What are these sockets? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

ColinTheAmpMan1 · 27th Jan 2020, 5:20 pm

Hi,
Does anyone have any idea as to what these rather tatty-looking sockets are?

Colin.

broadgage · 27th Jan 2020, 6:01 pm

Looks to me as though they might be dual purpose, designed to accept either an American plug with two flat pins or a plug with two round pins.

G6Tanuki · 27th Jan 2020, 6:09 pm

Something looking very much like that was sold in the mid-1980s as a 'no-break' connector for 10Base2 Thinwire Ethernet.

duncanlowe · 27th Jan 2020, 6:21 pm

They look a lot like french telephone plugs. I assume they are not however in France?

Boulevardier · 27th Jan 2020, 6:37 pm

Where are these plugs located - i.e. country?

Mike

ColinTheAmpMan1 · 27th Jan 2020, 6:51 pm

I'm afraid I don't know, it is a crop from a larger photo. However, I suspect it may be from Eastern Europe, Russia or a former Soviet State

Colin.

mole42uk · 27th Jan 2020, 8:03 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncanlowe

They look a lot like french telephone plugs. I assume they are not however in France?

I'd say they are too short for French telephone....

Electronpusher0 · 27th Jan 2020, 8:13 pm

Looks like French telephone sockets to me.

Peter

Nickthedentist · 27th Jan 2020, 8:24 pm

I was thinking Electrak but not so sure now.

G6Tanuki · 27th Jan 2020, 8:34 pm

I thought they could be 'no-break' Ethernet sockets, but in retrospect I was wrong.

[see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EAD_socket for what I mistook them for]

27th Jan 2020, 8:38 pm

I like the dual plug idea from broadgage.

Electronpusher0 · 27th Jan 2020, 10:19 pm

If you think of each pair of slots as a socket then a US flat pin plug would fit in the long rectangular slots and a European round pin plug would fit in the rounded ends of the slots.
Why you would want to that beats me.

Peter

Oops broadgage has already had that idea.

dglcomp · 27th Jan 2020, 10:42 pm

The style of the faceplates seems American to me, don't think it would be telephone related though as having three telephone outlets together seems a bit strange.

TonyDuell · 28th Jan 2020, 1:12 am

The common (West) German telephone socket (TAE connector) was often installed in a set of 3

FrankB · 28th Jan 2020, 5:39 am

Those are neither a U.S. power outlet (Flat blades parallel on most, but no angled ones that look like that; nor are they a U.S. telephone jack. Most of the old jacks were 4 pin, as our phones used 4 wires, and 2 pins of the 4 had closer spacing.

Richard_FM · 28th Jan 2020, 2:50 pm

I could understand if they were in a hotel room to fit both US & European 2 pin plugs.

ColinTheAmpMan1 · 28th Jan 2020, 8:33 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard_FM

I could understand if they were in a hotel room to fit both US & European 2 pin plugs.

I agree that the location might be a hotel room, but that beggars the question of the differing voltages between the US and Europe, doesn't it?

Colin.

Joe_Lorenz · 28th Jan 2020, 9:17 pm

Hello gentlemen,

these sockets are definitely not (West) German TAE sockets. Such were rectangular shaped, not keyhole shape.

I am puzzled because the slots are in a strange angle within the frames.

Joe

Dave Moll · 28th Jan 2020, 11:42 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe_Lorenz

I am puzzled because the slots are in a strange angle within the frames.

If, as seems likely, these are designed for either US flat-pin plugs or European round-pin ones, then presumably one or the other would have to be at an angle to enable the correct spacing between each.

Silicon · 29th Jan 2020, 12:15 am

Could they be a non standard socket in another country, like the Walsall Gauge plugs and sockets are in this country?

Have a look at the www.plugsocketmuseum.nl website.

27th Jan 2020, 5:20 pm	#1
ColinTheAmpMan1 Octode Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Wimbledon, London, UK. Posts: 1,465	What are these sockets? Hi, Does anyone have any idea as to what these rather tatty-looking sockets are? Colin. Attached Thumbnails

27th Jan 2020, 6:01 pm	#2
broadgage Nonode Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: North Somerset, UK. Posts: 2,129	Re: What are these sockets? Looks to me as though they might be dual purpose, designed to accept either an American plug with two flat pins or a plug with two round pins.

27th Jan 2020, 6:09 pm	#3
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,998	Re: What are these sockets? Something looking very much like that was sold in the mid-1980s as a 'no-break' connector for 10Base2 Thinwire Ethernet.

27th Jan 2020, 6:21 pm	#4
duncanlowe Nonode Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Stafford, Staffs. UK. Posts: 2,532	Re: What are these sockets? They look a lot like french telephone plugs. I assume they are not however in France?

27th Jan 2020, 6:37 pm	#5
Boulevardier Octode Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 1,654	Re: What are these sockets? Where are these plugs located - i.e. country? Mike

27th Jan 2020, 6:51 pm	#6
ColinTheAmpMan1 Octode Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Wimbledon, London, UK. Posts: 1,465	Re: What are these sockets? I'm afraid I don't know, it is a crop from a larger photo. However, I suspect it may be from Eastern Europe, Russia or a former Soviet State Colin.

27th Jan 2020, 8:13 pm	#8
Electronpusher0 Nonode Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK. Posts: 2,296	Re: What are these sockets? Looks like French telephone sockets to me. Peter Attached Thumbnails

27th Jan 2020, 8:24 pm	#9
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,844	Re: What are these sockets? I was thinking Electrak but not so sure now.

27th Jan 2020, 8:34 pm	#10
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,998	Re: What are these sockets? I thought they could be 'no-break' Ethernet sockets, but in retrospect I was wrong. [see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EAD_socket for what I mistook them for]

27th Jan 2020, 8:38 pm	#11
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Re: What are these sockets? I like the dual plug idea from broadgage.

27th Jan 2020, 10:19 pm	#12
Electronpusher0 Nonode Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK. Posts: 2,296	Re: What are these sockets? If you think of each pair of slots as a socket then a US flat pin plug would fit in the long rectangular slots and a European round pin plug would fit in the rounded ends of the slots. Why you would want to that beats me. Peter Oops broadgage has already had that idea. Last edited by Electronpusher0; 27th Jan 2020 at 10:20 pm. Reason: Duplication

27th Jan 2020, 10:42 pm	#13
dglcomp Heptode Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Portland, Dorset, UK. Posts: 874	Re: What are these sockets? The style of the faceplates seems American to me, don't think it would be telephone related though as having three telephone outlets together seems a bit strange.

28th Jan 2020, 1:12 am	#14
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,208	Re: What are these sockets? The common (West) German telephone socket (TAE connector) was often installed in a set of 3

28th Jan 2020, 5:39 am	#15
FrankB Heptode Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Olympia, Washington, USA. Posts: 664	Re: What are these sockets? Those are neither a U.S. power outlet (Flat blades parallel on most, but no angled ones that look like that; nor are they a U.S. telephone jack. Most of the old jacks were 4 pin, as our phones used 4 wires, and 2 pins of the 4 had closer spacing.

28th Jan 2020, 2:50 pm	#16
Richard_FM Nonode Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 2,002	Re: What are these sockets? I could understand if they were in a hotel room to fit both US & European 2 pin plugs. __________________ Hello IT: Have you Tried Turning It Off & On Again?

28th Jan 2020, 9:17 pm	#18
Joe_Lorenz Hexode Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Hohenroda, Eastern Hesse, Germany Posts: 460	Re: What are these sockets? Hello gentlemen, these sockets are definitely not (West) German TAE sockets. Such were rectangular shaped, not keyhole shape. I am puzzled because the slots are in a strange angle within the frames. Joe

29th Jan 2020, 12:15 am	#20
Silicon Nonode Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Coulsdon, London, UK. Posts: 2,163	Re: What are these sockets? Could they be a non standard socket in another country, like the Walsall Gauge plugs and sockets are in this country? Have a look at the www.plugsocketmuseum.nl website.