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So this might be a bit off topic in which case I am happy to remove. However there is a connection as I need some ideas from you clever people....

I’ve just taken delivery of this lovely old Dictograph phone thingy! They don’t seem too rare so while I like to preserve things in their original condition in this case I fancy adding a bit of a twist. It looks lovely to my eyes and I want to do something interesting with it. I considered creating a lamp out of it by adding some bulbs in the mouthpiece and receiver or adding a light above it shining down. However, I also can’t resist all the switches and lights on the front! The 16 switches all have an up and down position and activating one in a row resets the rest in the row. Replacing the receiver resets all switches.

So what can I do? So far I’ve thought of adding an led chaser and leds behind the windows to slowly light them ‘randomly’ as if in operation. Only the second and fourth rows will actually light, the other rows are solid. I also fancy wiring up the buzzer so it sounds when the call switch is activated.

Then I wondered if there was some sort of simple ‘game’ I could create using a combination of the switches and lights. But no ideas yet........

Anyone got any wild thoughts.....?!

I can only think of the old joke .....

Love the machine. How about when one particular sequence of, let's say, four switch movements in the correct order causes the phone to ring; when the phone is then answered this causes a new random unknown sequence to be set?

That's an interesting idea. Now, how to do it....?! I guess a single sequence could be done with a few transistors in a chain. To get it changing the sequence I'd have to do something with a Pi or similar. Unless you know differently?

What about a fortune teller.......you could use the buttons to select some choices.

I remember a few old telephone related fortune tester type machines seen in old arcade pictures. A pair sold at the Elephant years ago, really cheap - £100.

Another interesting idea! Thanks

treefrog wrote: ↑Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:43 amyou could use the buttons to select some choices.

Yes, I like that. First set your gender (that's one whole row of switches spoken for these days),
then your date of birth; pick up the phone and hear which gender of tall dark stranger you are about to meet.

treefrog wrote: ↑Sat Feb 06, 2021 9:43 am What about a fortune teller.......you could use the buttons to select some choices.

I remember a few old telephone related fortune tester type machines seen in old arcade pictures. A pair sold at the Elephant years ago, really cheap - £100.

I'm all for repurposing machines that otherwise would have fallen by the wayside. I turned one of those EH Tele Fortunes machines into a very unique and whimsical creation.

Once coins are inserted, projected footage of the original US 1953 Kentucky Derby horse race begins on recessed side screens. The lineup of horses and gathering crowds are introduced by the central live race commentator head phones and microphone in place. His eyes light and his head turns. 'Recording' studio lamp lights. The starting bell sounds and the race begins. Then the lower screen opens and a full grandstand crowd of automated race goers is revealed all with heads turning to watch the horses pass. The horses thunder by and the film goes into slow motion as the horses pass the winning post for a photo finish.

Great fun with adults and kids alike, and is very popular.

Moon, that's nuts! Very imaginative reinventing of a rather boring machine. Please may we see footage of it running now that you've wet our appetite? Once upon a time when I was restoring hundreds of pinball machines and parts we're plenty I started coming up with ideas for my own e/m remakes and add-in/on ideas. Sadly was always too busy restoring something to ever get around to bringing any to reality. That ship sailed a long time ago over here as prices for any pins are crazy nowadays.

Yes Gameswat, I'll try and upload a video.

geofflove wrote: ↑Sat Feb 06, 2021 1:41 am That's an interesting idea. Now, how to do it....?! I guess a single sequence could be done with a few transistors in a chain. To get it changing the sequence I'd have to do something with a Pi or similar. Unless you know differently?

I have one of these from an old mill office, with some fab names on the extensions such as Mr Smee, but it doesn't have as many switches as yours. As yours has so many different switch combinations and as previously suggested I quite like the idea of a fortune teller too.
Based on the childrens game 'Guess Who'. Switches could be used to select colour of eyes, colour of hair, style of hair, glasses or not, season of date of birth, etc . Once selections are placed, then by pressing the 'ring' button and lifting the receiver the fortune is delivered. Obviously a lot easier to make just with the same random unisex fortunes no matter what switch combination is entered, but far more of a challenge to have the selection actually alter the fortune delivered towards a more detailed answer that hints and makes reference to the selection entered.

Thanks for the great ideas! And wow - that race machine is impressive wacky and impressive, full stop!

I’ve actually gone. A bit off piste from my original idea and decided to incorporate a Nixie tube clock into it. Never worked with one before so a good excuse. I’m also planning to put some randomly lighting leds in the line windows. And a buzzer because why not.

The switches are actually all linked in that you can only latch one at a time. Press any other one and the first releases which makes the fortune one a bit tricky. It’s easy to unlink the two banks so they are independent but not more than that. Interestingly the switches also have an up and down position with separate switches.

I’ll let you see the finished result when done. I do really like the look of it any they do seem to come up regularly on eBay in different shapes and sizes so might have another go after this one....

I've just bought some multi colour led bulbs designed for projects from wish.com (they were 67p +£2 postage for 60). They might do the job well. A word of warning though if you have never used wish.com before. It's like a drug. It's ts all but impossible to browse the site without buying something (A) it's so cheap and (B) you see things you never knew existed, lots of rubbish mixed in but some incredible gems, like the plastic tube permanent wire connectors. Push the wires in at each end then use a heat gun on it. The solder in the middle of the tube melts to make a permanent join. So easy to use in a tight space(£3 for 100):

https://www.wish.com/product/5ea12bfdd3 ... ?share=web

So for anyone interested, I finished the project I asked about a week or so back. Sadly I didn’t end up following a game idea. The switches are all linked so being able to select several choices at once wasn’t possible unless I’d introduced a transistor latching system for each one.

I did install LEDs behind each of the line lights and these slowly light up in a ‘random’ sequence when one of the switches is activated. I had thought about doing a skill type game where the lights chased around and you could pick a switch and try to stop the light on it as it pass like a fruit manic episode skill stop. However my brain ran out of power trying to work out how to only accept a press on the switch once the light was on it rather than holding it down for the light to arrive! Any ideas how to do that?

I’ve also utilised a couple of the switches to set the time, clock mode etc. And of course added the Nixie tube clock. I’ve always been facinated by these so it was a good excuse to include one and it does look the place.

I’ve also added a buzzer for the call switch. However, this is pretty tinny. I’d rather have deeper buzzer or even better a proper old phone bell. However, I’ve only got 12v dc to play with so old phone bells are no good. Anyone know an old bell or buzzer source that would work on 12v?

There are many cheap 12V buzzers made for cars.

I like what you have done with it very much

pennymachines wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 9:05 pm There are many cheap 12V buzzers made for cars.

Yes that’s the type I’ve put in it but it’s a bit high pitched to suit. I wanted something with a deeper buzz to it!

I do not know if those buzzers are suitable but reducing the power to them might lower the pitch if they are in fact buzzers in the old sense rather than a solid-state version.