telecom, Rotary Step Relays

comp.dcom.telecom - Telecommunications digest. (Moderated)


telecom >> Rotary Step Relays

by John Schuch » Thu, 19 Aug 2004 23:59:04 GMT

Does anyone know of a source for rotary stepping relays? AKA Step
relays, sequencing relays, Strowger relays. I need several that have
at least two poles, and 10 positions. Yea, I know I could accomplish
the same thing fairly simply with electronics, but this is an "art
project", and the coolness is the sound and action of the old relays.

I searched the web ad-nausium with no luck.

Thanks,

John

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telecom >> Rotary Step Relays

by haynes » Fri, 20 Aug 2004 05:35:09 GMT


There is a Yahoo group named "strowger" which deals with old telephone
systems and the like. Mostly English membership, but some
U.S. members might be able to get you a lead.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/strowger

A number of years ago I got some from Herbach & Rademan, in the form of
some junked equipment containing them. Probably long gone by now.

jhhaynes at earthlink dot net
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telecom >> Rotary Step Relays

by Al Gillis » Fri, 20 Aug 2004 05:56:10 GMT

You might look at www.surplussales.com under switches. They didn't
have any telephone-type rotary switches nor Strowger switches but they
had some "moterized" switches than might have enough noise and motion
to draw the attention of the unwashed masses.

If you really need an actual Strowger switch you may be in for a loog
look!

Al
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telecom >> Rotary Step Relays

by Neal McLain » Fri, 20 Aug 2004 06:10:05 GMT


Search for "strowger" on eBay. Strowger switches seem to pop up every
few weeks. As of today (8/19/04), two connectors, some mounting
hardware, and several diagrams are listed.

A word of warning however: if you want a complete Strowger switch,
*including* the contact bank, contact the seller before bidding to
make sure it's included.

Neal McLain
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telecom >> Rotary Step Relays

by hancock4 » Fri, 20 Aug 2004 22:38:31 GMT

John Schuch < XXXX@XXXXX.COM > wrote


There are two organizations that may be of help to you:

1) ATCA The Antique Telephone Collectors Association
2) TCI Telephone Collectors International.

I'm not sure of their web address, but try searching altavista
"Telephone collectors" and relevant stuff should come up for you.

Those groups have newsletters where you could put in an ad for what
you seek; their members have that kind of stuff. Some even have
miniature step exchanges working in their basements. At their
shows, there are working SxS demos on display--as you dial the
number, you see the step go up and around.

Fortunately, many collectors saved the guts of step offices when
they were converted.
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telecom >> Rotary Step Relays

by Don_Shoemaker » Sat, 21 Aug 2004 20:10:13 GMT

In article < XXXX@XXXXX.COM >, John Schuch




An alternative to the suggestions in the other posts may be to use a
stepper mech from an old electro-mechanical pinball (1977 or earlier).
Check on eBay or the classified section of www.MrPinball.com.

-don
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 XXXX@XXXXX.COM  wrote:

> Early on (1920) the Bell System realized step-by-step would be
> inadequate for big city high calling volumes and developed and
> implemented panel switching for cities.  However, Los Angeles already
> had step-by-step when Bell took over.

> As Los Angeles/southern California grew in the war years (big defense
> aircraft plants, new postwar development), how did they handle the
> high volume traffic with step-by-step?  Did they run into problems?
> SxS switches are limited to a 10x10 pattern and get very unweildy when
> it grows beyond that.  I could imagine things got messy in the early
> 1960s before ESS was available.  Were some SxS offices upgraded to a
> more powerful No 5 crossbar?

> The Bell Labs says they considered developing common control senders
> as a front-end to SxS, but I didn't understand how far they went with
> that.  They also did something called a "graded multiple" which
> apparently was a big help.

> In the early 1950s NYC got network management, a control center for
> city wide traffic.  It seems the Los Angeles area would need likewise
> in the 1950s or early 1960s.

> Thanks.

> [public replies, please]

The steppers were not allowed to grow that large.  There were multiple, 
separate SxS machines in the largest office, downtown LA and perhaps 
Hollywood.  Most of the defense plant areas were served by General 
Telephone.

Pacific Telephone installed at least one No. 5 Crossbar in each large
SxS office on a rather rapid basis after the war.  These units served
as the common control unit for toll and the SxS machine (or machines)
in the building fed into the No 5 machine for toll routing.  The No. 5
machines were also often used as a local machine as well, providing
much better line services for preferred customers.