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Strange WE500 with Switch Question.

Started by Snake, March 12, 2012, 12:51:03 AM

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Snake

So today I found a strange WE500 at a antique store. Sorry I don't have a photo of it, but I'll describe it the best I can. It was a run of the mill 70's (can't remember the exact date), beige 500. But on the back of the base, there was this chrome toggle switch. It looked like it was nicely done, it was put right on the part of the base were the "Bell System, Made by Western Electric" was. My guess was is it either turned the phone on or off, or turned the ringer on or off. I tried to find one like it, or information on it, but came up short. Mainly I wanted to know if it was something that is unusual enough that I should drive back and get it. Thanks in Advance! ;D

Adam

No, a switch that looked like that one on a Western Electric set would have been some kind of home-brew thing.

If a Bell System subscriber needed a 500-type set with some kind of transfer key, they would have installed a modified 510 (with the turnkey) or 502 (with the exclusion key in the switch-hook cradle).
Adam Forrest
Los Angeles Telephone - A proud part of the global C*Net System
C*Net 1-383-4820

Adam

Quote from: Reptile_Master on March 12, 2012, 12:51:03 AM
there was this chrome toggle switch. It looked like it was nicely done, it was put right on the part of the base were the "Bell System, Made by Western Electric" was.

That's also a strange place to locate a large toggle switch like that.  The area right below that inside the set is occupied by the ringer, so I'd expect that phone didn't have a ringer.

Usually, switches like that are put on the face of the phone, next to the 4, 1, 7 or 0 hole, or on either side of the set, also below the area of the dial, as that's where there is a bit of empty space inside a 500.
Adam Forrest
Los Angeles Telephone - A proud part of the global C*Net System
C*Net 1-383-4820

Snake

Quote from: Adam on March 12, 2012, 01:19:21 AM
That's also a strange place to locate a large toggle switch like that.  The area right below that inside the set is occupied by the ringer, so I'd expect that phone didn't have a ringer.

Usually, switches like that are put on the face of the phone, next to the 4, 1, 7 or 0 hole, or on either side of the set, also below the area of the dial, as that's where there is a bit of empty space inside a 500.

If the phone didn't have a ringer, would the switch possibly turn the phone off? I didn't really noticed a missing bell assembly, but I could be wrong.

Adam

#4
I should have said "normal ringer".  It might have had some kind of smaller, non-standard for that set ringer.

Besides controlling the ringer, a switch like that could:

1. Switch between 2 lines
2. Mute the transmitter for privacy
3. Put the phone into "monitor" mode for listening in on party lines
4. Short the dial so the set can't dial out, maybe for a phone on a customer service counter
5. Turn the phone completely off so that it can't be used (helpful if the phone is on, like a boat, where the handset might go off hook accidentally)

I'm sure there must be other possibilities...
Adam Forrest
Los Angeles Telephone - A proud part of the global C*Net System
C*Net 1-383-4820

Adam

I just thought of another use.

6. Using extra conductors in the line cord, a switch like that could be an "exclusion switch", disconnecting other phones from the line giving your phone privacy on the line.
Adam Forrest
Los Angeles Telephone - A proud part of the global C*Net System
C*Net 1-383-4820

Bill

That is a common garden-variety toggle switch from Radio Shack

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062494#

My conclusion is that a previous owner was doing some kind of home-brew job on the phone. How many lugs/terminals on the bacxk of the switch? How many were actually connected to something?

Bill

Phonesrfun

You would never, ever have seen a switch like that being provided by the phone company.  Definitely a home-brew job.

-Bill G