Military Field Telephone TA-57, with Original Bakelite Case, late 1950s - 1980s.
The case measures 8 ½" x 6 ¼" x 3"; the entire set weighs a little over 5 lbs. The phone features a hand-cranked inductor for sending the ring signal to the phone on the other end of the wire. The phone's specs promise the maximum length of a functional connection of 44 km (27 miles) over a field wire pulled on the ground, and up to 250 km (155 miles) over wires in the air, on telephone poles. It has three metal loops for hooking up shoulder straps with carabiners, to carry the phone in vertical or horizontal position.
The telephone is so sturdy and reliable that it got the affect
The case measures 8 ½" x 6 ¼" x 3"; the entire set weighs a little over 5 lbs. The phone features a hand-cranked inductor for sending the ring signal to the phone on the other end of the wire. The phone's specs promise the maximum length of a functional connection of 44 km (27 miles) over a field wire pulled on the ground, and up to 250 km (155 miles) over wires in the air, on telephone poles. It has three metal loops for hooking up shoulder straps with carabiners, to carry the phone in vertical or horizontal position.
The telephone is so sturdy and reliable that it got the affectionate moniker ТАПОК ("TAPOK", Russian for "house slipper"). It is still manufactured in Russian Federation, albeit on special order, and is still in use there, and in other former Soviet republics.
In excellent condition in terms of appearance. All visible parts and components are in place (minus the battery, but the modern specs say that the original battery can be replaced with a cassette of six AA's). There is a smudge of pale-blue paint at the lower right-hand corner on the front, slightly annoying but not really detractive. The inductor crank can be turned, albeit with some effort. We have not tested the phone in its primary function but hope it may be in working condition and may "come alive" in the hands of an enthusiast. Having said that, we offer it purely as a collectible item and offer no guarantee of its functionality whatsoever.
Please note that the medal in our photo is for size reference.
$190.00 Add to cart