strange 12 pin socket

[lynnlmwelsh]

anyone any ideas what this might be ? this socket is on the wall in my living room, im thinking a radio socket or something. my house was a police house many years ago could this be for the police radio ?

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• lynnlmwelsh
• 12 Dec 2011
• 2

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• lynnlmwelsh
• 12 Dec 2011
• 2

 

[333rocky333]

looks like an old type of data socket to me

 

[toasty]

Rediffussion maybe?
It was a kind of old school cable tv network which was controlled with a rotary switch...

My grandparents had something similar in their lounge until the late 80s - no longer working of course!
I think Rediffusion used twisted pairs rather than coax

More info here http://www.yourmiss.us/808mrlu/

 

[toasty]

I've just been reading up on it. Apparently some areas had up to 22 pair cables (to support up to 22 channels!)

Nice discussion here http://www.yourmiss.us/808fj9g/

There's a certain charm about this old stuff that I'm not sure still exists with the more modern developments, interesting anyway!

 

[Robin0577]

I think that's a Cinch-Jones connector, available in various configurations from 2 to 20 pin, and widely used on radio communications equipment.

That particular configuation, according to the web, is used as a power connector for "Drake TR4, Kenwood TS520, Yaesu FT-101 series and many other radios"

So my guess is that your guess aout police radio is correct.

 

[Robin0577]

BTW, that's quite a rare connector nowadays, and vintage radio enthusiasts will be quite likely to buy it, see this link http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CINCH-JON...081?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2eec98d1

 

[mattylad]

Not Rediffussion, I used to have that and its nowt like that.

Ditto about the above connector comment, the plugs are easy to get, the sockets even harder.

 

[lynnlmwelsh]

thanks for the replies and sorry about the duplicate post, just wasnt sure which catagory was the most appropriate. so would this cable if it is a cinch jones thing have power to it ? or would it just be an aerial type set up ?

 

[toasty]

Where does the other end of the cable end up?
I suspect (if I'm right about it being some old CATV/MATV system like Rediffusion) it'll end up outside on the soffit or window ledge somewhere and be tapped into a larger dristribution cable daisy chained between different houses.

The old rediffusion systems were live in Bristol (where I am) up until the late 90s, and I've heard that some of the old cabling is still used even today, so you might pick up something with a tester (providing of course that the other end is still connected!)

Remember that Rediffusion TV was different for each county/town. Some only had 4 channels (4 pair) some had 6 (like yours I believe) and others had as many as 22 pairs. Some used multiplex technologies, others had up to 6 co-ax cables running VHF signals etc... etc...

Mattylad, I take your point, the systems I've seen have never used that particular connector, but as I say, different regions had different tech.

I can't see how it would be a power connector personally... firstly the colours appear to all be in pairs (2 of each colour) and I can't see why a radio would need a 12 pole connector for power, and if they did why not just plug it in with a PSU, rather than go to the trouble of distributing a load of different DC/AC voltages about the place...?

Interesting stuff though, first things first though, where is the other end of that cable. Also where in the UK are you? Not all regions had cable tv installed, so that might be a clue.

Cheers
Dan

 

[toasty]

What about a small telephone exchange....
Apparently BT/GPO used to use these old Cinch-Jones / Buglin connectors.

 

[lynnlmwelsh]

the area is ayrshire scotland and im not sure about the rediffusion tv thing because the house i moved from was on the other side of the same street and it had nothing like this although in saying that I am lead to believe that this (current) house was built around 10 years later to house a policeman and his family

 

[lynnlmwelsh]

oh and the cable doesnt go through the wall to outside it goes up inside the wall ending up who knows where ! I will have a closer look later

 

[OwainDIYer]

If by police house you mean police office, possible it was used for connecting a control panel to a radio head end in the loft.

If it was just a police house then either a rediffusion sytsem or possibly some form of intercom or bell/call system for calling officers in to the station.

 

[lynnlmwelsh]

dont have a loft its a pitched roof

 

[ccam108]

Similar existed in my parents' 1970s council house in East Kilbride. I'm told there was a cable that ran through all the lofts in the terrace which was tapped off to feed a point in each house.