Swiss Feldtelefon 50 Field Telephone, Surplus

The world’s most neutral field telephone from the era when we didn’t swipe, we hand-cranked. The most compact mobile phone of its time without addictive features. We cannot guarantee that these work but if they do, they do it with gusto! For those who fear that the smartphone steals your brain waves or that Big Brother has ears everywhere; not even the devil can monitor these calls. Field phones are becoming rarer and rarer, so get yours while you still can!

Historical ramblings

Feldtelefon 50 (FTf 50) was developed by Albiswerk Zürich AG, which was a Swiss subsidiary of Siemens. It was inspired by the American EE-8 field telephone that was used throughout WWII. The number 50 refers to the year 1950 when it was first produced. The phone was in use in the Swiss army up until somewhere in the 1980s. It was also employed by the Dutch military under the name Veldtelefoontoestel TA-3001.

One would think that the time has been a cruel mistress to field phones, but their time isn’t done yet. They still see some action, for example, in Ukraine at the moment.

Features

FTf 50 is packed in a rectangular protective casing made from green canvas that also features a shoulder strap made from the same sturdy material. On the backside, there is a belt loop that gives you a handy hands-free functionality. Canvas has been treated to be water-repellant with some goo.

When you open the buckled lid, you’ll find the phone and the handset. The transmitter and the receiver inside the handset are easily replaceable, and some of these phones include either one of them as a spare part in a metal jar. Don’t despair if yours doesn’t. We cannot guarantee that the spare parts work. Furthermore, some of the jars are so tightly shut that the uncontrolled ragefest needed to open them might seal their fate anyway. On the other hand, you might get lucky, and everything works.

This telephone is very compact and lightweight, weighing only 2.3 kg (5 lbs). Folks who are used to modern wimpy phones might think that it is a lot, but the previous generations carried these happily in comparison to other communications gear of the era.

Use

We cannot promise that these work because they are as old as time itself. However, the field phone isn’t the most complicated gadget out there, so if it doesn’t work, a handy person can probably make it work. At the very least, it will function as an awesome decorative element and the crown jewel of your cabinet of curiosities.

The idea is to connect two phones like this with cables. By unscrewing the two knobs found on the phone, you’ll open two holes underneath where you can attach the cables. Simply screw them shut, and you have your own private connection. The phone is powered by a 1.5-volt battery (not included). On the side of the phone, there is a hand crank that you use to call the other phone. More detailed instructions can be found online. There are even videos about this particular phone.

If yours works or you make it work, your options are limitless. Set up your own base of operations at the sauna by the beach and request more refreshments from the HQ when your supplies are running low. And for more paranoid folks, here you have a secure connection. You only need two of these and a couple of miles of cable, and you discuss business deals without extra ears.

Condition

Used Swiss military surplus. For their age, these look great. Of course, there are scratches and other signs of use on these phones, but they only add to their rustic charm. It’s impossible to say much about what’s lurking inside because we cannot test each and every one of them. So, they are sold for collecting and for old tech aficionados.