Feldfernsprecher 33 - Field Telephone 33
- Thread starter gummipuppe
- Start date
gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
Nice find. Do you have headphones for them?
bjarne
Senior Member
Pictures as requested
So everything is connected now,you just have to pick up the feldfernsprecher 33 from the floor and move out into the field!
I my case the fieldphone is in the house and if my wife want to get in contact with me she just have to crank the handle!
Regards bjarne
So everything is connected now,you just have to pick up the feldfernsprecher 33 from the floor and move out into the field!
I my case the fieldphone is in the house and if my wife want to get in contact with me she just have to crank the handle!
Regards bjarne
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gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
That is so neat, bjarne! 
Is that an authentic German lantern on the desk?
I thought about putting my phones in my house, but someone would probably trip over a cable. I may run a cable out into the woods behind my house so my wife doesn't have to scream for me from the back porch when I am out there cutting brush and tree branches.
Is that an authentic German lantern on the desk?I thought about putting my phones in my house, but someone would probably trip over a cable. I may run a cable out into the woods behind my house so my wife doesn't have to scream for me from the back porch when I am out there cutting brush and tree branches.
gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
Looks to be some sort of game card:
gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
Postwar Feldfernsprecher 54
I recently acquired a pair of German FF54 postwar field telephones for $49 per pair from a military surplus dealer:
From what I have determined, this phone was designed in 1954 to replace the FF33 which has been the subject of this thread. I've seen these phones for sale online in a bunch of places where they are purported to be "almost exactly like German field telephones of WW2." Nothing could be further from the truth.
My two phones were made in 1960 and 1988 by Standard Elektrik. They have brown bakelite cases like the FF33. With the lid closed, the FF54 is about 2 inches shorter and half an inch wider than the FF33. The FF54 is somewhat lighter than the FF33. The FF54 has a permanently mounted magneto crank that folds into an indentation in the side of the case.
The FF54 has a removable battery holder that is designed to accomodate 2 D flashlight batteries. The FF54 also comes with an external power connector that plugs into two pins at the bottom of the battery compartment when the holder is removed. There is also a volume selector slide switch for the ringer. You can select loud or quiet ring. Also, like the FF33, there is a white "prüftaste" pushbutton to test the phone's ringer. This is done by shorting out the La/LbE terminals, holding down the button, and turning the magneto crank.
The FF54 also comes with a patch cord that plugs into a socket in the front of the bakelite case in order to hook two phones together to enable more than one person to speak to the party on the other end. Kind of like conference calling. The FF33 had a similar arrangement, but it's hard to find an FF33 with the patch cords still included.
One feature that the FF54 has over the FF33 is a switch hook that folds out from inside the case to cradle the receiver when the lid is closed. The FF54 can be used with the switch hook folded in or out. When folded in, there is an "OB" visible on the hook which stands for "Orbtsbetrieb" (local mode). When folded out, there is a "ZB" visible, which stands for "Zentralbetrieb" (central mode).
In OB, the FF54's receiver can be placed across the top of the closed lid, same as the FF33. However, there are indentations in the FF54 lid to accommodate the speaker and microphone of the receiver to prevent it from sliding off the lid. If the phone is connected to a switchboard, the caller must turn the magneto crank one turn to signal the switchboard operator that the call has ended and to manually disconnect the line.
In ZB, the receiver is kept on the switch hook when not in use. If the receiver is off the hook and someone on the other end of the line tries to ring the phone, their magneto will short out and the phone won't ring. It is my understanding that in ZB, the switch hook sends a pulse to the civilian automatic telephone system to signal that the party is done talking, the phone is hung up, and the line is to be disconnected.
Both the FF33 and FF54 are compatible with each other. So, if you have only one FF33, you can buy an FF54 to test and use it. The FF54 has a green cotton webbing shoulder strap of a very similar design to the FF33 leather strap. They appear to be interchangeable.
One interesting difference between the FF33 and the FF54 are the white plates on the top of the lid. The one on the right has a phonetic code and the one on the left allows the nachrichtentruppe to put an ID number on the phone with a china marker. On the FF33, the phonetic code is German. On the FF54, it appears to be NATO. The ID plate on the FF33 is mostly blank except for a colored line, typically green. The FF54 ID plate has a red line, along with the warning, "Handappart Auflegen! Sonst Abhörgefahr," which means "Hang Up The Receiver! Otherwise Risk Interception."
I must say that the FF54 has much better sound quality and higher volume than the FF33. The ring tone sounds different too.
Incidentally, my two FF54s were kind of grimy and rough around the edges compared to my FF33s, which rather surprised me. They had stickers, duct tape, cellophane tape, and paint on the cases, which was easily removable. They cleaned up nicely. The phones were sold as-is, with no guarantee, but at $49 per pair, it was worth the risk. The only problem I had with them was a broken terminal in the receiver plug. After a quick solder repair, both function very well.
I see the FF54 phones priced online from $49 to $180 per pair. One well known militaria dealer who has a reality television show, erroneously refers to the FF54 as a "WW2 Type Model 33." Nope. Two different animals.
I recently acquired a pair of German FF54 postwar field telephones for $49 per pair from a military surplus dealer:
From what I have determined, this phone was designed in 1954 to replace the FF33 which has been the subject of this thread. I've seen these phones for sale online in a bunch of places where they are purported to be "almost exactly like German field telephones of WW2." Nothing could be further from the truth.
My two phones were made in 1960 and 1988 by Standard Elektrik. They have brown bakelite cases like the FF33. With the lid closed, the FF54 is about 2 inches shorter and half an inch wider than the FF33. The FF54 is somewhat lighter than the FF33. The FF54 has a permanently mounted magneto crank that folds into an indentation in the side of the case.
The FF54 has a removable battery holder that is designed to accomodate 2 D flashlight batteries. The FF54 also comes with an external power connector that plugs into two pins at the bottom of the battery compartment when the holder is removed. There is also a volume selector slide switch for the ringer. You can select loud or quiet ring. Also, like the FF33, there is a white "prüftaste" pushbutton to test the phone's ringer. This is done by shorting out the La/LbE terminals, holding down the button, and turning the magneto crank.
The FF54 also comes with a patch cord that plugs into a socket in the front of the bakelite case in order to hook two phones together to enable more than one person to speak to the party on the other end. Kind of like conference calling. The FF33 had a similar arrangement, but it's hard to find an FF33 with the patch cords still included.
One feature that the FF54 has over the FF33 is a switch hook that folds out from inside the case to cradle the receiver when the lid is closed. The FF54 can be used with the switch hook folded in or out. When folded in, there is an "OB" visible on the hook which stands for "Orbtsbetrieb" (local mode). When folded out, there is a "ZB" visible, which stands for "Zentralbetrieb" (central mode).
In OB, the FF54's receiver can be placed across the top of the closed lid, same as the FF33. However, there are indentations in the FF54 lid to accommodate the speaker and microphone of the receiver to prevent it from sliding off the lid. If the phone is connected to a switchboard, the caller must turn the magneto crank one turn to signal the switchboard operator that the call has ended and to manually disconnect the line.
In ZB, the receiver is kept on the switch hook when not in use. If the receiver is off the hook and someone on the other end of the line tries to ring the phone, their magneto will short out and the phone won't ring. It is my understanding that in ZB, the switch hook sends a pulse to the civilian automatic telephone system to signal that the party is done talking, the phone is hung up, and the line is to be disconnected.
Both the FF33 and FF54 are compatible with each other. So, if you have only one FF33, you can buy an FF54 to test and use it. The FF54 has a green cotton webbing shoulder strap of a very similar design to the FF33 leather strap. They appear to be interchangeable.
One interesting difference between the FF33 and the FF54 are the white plates on the top of the lid. The one on the right has a phonetic code and the one on the left allows the nachrichtentruppe to put an ID number on the phone with a china marker. On the FF33, the phonetic code is German. On the FF54, it appears to be NATO. The ID plate on the FF33 is mostly blank except for a colored line, typically green. The FF54 ID plate has a red line, along with the warning, "Handappart Auflegen! Sonst Abhörgefahr," which means "Hang Up The Receiver! Otherwise Risk Interception."
I must say that the FF54 has much better sound quality and higher volume than the FF33. The ring tone sounds different too.
Incidentally, my two FF54s were kind of grimy and rough around the edges compared to my FF33s, which rather surprised me. They had stickers, duct tape, cellophane tape, and paint on the cases, which was easily removable. They cleaned up nicely. The phones were sold as-is, with no guarantee, but at $49 per pair, it was worth the risk. The only problem I had with them was a broken terminal in the receiver plug. After a quick solder repair, both function very well.
I see the FF54 phones priced online from $49 to $180 per pair. One well known militaria dealer who has a reality television show, erroneously refers to the FF54 as a "WW2 Type Model 33." Nope. Two different animals.
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gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
Thank you, bjarne. The FF54 is good quality, but not as good as the FF33. They are still pretty nice though. While you are at it, buy two. Get one of these postwar cloth and wood signs to go along with them:
I have one that was made in 1965 and plan to use it as a pattern to make a replica WW2 sign. The WW2 version was about the same size and had a white arrow sewn into the cloth below the "F." The postwar wooden arrow is the same except that the WW2 arrow has a red "F" in the middle of the arrow shaft.
BTW, the "F" on the postwar cloth sign is glow-in-the-dark plastic sewn onto the cloth.
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gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
FF54 Rotary Dial Attachment
Now this is really cool:
Now this is really cool:
gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
FF54 Rotary Dial In Action
Connected to the civilian telephone system:
Connected to the civilian telephone system:
ordnung must sein!!
gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
Nachrichtentruppe Erkennungsmarke?
This is pretty cool:
This is pretty cool:
gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
I don't own it, but I wish I did.
If I am understanding the markings correctly, the wearer of this tag belonged to the 5th Telephone Replacement Company, Telecommunications Replacement Division 4.
If I am understanding the markings correctly, the wearer of this tag belonged to the 5th Telephone Replacement Company, Telecommunications Replacement Division 4.
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gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
At long last, my modest switchboard setup:
Caller on Line 2...
These switchboards are not too easy to find in the US.
Caller on Line 2...
These switchboards are not too easy to find in the US.
gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
very very nice
Thank you. Now I need more FF33 to connect to all those lines.
gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
Cool Video of Nachrichtentruppen in Action Laying Telephone Lines
This is pretty neat:
This is pretty neat:
