Aid-A-Phone Strap-on Telephone Amplifier The Aid-A-Phone strap-on telephone amplifier was manufactured probably sometime in the 1960s and 1970s. The Aid-A-Phone strap-on telephone amplifier weighed 2.9 oz. (82 g) without the battery. It measured 2⅝" in diameter by 1 3/16" thick (6.0 x 3.1 cm). |  | Click picture for larger view | | |  | | | |
| Front view of the Aid-A-Phone telephone amplifier showing the name in the center. This is the only identifying mark on this device. The manufacturer is unknown. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Rear view of the Aid-A-Phone strap-on telephone amplifier showing how it was molded to fit the phone's receiver. The Aid-A-Phone worked best with the older black phones that had a round recessed receiver so they fit together well. Newer phones had receivers with different shapes and profiles and they didn't fit together as well. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| The Aid-A-Phone strap-on telephone amplifier was simple to use. There was only one control—an on-off/volume control lever on the side. Note that when off, the lever looked black. When full volume, it was yellow. Here it is shown at half volume. Note the yellow on the right side. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Side view of the Aid-A-Phone strap-on telephone amplifier showing the battery door (lower right). These amplifiers were very handy for travelers, and could be used with payphones and hotel phones. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Side view of the Aid-A-Phone strap-on telephone amplifier showing the battery holder pulled out of the battery compartment. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| The Aid-A-Phone with the battery compartment door partially open showing the battery in place. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| View of the Aid-A-Phone battery holder/battery door with battery held securely. This telephone amplifier used a single 1˝ volt "N" battery for power such as this Mallory M-910H carbon-zinc battery. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Front view of the Aid-A-Phone telephone amplifier showing how the elastic strap held it to the phone receiver. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Side view of the Aid-A-Phone strap-on telephone amplifier showing how the elastic strap fitted over the back of the telephone receiver. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| Rear view of the Aid-A-Phone telephone amplifier and an old-style black phone handset (right). Note how the back of the Aid-A-Phone was molded to fit the front of the phone receiver. There was no direct electrical connection between the Aid-A-Phone strap-on telephone amplifier and the phone's receiver. The Aid-A-Phone amplifier inductively picked up the magnetic field that surrounded the receiver's voice coil and amplified it. |  | Click picture for larger view | | | |
| View of the front and side of the Aid-A-Phone strap-on telephone amplifier showing how your thumb could conveniently change the volume as you were listening.
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