View source for Pattern 185X Navyphones

The Royal Navy's '''Pattern 1855''' (for upper deck use) and '''Pattern 1856''' (for engine room use) [[Navyphone]]s were created in 1902 for shipboard communication.{{ARTS1902|pp. 60-1 and Plate 25}}  The original models were battery powered, though the 1856 was followed in 1907 by a '''Pattern 1856A''' which could be powered by motor generator.{{ARTS1907|p. 77 and Plate 11}}  There was no Pattern 1855A navyphone; instead it seems that the [[Pattern 2140A]] was partnered with the 1856A.

==Pattern 1855 Navyphone==
[[File:Pattern1855Navyphone_TDB1914.jpg|thumb|300px|'''Pattern 1855 Navyphone'''{{TorpDB1914|p. 259}}  <br> Presumably, the little circle at upper right is the call-up button, but this was actually located on the left side.{{INF}} ]]

The pattern 1855 navyphone was essentially an intercom.  It first saw use in 1902.{{ARTS1902|pp. 60-1 and Plate 25}}  By a lack of contrary evidence, it appears that it was always wired directly to one other navyphone, possibly always a Pattern 1856 located in an engine room.

===Form Factor===
The 1855 was bulkhead mounted in a cylindrical iron case, approximately 15cm across.<ref>estimating from ''Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1902'', Plate 25.</ref>  It had a push-to-talk lever marked ''Press whilst talking''{{ARTS1902|p. 60}} (or ''Press whilst speaking''{{TorpDB1914|p. 259}}) on the right side and a speaking transmitter on its face.  Like many Graham navyphones, its speaker was inside and faced rearward; a metallic horn around 60mm at its mouth came out from beneath the chassis and projected the remote speaker's voice out to the local listener.  

A call-up button on the left side{{ARTS1902|p. 60}}  sufficed to ring the bell at both the local and remote terminals.  The bells and the battery were not an integral part of the navyphone.

The Hunning cone-type transmitter was affixed by 3 screws and could be revolved (by rolling about its axis){{ElecDB1924|p. 275}} "to shake up the carbon granules."{{TorpDB1914|p. 260}}

Like most navyphones before those used in ''Lord Nelson'', ''Bellerophon'' and later classes, these phones were powered in pairs off six pattern 1453 cells in a pattern 1704 battery box.{{TorpDB1914|p. 263}}

===Service Life===
It appears that the 1855 had no direct heirs to carry on the pattern number.  The 1856A which followed its sister, however, is depicted working with a [[Pattern 2140A Navyphone]] in the 1907 Annual Report of the Torpedo School, suggesting this was the 1855's successor model.{{ARTS1907|Plate 11}}

These phones were almost certainly obsolete by 1924, by which time only phones in the [[Pattern 246X Navyphones|2460]] and [[Pattern 333X Navyphones|3330]] series were in general use.{{ElecDB1924|p. 286}}

==Pattern 1856 Navyphone==
[[File:Pattern1856Navyphone_TDB1914.jpg|thumb|300px|'''Pattern 1856 Navyphone'''<ref>''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914.'', p. 260</ref>  <br>The small circle at the 1 o'clock position may be a call indicating lamp or the call-up push.{{INF}} ]]
The 1856 was similar to the 1855, but specialised for use in the high-noise environment of an engine room and provides a great example of how comical some of the early navyphones could be.  It was introduced in 1902 along with the 1855.{{ARTS1902|pp. 60-1 and Plate 25}}

===Form Factor===
Like the 1855, the 1856 was bulkhead mounted in a cylindrical iron chassis, approximately 13cm across,<ref>estimating from ''Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1903'', Plate 20.</ref> but it differed considerably in how one listened to its receiver.  When the external call-up bell<ref>''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914'', p. 261.</ref> was hear to ring, someone would walk over and answer the call by swinging a rigid copper arm upward and outward through 90 degrees so he could place the rubber ear cup on its end over his ear.  This action switched out the bell call-up circuit and activated the face-mounted transmitter and receivers.  A second earpiece on a flexible copper tube could be cupped over his other ear to help isolate him from the noisy engineroom.

The transmitter was affixed by 3 screws and could be revolved (by rolling about its axis)<ref>''Electrical Drill Book, 1924'', p. 275.</ref> "to shake up the carbon granules."<ref>''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914'', p. 260.</ref>

Like most navyphones before those used in ''Lord Nelson'', ''Bellerophon'' and later classes, these phones were probably battery-powered, initially, powered in pairs off six pattern 1453 cells in a pattern 1704 battery box.<ref>''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914'', p. 263.</ref>  This box was separate.

===Service Life===
The 1856 was supplanted by the Pattern 1856A in 1907 as part of the move away from battery-powered navyphones.{{ARTS1907|pp. 76-7}}  It is not clear whether existing installations were updated.

==Pattern 1856A Navyphone==
[[File:Pattern1856ANavyphone_TDB1914.jpg|thumb|300px|'''Pattern 1856 Navyphone'''<ref>''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914.'', p. 266</ref>  <br>The small circle at the 1 o'clock position may be a call indicating lamp or the call-up push.{{INF}} ]]
The 1856A was an engine room navyphone introduced in 1907.{{ARTS1907|pp. 76-7}}  Primarily, it differed from the 1856 by being able to draw power from a motor generator supply rather than a battery.

===Form Factor===
The 1856A was bulkhead mounted in a cylindrical iron chassis, approximately 13cm across.<ref>estimating from ''Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1903'', Plate 20.</ref>  When the external call-up bell<ref>''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914'', p. 261.</ref> was hear to ring, someone would walk over and answer the call by swinging a rigid copper arm upward and outward 90 degrees so he could place the rubber ear cup on its end over his ear.  This action switched out the bell call-up circuit and activated the transmitter and receivers.  A second earpiece on a flexible copper tube could be cupped over his other ear to help isolate him from the noisy engineroom.  There was a call-up push button to ring the other end.<ref>''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914'', p. 268.</ref>

The transmitter was affixed by 3 screws and could be revolved (by rolling about its axis)<ref>''Electrical Drill Book, 1924'', p. 275.</ref> "to shake up the carbon granules."<ref>''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914'', p. 260.</ref>

Like most navyphones before those used in ''Lord Nelson'', ''Bellerophon'' and later classes, these phones were probably battery-powered, initially, powered in pairs off six pattern 1453 cells in a pattern 1704 battery box.<ref>''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914'', p. 263.</ref>  This box was separate.

===Service Life===
The ''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914'' lists the universal [[Pattern 2461 Navyphone]] as the successor to the 1856A.<ref>''Torpedo Drill Book, 1914'', p. 269.</ref>  It is not certain whether existing installations were updated.

==See Also==
* [[Navyphone]] 
* [[Pattern 2140A Navyphone]] (successor to Pattern 1855)
* [[Pattern 2461 Navyphone]] (successor to Pattern 1856A)

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{TorpDB1914}}
*{{ARTS1902}}
*{{ARTS1903}}
*{{ARTS1907}}
*{{ElecDB1924}}
{{refend}}

[[Category:Communications Equipment]]
[[Category:Shipboard Equipment]]