It would look a little like a phone cradle. When in conversation and you want to turn it into speaker (so everybody hears) you put the phone on this cradle.

There's a mic that receves the sounds from the "receiver" the sounds are amplified and output from speakers so we hear the conversation.

Optionally an extra small unit has a mic directed at the room, so the person talking hears us all. A small speaker would fit in the mouthpiece area.

In that case the mic would have to be shielded from the speakers so as not to get the feedback screeching efect.

Also optionally some digital signal processing making the sounds chrystal clear, and eliminating the echo feedback from the speakers into the mouthpeace.
-- pashute, Oct 18 2002

#011A Telephone Amplifier http://www.becophones.com/replacement.htm
[phoenix, Oct 18 2002]

RadioShack Telephone Amplifier System http://support.tand...rt_phones/27238.htm
[phoenix, Oct 18 2002]

AMP & LS No. 11... http://web.ukonline...shwater/ampls11.htm
"...a loudspeaking telephone attachment which can be added to existing handset telephone installations, (except Internal Telephone System) to provide full, voice switched, loudspeaking telephone facilities." [phoenix, Oct 18 2002]

Telepal Telephone Amplifier http://www.shop.rni..._telephones_28.html
[phoenix, Oct 18 2002]

AMPLIFIED TELEPHONES http://www.hacofamerica.com/ADphone.htm
[phoenix, Oct 18 2002]

CE-100 Audio amplifier http://www.alliedre...g_impaired_amp.html
[phoenix, Oct 18 2002]

Baked as pizza
-- thumbwax, Oct 18 2002


where?

(if i find it's baked as pizza i'll remove it. and why don't i see it in stores?
-- pashute, Oct 18 2002


Which stores do you look in? Any good phone shop should sell these.
-- Bugsy, Oct 18 2002


They are rare these days, as so many cheap handsets have speakerphones built in. In the UK they were available up to the late 1970's, first from GPO and then from its accursed sucessor, British <spit> Telecom. A Plessey design, I seem to recall. I think GE may have made some in the USA and I've also seen them from Binatone. They sometines show up in second hand shops and carboot sales, along with 600 baud accoustically coupled modems (remember those ?). So, sadly not only baked, but gone stale.
-- 8th of 7, Oct 18 2002



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