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From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: net.ham-radio
Subject: Re: Where can I get a Picturephone?
Message-ID: <258@kitty.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7-Aug-85 09:29:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: kitty.258
Posted: Wed Aug  7 09:29:38 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 7-Aug-85 23:49:27 EDT
References: <28267ea6.1de6@apollo.uucp>
Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY
Lines: 31

> Any idea where I can find a working or restoreable pair of Western Electric
> Picturephones?  I'm looking for the real thing, not a work-alike.  They are
> all phone company property, I know, but regular phones have leaked out, so
> why not picturephones?

	I too would love to tinker with some Picturephones (tm), but alas,
I think they are AT&T's best kept secret - perhaps to hide what was a rather
bad marketing blunder.  I understand that there are *large* quantities of
unused Picturephones along with anciliary apparatus like Picturephone line
repeaters, special KTU equipment, etc. which are still squirreled away by
AT&T Technologies and the [former] Bell System operating companies.
	Since the Picturephone was introduced ~1965, the electronic technology
used in the apparatus is quite outdated by today's standards; the Bell System
never sold enough systems to justify any newer design.  If my data is correct,
the Picturephone apparatus used *all* discrete components!  As far as I have
been able to observe, the Picturephone "Tele-conferencing Service" which is
still offered by some of the [former] Bell System operating companies uses no
apparatus in common with the original Picturephone station concept.
	I would be interested in obtaining some Picturephones to play with
if someone knows of a legitimate source.

	Larry Lippman
	Recognition Research Corp.
	Clarence, New York
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