Differences between the 706 and 746

Now that i have both General Post Office 706 and 746 telephones in the collection, i thought it would be interesting to look at how these - at first glance identical - telephones differ. The 706 dialphone debuted in 1959 and soon became very popular. The 746 was an updated version of the telephone which arrived in 1967.

The main difference with these telephones is at the back of the case. The 746 has a built in recess which can be used as a carrying handle. Useful if you wish to look cool, walking around while on the telephone. Some 706s did have handles too but these were removeable (and probably losable).

Internally, the telephones were similar though the regulator, which was introduced with the 706 and could reduce the telephone's sensitivity if the telephone was affected by being too close to the telephone exchange (or other electromagnetic interference), was built into the circuitry and could not be removed unlike the 706.

In the photographs, the black telephone on the left is a 706L (the L meaning it had lettering around the dial - see exchange codes for the reason why) and the red on the right is a 746, modified to use the New Plan plug (so officially an 8746).

Changing a ribbon on a Leader II

Time for another ribbon change. My Silver-Reed Leader II is next on the list to receive a fresh ribbon, as it is a Seiko derived machine the process is fairly painless and just involves removing the old ribbon spools from their holders and lifting the ribbon from the machine. Then placing the new ribbon spools on the holders, making sure the hole is aligned with the prong so the ribbon will be advanced when you type. 

The only fiddly bit is making sure the ribbon is correctly threaded through the ribbon holder assembly so that when you type the type bar hits the ribbon and then the paper. I can happily report the Leader II now types nice and clearly again, in both colours.

Carriage release

As you probably know, the carriage is the moving part of the typewriter. Every time you type a letter, the carriage will move a space to the left so the paper is in the right place for the next key strike. The carriage holds the paper in place using a roller. However, inserting the paper into the carriage and making sure it is straight is not the easiest thing in the world as the roller holds the paper tight.

Luckily most typewriters have a feature to help with this. The carriage release, usually a switch on the right side of the carriage, loosens the roller so you can slide the paper about to get it straight. Just don't forget to tighten it up again before you start typing!

GPO 706 dialphone

The General Post Office released it's 706 model telephone in 1959, a modernised version of earlier GPO telephones with inspiration taken from contemporary American designs. The 706, and it's later update the 746, remained in production for decades and can still be used today if retro-fitted with a New Plan BT socket.

One variant of the 706 was the 706L which had a lettered dial. This was useful in the age of letter coded telephone exchanges. Our example is a 706L.

The 706 was fitted with an optional regulator which could reduce the sensitivity of the telephone if the line was too close to a telephone exchange or even if the telephone was picking up interference from nearby strong radio transmissions. The 746 had this regulator built into it's circuitry.

Showcase (15) : Olympus Olympiette

After the Brother 1350 which of course started the collection, this is my favourite typewriter in the collection. We are now into the 1980s and plastic is used more and more in typewriter construction. This is certainly the case with the Olympiette with it's beige moulded cover and dark grey keys.

So why do i love this typewriter so much, apart from the fact it types pretty well i love the fact it has London map stickers on it. It seems to me this was a typewriter that worked hard throughout it's life probably in some dingy office deep in London.

Royal Digital 5-M

It is the 1970s, established typewriter brands of course had to venture out into the exciting new world of the electronic calculator. This pleasing calculator was made in 1972 for the Litton Imperial Typewriter Company under it's Royal brand as the Royal Digital 5-M. 

The calculator had five functions, the four basic arithmetic functions and percentages thanks to algebraic logic, and also had memory. The calculator had an 8 digit green vacuum fluorescent tube display.