nothing there now except grass and a fence.
> My initials are still in the power pole however when I was walking the
picket line during the 1968 strike.
>    "Charlie Brown President. We work for Peanuts"
> 
> Don K9TTY
> 
> 
> On 27 Feb 2015, at 2:16 PM, Jack wrote:
> 
>> Nick,
>> 
>> From another "retired" TTY repairman.
>> 
>> Watch the selector slides that are operated by the selector/cam.
>> Are they following the correct data or are they also showing the 
>> errors that you see on the punched tape?
>> 
>> If you're not getting good range, are you sure the machine is
>> 7.42 versus 7.0?
>> 
>> LPR's were a nightmare to work on. We usually just replaced them and 
>> sent them back to Western Electric for repair. They had dozens of 
>> little old ladies that worked on them.
>> 
>> Jack K0TTY
>> 
>> NNNN
>> 
>> 
>> From: GreenKeys
>> Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 1:53 PM
>> To: Nick England
>> Cc: Greenkeys
>> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Need advice - 28 selector almost works OK
>> 
>> Hi Nick,
>> 
>> The manual shows how to check the spring tension for the selector
armature. Also the down-stop adjustment.
>> As I have written many times.. the faster the data rate the more critical
are the adjustments and lubrication.
>> All of us that repaired these machines for the Bell System carried a
small envelope with strips of high-grade bond paper.
>> The strips were about 3/8" wide and about 3" long.  The paper was about
22-24 Pound stock.
>> These strips are inserted between the selector magnet and the armature.
Hold the armature up and pull out the paper strip.
>> Keep doing this until the strips come out clean "as a whistle" 
>> (whatever that means.) You need to make sure there is no oil or grease,
or anything else in that important gap.
>> If I find my package of strips I will post an image.
>> 
>> Memories,
>> 
>> Don
>> K9TTY
>> 
>> P.S.  Let me know if you need a spring gauge.
>> 
>> 
>> On 27 Feb 2015, at 9:32 AM, Nick England wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> For my multiple reperf project I've been checking out several typing
reperf units that I got from an estate.
>> After cleaning, lubricating, replacing lost springs, etc. all except 
>> one seem to work fine at 100wpm One seems to have a selector problem but
I'm inexperienced enough to wonder what to do next - I appreciate some
advice from you guys who have serviced 100's of these things.
>> 
>> Symptoms - bit errors every now and then. When I test with reversals
there is a very narrow range on the rangefinder where the tape looks OK
almost all the time. Otherwise I get some holes always marking or always
spacing.
>> 
>> I can't *see* anything like missing springs or bent levers or congealed
crud in the innards - Adjusting the magnet armature spring doesn't seem to
have much effect in increasing the rangefinder range. What else can I
actually do in the selector? Is this the symptom of a worn cams or selector
levers?
>> 
>> Sorry to be such a pest - I just need a retired TTY repairman to move in
next door and then I'll be all set to learn something. Until then Greenkeys
is my resource - many thanks for all the help and friendly advice.
>> 
>> Nick England K4NYW
>> www.navy-radio.com
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> 
> 
> 
> 

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