Pattern 210X Navyphones

Pattern 2108 Navyphone
The little circle is probably the call-up push.

The Royal Navy's Pattern 2108 and Pattern 2109 Navyphones were intended for fire control purposes, being fitted in control positions and guns, respectively. The original models were battery powered, and were later followed by variants bearing A and B suffices which could be powered by batteries or by motor generator.

Pattern 2108 and 2109 Navyphones

Pattern 2109 Navyphone
The little circle may be a blank for the call-up push on the 2108 which the 2109 lacked.

The 2108 came into service around 1904, as it is mentioned in the Torpedo Drill Book, 1905 as being "the latest type." The 2109 probably came into service in 1905.^[Inference]

Form Factor

These two phones were probably identical in general appearance, except the 2108 (at the control position) had a push button to ring an external bell near the 2109 at the gun position and the 2109 had no call-up button. Consistent with a need to keep fire control phones entirely free of cross-talk, the phones were always wired in pairs by 4 wires with no switchboard or multiplexing. The cases were iron, and the receiver horn was probably copper and projected from beneath the case as in the Pattern 1855 Navyphone.^[Inference] A momentary push-to-talk lever was located on the lower right.

The receivers were always on-line, which meant that if the "Press for speaking" button at either end were pressed, an intercom-like loudspeaker function would result. However, if the 2108's call-up button were pressed, the 2109's external bell would ring for that extra bit of attention. This seems consistent to the greater noise that might be at the guns and also reflects the one-to-many relationship of a control position to several gun positions.

These phones were powered by six pattern 1453 cells in a pattern 1704 battery box. This box was probably situated near one of the two phones.^[Inference]

Service Life

These phones were supplanted by the 2108A and 2109A models in 1907. It was noted that they were incompatible with new types that could be worked by motor generator and which were sealed against wind, water and spray. It is likely that existing installations were updated only if they were exposed and thus needed the improved weather proofing.

Pattern 2108A and 2109A Navyphones

Pattern 2108A Navyphone

Pattern 2109A Navyphone

These were employed just as the earlier models, but now were suitable for use with a motor generator.

Form Factor

The 2108A's call-up button had been modified to be a two-way switch like a Morse key, allowing it to always call the gun position unless the 2109A's talk button was depressed. The 2109A's receiver was always online, and the 2108A's was online except when the bell push was depressed.

Judging from the images in the 1914 Torpedo Drill Book, these phones differed from patterns 2108 and 2109 by having their receiver horns projecting diagonally downward when they were mounted (down and left for the 2108A and down and right for the 2109A). The position of the push-to-talk levers suggests this may not reflect a difference in design between the 2108A and 2109A, but may instead mean that the 2109A was twisted 90 degrees counter-clockwise before being mounted. The drawings, sparse in detail as they are, also suggests that the A models also had the type of transmitter that was automatically rotated to shake up the carbon granules within as the lever was pressed.

Service Life

Presumably, the 2108B and 2109B replaced these at some period, but not many details have been found on them. However, it can comfortably be stated that by 1910 the Pattern 2461 Navyphone was to succeed these models and the later -B models. It is not certain whether existing installations were updated by either successor, however.

Pattern 2108B and 2109B Navyphones

I have been able to find no details on how these differed from the -A models. Presumably, their date of introduction was after 1907 and before 1910.

Form Factor

Presumably, these were much like the A models.^[Inference]

Service Life

The 1910 Annual Report of the Torpedo School names the universal Pattern 2461 Navyphone as the successor to both models. It is not certain whether existing installations were updated.

Cabin Navyphone Version

Form Factor

In this application, the phone was divided into a wall fitting and a table fitting. The wall fitting received the 4 wires from the remote station and contained a call-up bell, and sent a 6 wire cable to the desk fitting containing the receiver and call-up and push-to-talk buttons.

The transmitter was connected by a twin-core wire for a small degree of flexibility in use, and could be hung up by placing it face-down on a rest to disable the transmitter circuit and enable the local bell. The short trumpet projecting upward from the receiver could rotate in yaw.

Service Life

These awkward phones were first used in some cabins in Dreadnought and later ships, and where supplanted sometime before 1914 by the Pattern 541 Navyphone which much more closely resembled a modern wall phone. It is not certain whether existing installations were updated.

See Also

• Navyphone
• Pattern 2461 Navyphone
• Pattern 541 Navyphone

Bibliography

• H.M.S.O., London Torpedo Drill Book, 1905 (Corrected to December, 1904). Copy in Tony Lovell's library.
• H.M.S.O., London Torpedo Drill Book, 1908 (Corrected to December, 1907). Copy in Tony Lovell's library.
• H.M.S.O., London Torpedo Drill Book, 1912 (Corrected to April, 1912). Copy in Tony Lovell's library.
• H.M.S.O., London (1914). Torpedo Drill Book, 1914 (Corrected to May 15) Copy in Tony Lovell's library.
• H.M.S. Vernon. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1907, with Appendix (Wireless Telegraphy). Copy 9 at The National Archives. ADM 189/27.
• H.M.S. Vernon. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1910, with Appendix (Wireless Telegraphy). Copy 436 at The National Archives. ADM 189/30.
• D.T.M. Department, Admiralty (1924). Electrical Drill Book. O.U. 5317. Copy in Tony Lovell's library.