Desk telephone W 61

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W 61 desktop device

The desk telephone W 61 was the third telephone for the Deutsche Post in the GDR . It is a maintenance-technically improved version of the predecessor desk telephone W 58 and was constructed in 1961.

It looks like the W 58, and the electrical circuit has not been changed either. The W 61 was produced by the former DeTeWe Fernmeldewerk Nordhausen ("Nordfern", later VEB Fernmeldewerk Nordhausen or VEB RFT ).

Appearance

The housing is made of the thermoset material Bakelite . In addition to black, the W 61 was also produced in ivory as a "luxury version". The electrical and mechanical components are attached to the base plate and are freely wired, sometimes with bound cable harnesses . Its predecessor, the W 58, was difficult to repair - the capacitor and transformer were located at the back under the connection terminal strip. In this model, the two components have been placed freely accessible. The single-coil double-shell alarm clock was also adopted from its predecessor. The number switch is a NS 38 with a transparent finger hole disc ("dial") made of thermoplastic . Some versions of the number switch are provided with a small aluminum dial with the imprint "RFT" on it. The only difference that can be used to distinguish the W 61 from the W 58 from the outside: It has a double-sided hook switch .

Since the W 61 was replaced by the W 63a desk phone in 1963 , it has become quite rare. Well-preserved specimens (as in the picture) and versions in an ivory-colored finish are even rarer. 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. Today it can only be operated on main lines or telephone systems that support pulse dialing (IWV).

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