atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems 1A2 and Comkey Telephones & Systems Operation of Com Key 416 primary w/out 91A connect block?

It's interesting there were knock offs, and even more interesting that WE itself may have copied the Amtron set.

I do seem to recall seeing systems where pushing a DSS key gave some kind of special tone alert. The Com Key 416 primary I have here doesn't seem to do that; when I hit the DSS key for my own phone, the speaker immediately becomes a live amplification of whatever one says into the handset; no warning tone.

I wonder if they limited themselves to 10 DSS keys so that one could push all 10 keys with all 10 fingers to do the equivalent of a 'page'

It's interesting the DSS keys don't light up so you can see who is talking to you on the speaker. Otherwise I imagine one could be relatively "anonymous" with announcements..

Greg, they did make a DSS key assembly with busy lamps. It was an optional item of course, but it plugged in as a replacement DSS with no special wiring required. Those signal leads had all kinds of activity going on.

There was also an adapter that occupied the code for one DSS key that emulated the all-call function. It had a selector switch to choose the code and that was pretty much it. It connected via (you guessed it), a 25 pair cable just like any other station.

I can't believe that WE copied anyone either, but there are still arguments about some of the very early switching systems, and then the infamous "who made it to the patent office first" debate.