A while ago, I wrote a blog article about how important it is to let visitors get involved in your display at public reenacting events,. Visitors don’t learn much when they are presented with tables full of static equipment, and no explanation of what the equipment is and how it was used.
At events, I set up my small, 10-Line switchboard in my field telephone exchange display. This switchboard has a rotary dial Amtszusatz attachment and it is wired up to the operator’s FF33 field telephone via the “Abfr.” terminals.
Two FF33s are wired into two lines of the switchboard. The two field telephones are placed on a small table that is accessible to visitors.
A schematic for the small, 10-Line switchboard is as follows…
To connect the two phones, plug the line cord of Line 1 into the line cord jack connection socket of Line 2. The phones can also be connected by plugging the line cord of Line 2 into the line cord jack connection socket of Line 1. After the connections are made, visitors are invited to talk on the two phones. Before they begin, visitors are instructed to press the handset buttons while talking.
Single visitors can talk to the operator. This is set up by pressing the line connection buttons for Line 1 or line 2. The visitor is invited to pick up the handset of the connected phone to talk to the operator. Again, before they begin, instruct the visitor to press the handset button while talking.
Occasionally, a visitor will ask what the cranks are for on the field telephones. To demonstrate, I remove the line cord and press the line disconnect button. I then tell the visitor to turn the crank clockwise on one of the phones. This causes the signal flap to drop on the switchboard. I then press the line connection button on the switchboard and turn the crank on the operator’s phone. This rings the bell on the associated FF33.
Visitors are amazed at the sound quality of 80+ year old field phones and they learn a lot about the technology by using it.
For more information about the small 10-Line field switchboard check out my new book on WW2 German field telephone equipment… https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/rotwang-manteuffel/world-war-2-german-field-telephone-equipment-a-basic-guide-for-reenactors-and-historians/paperback/product-976w9q.html?page=1&pageSize=4
WW2 German Field Telephone Equipment 