RFT Messgerätewerk Zwönitz was an east German measuring company with its head office in Zwönitz.
RFT's mechanic teleprinters T51 were imitations of the Siemens T37. During WWII Siemens is assumed to have moved their teleprinter productions from Berlin to the ore-mountains area.
Since this area was occupied by the Russians after the war, the production plants could not be returned to Berlin on time.
The GDR (German Democratic Republic, East Germany) government resumed production at the state owned "VEB Messgerätewerk Zwönitz".

The mechanic teleprinter T51 was still being manufactured nearly unchanged until 1981.
The models F1100/1200 anf F2000 were the first developments to include electronic components and being self developed.
After German Reunification the company continued production as TELCO GmbH.
In 1990, a final attempt was made to market a new teleprinter, the F2500.
Eastern European customers were the last to place orders.

RFT T51                                  1950 - 1981

table top version with metal case
5 level (bit) Baudot code
page printer
speed 50 (45) bauds = 66 (60) wpm
type basket printing mechanism
               

RFT T53                                  1950 - 1981
5 level (bit) Baudot code
speed 50 (45) bauds = 66 (60) wpm
               

RFT tape perforator                    195? - 1981
5 level (bit) Baudot code
manual tape perforator

RFT F1100                                    1981 - 1989
5 level (bit) Baudot code
page printer
speed 50, 75, 100 bauds (switchable)
matrix printing mechanism
opto electronic tapereader

RFT F2000                                    1984 - 1990
5 level (bit) Baudot code
page printer
speed 50, 75, 100 bauds (switchable)
matrix printing mechanism
opto electronic tapereader
8 kbyte RAM memory

RFT F2500                                    1990 - 199?
5 level (bit) Baudot code
page printer
speed 50-200 bauds (switchable)
matrix printing mechanism
640 kbyte disc memory
12" monitor


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