atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems 1A2 and Comkey Telephones & Systems GTE Automatic Electric 10A2 info?

When I was 18 in 1982, friends moved their restaurant into a building previously occupied by a real-estate company. TELCO disconnected and abandoned a full 1A2 system on the wall with 66 blocks, Mitel tone intercom and a half dozen GTE Type 186 phones, which I played around with in my spare time and got working to a fair degree (without manuals, so that was fun) just based on what I knew from a couple of Radio Shack books and playing around with discarded phones since I was about 12.

Anyway, my crazy hobby mission now is to recreate the setup based on what I remember. This was B.C. Telephone 'BC Tel' territory in British Columbia, Canada, and we were pretty much GTE all through from subscriber sets to payphones and at least the AE 186 and AE 187 multiline sets. The KSU on the wall I remember quite well, but for the fact I can't exactly remember whether it was a Northern Electric QUJ9A or the GTE Automatic Electric equivalent, and there are exactly zero pics of the GTE/ AE 10A2 KSUs out there on the web anywhere for comparison's sake - at all - except for one pic in a 1970 version of a GTE catalogue that actually seems to show 10A1 gear.

Does anyone here have a photo of the actual base wall model GTE/ AE 10A2 KSU inside and out so I can see if anything triggers my memory? I have the NE QUJ9A here already to compare against. Also interested in finding a copy of the GTE Key Telephone System Handbook covering the 10A2 KSU and system setup if anyone has one spare - or pointer to same - and would happy to buy a 10A2 basic wall model KSU if anyone here has one gathering dust in their basement

I want to rig it all up and surprise the heck out of some people I used to work with in that restaurant, who remember high school me tinkering with the KSU and 66 blocks like some kind of mad scientist from a 30s movie. Any help appreciated.

I used to have the GTE handbook but I don't know what happened to it. I suspect it's as rare as hens teeth. I just gave away my WE handbook to a member of these boards.

I was able to get GTE equipment new back then and had a couple of systems out there. For all intents and purposes the KSUs are very much the same as the WE counterpart that information is readily available for. WE and GTE phones are interchangeable as are the 400 line cards.

-Hal

Look Here for the part numbers you may be able to find. These are manuals arranged by system type.

Rcaman

There was a GTE 10A2 manual. It was printed on Onionskin and was the size of the Manhattan White pages. I don't own it, I can find the number for you in a day or so and I have seen them occasionally on eBay.

The larger KSUs resembled the WE 16C(?) apparatus mounting cabinets. The smaller ones looked like the floor standing 501 made by WECO, ITT and S-C. On large PBX jobs we used 23" racks.

Sam

More easily accessible then I thought.

CHB-160

Key system handbook.

Google may help you.

Sam

Early 1970s GTE (Automatic Electric) KSU hardware was remarkably similar in appearance to ITT, Stromberg-Carlson and Western Electric. It was also electrically-compatible. I'd even go so far to say that the gray fiberglass covers were all made by the same subcontractor. My guess is that your KSU looks like ITT's or Western's 501.

ITT 501 KSU (Floor standing model), without cover

That's it, Ed (for the small ones).

Sam

A Google search of "AE 10A2 Systems" yielded this near the top of the list:

https://www.telephonecollectors.inf...32-ae-1970jul-cat-seck-key-systems-ocr-r

It's got pictures of the phones, KSUs and the layout.

Sam

OK for some reason it's not taking you to the final site. Go to the above website and scroll down to:

Details for AE 1970jul Cat SecK Key Systems Ocr R and the one under it "Section K large file"

Then you can view or download or whatever.

Telephone Collectors have once again come through.

Sam

A load of (3 pages) good AE info at the TCI website including docs on the 17A system (Similar to the ITT 76A).

Sam