NOVEL TELEPHONE SYSTEM

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 34, 2 October 1931, Page 5

NOVEL TELEPHONE SYSTEM

INSTALLATION FOR DIRIGIBLE Arkon, OHIO, A flying telephone system, nearly three city blocks long, equalling in efficiency and number of instruments the equipment found in a small apartment house, is being installed in the U.S.S. Akron, world's largest airship just completed at the GoodyearJ Zeppelin dock, Akron for the United ! States Navy.

The system mcludes 17 seperate telephones, located at strategic points from the bow to the stern of the Akron, which will provide communication between all parts of the ship. When the craft is moored, it has a line that may be plugged into an ontside system, allowing local or long distance calls to he made direct from the ship. The necessity for weight conversation was responsible for use of alumium wherever possible in building the system and as a result its total weight, including the 19 instru1 ments, switchboard and three miles j of cable, has been reduced by GoodI year-Zeppelin engineers, builders of j the ship, toTess than 250 pounds. I Weight of a similar instrument in an j apartment house is more than 400 ' pounds.

The switchboard is located in the bulkhead between the control room and the chart room, and may he operated from either room. The switchboard box, which is gas tight, is made of welded aluminium. There will be no aerial "hello girl" on the ship, as the officer of the deck or the junior officer of the deck will operate the board as a part of their routine duties. Needless to say, the system will be "for business calls only." The board will handle three seperate conversations at once, but should additional calls come in it will be necessary to interupt one conversation. Power for the system is provided by a 24-volt circuit form the generator room.

When the ringing key on the switchboard is pressed, a musical sound — approximately the key of C, which experts say is more andible I than any other — issues* from the instrument to which the call is going. i If desired all instruments may be "rung" at once and - the sound used 'to transmit code messages throughout the ship. Should the captain of the j Akron desire to speak to all phones at once he may do so issuing .general or- ! ders to every strategic point. ' The instruments are similar in appearanee to the small square type sometimes seen in factories. The switches are gas tight and the telephone box suspended by springs from its four corners to prevent and interference hy vibration.. Instead of one ear phone as in the usual equipment, two are provided and they are fitted with ruber cups which shnt out extraneoug noise while in use. Special circuits have been provided for other types of phones which may be installed hy the Navy if desired.