# Navy Sub's wind up phone?



## iForgeDesigns

I know this is probably a stupid question but the navy has on its ships a "wind up phone" along with the PA systems, to call to other parts of the ship. But i dont know what its called, does anyone know what im talking about or know how it works?


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## bbrider

I dont know about wind-up phones, but the 1mc is the most common on all naval ships and subs. Damage Control also uses sound powered phones.


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## cnsper

It should be similar to the field telephone that the army used up until about 1960. 

Man could you get someone's attention with one of those...


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## Padre

iForgeDesigns said:


> I know this is probably a stupid question but the navy has on its ships a "wind up phone" along with the PA systems, to call to other parts of the ship. But i dont know what its called, does anyone know what im talking about or know how it works?


Although not exactly the same phone the US navy uses Sound powered telephones are required on all large ships to maintain lines of communication between essential stations on the ship in the event of a loss of power. They often run off of a DC 15v power system and have a built in hand generator for power down scenarios. I believe they are also supposedly blast proof. I remember looking into them at one point...they aren't really sold to the consumer market but are geared to shipbuilders.

Here are a number of examples from HSC.

http://www.navteam.com/Products/Communication/Intercom.html?maxproduct=0


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## labotomi

They aren't wind up. The crank is to generate a short "whoop" sound to get the attention of the people at the station you want to talk to. The phones themselves are sound powered meaning your voice moves the diaphragm which generates the signal sent to the receiver. 

They are very simple and virtually indestructible. Sound quality isn't great though.


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## cqp33

It is called a "growler" and it is a type of sound powered telephone. They are used on minesweepers still today because every phone/speaker has a magnet in it. A bad no-no in a minefield.
Every ship has sound powered telephones still just in case a loss of power (highly likely during a casualty when communications are a must!)
If you want to know how relevant sound powered phones are google "USS Cole lessons learned sound powered phones"!


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


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## IlliniWarrior

all kinds of surplus ex-soviet field telephones/systems on the market ...


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## iForgeDesigns

Yes padre and labotomi, i think you're both right. The only time I've seen one is in the movie crimson tide where the weapon stations chief talks to the Captain and opens the box, picks up the phone, and actually winds a dial that gives it a short whoop sound like a wind up flashlight then starts talking


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## gnome

I am not sure but I am wondering if this is some of the info that you want....

http://www.oldphoneman.com/FSMagnetos.htm

I do not personally use them for the same thing that this guy does but they do have a lot of uses in electronics projects.


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## iForgeDesigns

ill try and find a picture of it if i can, sorry for thge hassle, i know its probably a stupid conversation. i just saw it and wanted to know what it was


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## smaj100

The army still used TA-312's (field phones) when I joined in the 90's....

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/ta-312 still available just not that cheap. 2 d cell batteries and some wd1, 2 wire spools and your in business.


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## Marcus

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TA-312-TA-4...dio-TelephoneTA-312PT-telephone-/131420404711

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-field-pho...-original-morse-code-hand-crank-/331466368955

http://signalcenter.com/


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## LincTex

smaj100 said:


> The army still used TA-312's .......... still available just not that cheap.


Big ol' honkin' beastly things... 
that's what comes to mind when someone says it's made to "Mil-spec"!!!


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## Cotton

iForgeDesigns said:


> I know this is probably a stupid question but the navy has on its ships a "wind up phone" along with the PA systems, to call to other parts of the ship. But i dont know what its called, does anyone know what im talking about or know how it works?


They are sound powered phones. Labotomi has it right. Coast Guard cutters used the same system. Here is their manual for the system.

https://www.uscg.mil/directives/cim/9000-9999/CIM_9430_1.pdf

Back in the day, just as in the Coast Guard, the Navy rating for the folks who maintained them was IC for Internal communications.

A common Navy joke on the petty officer of the watch&#8230; In home port with civilian contractors coming on board/leaving, sailors coming and going&#8230; If the petty officer of the watch was the type guy who could get overwhelmed!

We'd wait until he was really busy then ring the quarterdeck with the message "Please page ic2 Clearly to the Galley". If moments later we heard over the 1MC "IC2 Clearly to the Galley, IC2 Clearly to the Galley"&#8230; Everyone on the ship would smile because everyone knew the petty officer of the watch had just been pranked! 

What we usually heard was "IC2 Clearly to the galley, Oh S.."!


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## iForgeDesigns

i see, ok well that answers my question. Thank you to Padre, Labotomi, and Cotton! Thank you also to everyone else as well, i have wondered about this question for sometime. Thank you for indulging me.

i have also wondered what this little mil-spec satellite I've seen soldiers use in Iraq. It is about the size of a dorm fridge maybe a little bigger and hooks up to computers for secure access? Anyone know?


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