Crystal Radio
stay tuned crystal radio and tube radio website
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Sound Powered Phones
for Crystal Radios
"The Sound Powered Web Page"

Headsets, Handsets, and Elements used for crystal radio sets


If you are new to Sound Powered,  I would highly recommend you read this!

Introduction to Sound Powered Units Part 1
What the heck are they?
Click Here

Introduction to Sound Powered Units Part 2
What makes a "Sound Powered" element more sensitive than
a old style "Balanced Armature" element or a set of "Magnetic Headphones"?

Click Here 


Please !!
Click  on  images to enlarge them, so you may see them more clearly
RCA
RCA's  "U. S. Navy Sound Powered Telephones" manual
Printed in the 40's for WWII
Click Here
Theory of operation, breakdowns, drawings, and repair and maintenance


RCA
(Radio Corporation of America)
US Navy "Deck Talkers"

"Big Cans"
MI-2045-E (older model)


 
 


 



"Small Cans"
MI-2454-B (newer model)

 
 
 


 


A "different" style RCA, very uncommon


Notice similarity to Stromberg Carlson and Dynalec


RCA
(Radio Corporation of America)
Hand Set


Handset MI-2040-A
SPEC. R17T23


RCA Victor
(Canada)
(Radio Corporation of America)
Hand Set


(Right) Handset MI-22151-E & (Left) MI-22151-A
Made in Canada

New ! July 29th
Check out the "Elements" page also New!


Stromberg Carlson
US Navy "Deck Talkers"


Type H200/U # 702019-375  (left and center photos)
Older style on right


Stromberg Carlson Handset

All Handsets look basically the same
They are basically a USI handset, in fact, most of them have USI elements inside them.


Type A500, H203/U (left)
Type A237 (right) also known as 333S3


U S Instrument (USI)
US Navy "Deck Talkers"


Left to Right
Model #A-260 UA1614 (older model)
Type H200/U  # 702019-375 (same as Stromberg Carlson)
Model #A260 (newer model)


U S Instrument (USI) Handset


Below
A560 (top left), A577 (top right), A257 (bottom), A333 (not shown, same as A560, top left)


Western Electric Company Headset


(Two left photos)  D173465 (on Mic), D173463 (on earphone pads), D173314 (on earphone)
(Third photo from left)  D173312, Type O, U S Navy "Deck Talker" type
(Forth photo from left)    U S Navy "Deck Talker" type, D173014 (on ear pieces), D173017 (on headband)
(Far right photo)   U S Navy "Deck Talker" with throat mic for heavy noise areas


Western Electric Company Handset


On left  D173009, Type L, SGS (65)26d
On right M1 handset from submarine
 
 


D173009 Handset in original carrier
 
 


Automatic Electric Company Headset

Automatic Electric Sound Powered Marine Telephones manual
Click Here
 

NEW !
Type R17T23 (int) on Left      and       U S Navy Type O on Right
 
 

Old Style Decktalkers (no numbers)  NEW!


Automatic Electric Company Handset


 



 

DLR  No5   S
Commonly known as DLR5's
 

These are British military surplus headphones.
Check out "Element Specs." and "Inside Elements" and "Comparison" sections for more information.
 


TA-1


Typical

Various makers
Landers Fray& Clark, Crown Controls Corp., Yankee Telecom Labs inc.,
Lionel (yes the model train company), and many others


Dynalec Corporation


Headset same as Stromberg Carlson (except markings)
Older Dynalec's have the same elements as USI or Stromberg Carlson.



 
 

TMC


This company is form England.
England and Australia used balanced armature or sound powered units on ships also.
Two distinct models (looks are the same) AP12501 (Australia), AP12591(England)
Both of these models may have been used in both England and Australia
 
 


TMC-51
AP 32032
(CASE AP 12633)
This is the heaviest Handset of all of them. Right at 2 lbs.
Note the "studs" on the side. Must be for strapping onto the operator.
 


Shure


Just the Ear or reciever is a"Balanced Armature" or "Controlled - Reluctance Transducer" as they called it.
This is the same company that makes Mics and phono cartridges still today
They longer making handsets but can still be found at  http://www.shure.com/on the internet
 



 

The Wheeler Insulated Wire Company Inc.


David Clark Company Inc.


Model H5010, H5020, H5030, H5040, H5042, H5090

For parts list or wiring diagram go to http://www.davidclark.com/HeadsetPgs/voicepower.shtml
and pick your model. At the bottom of the page click on "view parts list", or "view electrical diagram"

Elements for above headset run about $85.90 each new (elements only)

Setting Up A Set Of David Clark Headsets Click Here


Sound Powered Communications Corporation
 


Left and center are model SPT-500 SP  on far right model SPT-125 S
They also sell a headset which is made by David Clark


They also bought out Wheeler



ISC
Telephonics Corporation
 


Type SA-7C
NEW!



 Hose - McCann

Still suppling to the Navy and can be found at http://www.hmctelco.com/  on the internet
 


MSA
Mine Safety Appliances

Still in Buisness and can be found at http://www.msanet.com/on the internet


Generic    TS10P
 


Usually used by the Army
 


Transonic
Echo/ Nobelphone
 


 


Control Instruments Company


 



Anchor Manufacturing Company
NEW!


 

Manchester NH


S.P.T. CO. LTD
NEW!
 


 

England



TELE MFG Co
NEW!


 

MK XV
London, England



H.C. Electrics
NEW!


 



Unknown
NEW!


 


Toys
These are not military hardware, but toys sold in the 50's and 60's.
Sound Powered Walkie Talkies

Remco


 
 

New !
Walkie-Talkie
(That is the brand name)


 


The "Big Cans"
 


Left to Right
RCA  MI-2045-E
Western Electric D173014
Automatic Electric R17T23
United States Instruments (USI) A-260 UA1614
Stromberg Carlson 702019-375

Click here to see my entire collection of Sound Powered



 

Elements and Specs.
Photos of elements inside of the units above
 Click Here
 

For Some Impedance Measurements
Click Here
NEW ! Info added


Inside a Sound Powered Element
Drawings and photos of the "insides" of elements!!
Click Here
 


Comparison
of
Sound Powered units
Click Here


Matching
Sound Powered headsets to crystal sets using transformers
Click Here



      Repair

Repair a set of Sound Powered RCA elements?

Well here it is! Please be careful and get help!
Click Here

Tired of those old "gummy" or smelly ear pads on your decktalkers?
Restore them or replace them

Click Here



Histories
of the
Companies who made (or make) sound powered units
Click Here
 
 



Time Magazine ad August 7, 1944  page 14
finder Owen Pool
 
 
 


1943 Western Electric Ad
U.S. Merchant Marines
 
 
 


May 21, 1945
Pacific Bell Ad, Life Magazine
PT Boats
 
 
 


September 1944
Life Magazine Ad
 
 

New !

Western Electric Ad
April 1943
 

New !

 
 

GI Joe

See the Decktalker on the right side just over the man.
 
 


Navy Petty Officer's Telecomm Patch


Ebay Auctions of Sound Powered Items
Click Here
updated periodically


Stay Tuned Crystal Radio Web Site
New main page to the "Sound Powered"  web pages
Click Here
 



Links
to web site that sell sound powered items
Click Here

 

Additional Information On Sound Powered Units
"Links"

SkyWaves
by Al Klase
(go to "crystal sets" then "Sound-Powered Telephone Spotter's Guide ")

or

Headwize
by Alan Klase
 

Ben Tongue's web page
For more information on how to match sound powered to a transformer.
Also check out his "Home" page (link at bottom of page)



 

Thanks for visiting!!!

This photo has nothing to do with SP units, but it is
the first crystal set I ever owned on my own, and
I like to see it every once in a while!!!
(about 1963)





Crystal Radio




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