Desk telephone W 58

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W 58 desktop device, built in 1961
W 58 open

The desk phone W 58 ( W ählapparat 58) was the second, completely redesigned telephone for the Deutsche Post in the GDR in 1958 .

Visually nothing is reminiscent of its predecessor W38 , which is a descendant of the Reichspost model of the same name . However, the circuit was adopted from the last version with the W38 housing - the rare W38 / 58. The W 58 was produced by the former DeTeWe Fernmeldewerk Nordhausen ("Nordfern", later VEB Fernmeldewerk Nordhausen or VEB RFT ).

Appearance

The housing of the W 58, including the base plate, is made of black Bakelite . The timeless-looking and compact design without moving, high-standing handset fork gave shape to some later telephones in the GDR. The internal structure has nothing in common with the W38 either, but the circuitry has not been changed. The electrical and mechanical components are attached to the base plate and freely wired with bound cable harnesses . The alarm clock is a single-coil so-called "double-shell alarm clock" with two different-sounding metal bell shells mounted against one another. His predecessor still had glass bells and a twin-coil alarm clock. The volume of the alarm clock can be adjusted on the underside. The W 58 was only built with an earth button . The tried and tested NS 38, which was constructed before the Second World War , is used as a number switch , the finger-hole disc ("dial") is made of black Bakelite and, in late models from around 1961, made of transparent plastic ( thermoplastic ). There is a recessed grip in the rear of the housing under the handset rest for easy transport, the weight has been significantly reduced compared to that of the W38.

maintenance

The repairability of the W 58 left a lot to be desired. The transformer and the capacitor for the alarm clock are mounted very closely under the connection terminal strip. That is probably the reason why the desk telephone W 61 was designed as early as 1961 , in which the components are placed much easier to repair.

Well-preserved specimens of the W 58 (as can be seen in the pictures) are quite rare today. Usually the Bakelite case has become dull, rough and stained due to aging and improper storage in damp basements, and the case often has cracks. Bakelite is generally sensitive to shock due to its brittleness. In addition, the W 58 was only produced in small numbers. Today it can only be operated on main lines or telephone systems that support pulse dialing (IWV).

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