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Vintage Telephony and Telecomms Vintage Telephones, Telephony and Telecomms Equipment |
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14th May 2022, 9:52 am | #1 |
Diode
Join Date: May 2022
Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK.
Posts: 1
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BT/GPO 286A Linesman Handset
Hello
I've recently acquired a 286A engineers hand set. Its in absolutely mint condition - it almost looks like it hasn't been used. I think it comes from the 80s, but could also be the 90s, can anybody confirm? Also, are these usually hard to come by (and are they hard to come by in this condition)? cheers 😬 |
14th May 2022, 10:03 am | #2 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,787
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Re: BT/GPO 286A Linesman Handset
The logo certainly suggests 1980s, immediately before privatisation.
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14th May 2022, 12:04 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,118
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Re: BT/GPO 286A Linesman Handset
286As are not hard to come by, but they will probably mostly be quite grubby and knocked about a bit by virtue of having been in use by the linemen of the day.
I think there were two or three different versons, though the main differences were the shape of the box and the layout within. By the way, it comes in useful in its Local Battery (LB) mode for testing telephones without connecting them to a telephone line, though obviously you can't test out dialling in this way other than by listening to the clicks or tones.
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22nd May 2022, 1:23 am | #4 |
Heptode
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: High Wycombe, Bucks. UK.
Posts: 811
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Re: BT/GPO 286A Linesman Handset
I also have one of these 286A testers. I think mine was made in 1988. I notice the OP's one has a sticker saying "Warranty ends Dec 1990". Assuming the original warranty was 1 year, the instrument would have been made in 1989.
I have another newer version which uses six D batteries instead of the small 9v PP3 type. The later model looks quite different, although still comes in a yellow plastic case with the newer BT piper logo. The basic functions are the same. I use mine to make an old phone ring without a phone line. You can also use it like an intercom. With two testers connected together, one can ring the other. If you have only one tester and a regular telephone, you can have a conversation between them but the ordinary phone cannot make the tester ring. |
25th May 2022, 4:31 pm | #5 |
Diode
Join Date: May 2022
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 2
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Re: BT/GPO 286A Linesman Handset
They are a bit rare now, I picked up four in a charity shop in Glasgow back in 2015. I saw them in the window walking by. They were in OK condition price marked at £5 each iIcouldn't say no.
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27th May 2022, 12:47 pm | #6 |
Triode
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Broadstairs, Kent, UK.
Posts: 22
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Re: BT/GPO 286A Linesman Handset
The lower right hand corner of the label is marked VEN 88/A, this would indicate a manufacturing date of 1988 with the manufacturer being Vanderhoff Communications.
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27th May 2022, 1:15 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 3,301
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Re: BT/GPO 286A Linesman Handset
AKA a “Tapper”. Not because engineers can use it for monitoring pairs, but for “ tapping out”,- testing pairs in a cable to find faults, spares etc.
I have a slightly newer version of this one, new in box somewhere. I must spirit it away before I retire.
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