Plastic F1 Bell System F1 Dated 8/69??

[Doug Rose]

I'm on vacation this week and cleaning up some flea market find phones. I came a cross a plastic F1 handset dated 8/69 with a 12/69  transmitter element, the receiver is a 500 set model in a spacer. Man is it light.  I never knew Bell made F1s this late in the game. Any idea what they were used on? The G1 had been around almost 20 years. .....Doug

[HarrySmith]

Is it marked WE? I was not aware they made them then or in plastic

[Jim Stettler]

My guess is they may of been for 5302 sets. I have a 1970's (?) dial bsp that still shows a 5302 dial. It was NOT marked MD.
Check the date on this transmitter.
Jim

[Jim Stettler]

I have found the plastic F1's before. I never checked the date on them.

They are noticably light.
Jim

[Dan/Panther]

 I haven't found one yet, but will definitely be looking now.
Not rare, but not common either.
D/P

[Doug Rose]

Here are a few pics, as John S said it noticeably lighter. Bell System, Western Electric. .....Doug

[Jim Stettler]

It looks like it has a trimline rec. element.
Jim

[McHeath]

Jim your transmitter appears to be dated 1983.  Is that correct?  Were they making these new this late?  I've never heard that before, but it would not surprise me.

[Jim Stettler]

Jim your transmitter appears to be dated 1983.  Is that correct?  Were they making these new this late?  I've never heard that before, but it would not surprise me.

It appears to be May1983, Apparently they were making them up till at least around the break-up.
The date really surprised me when I found it in a box of handset elements.
Jim

[rp2813]

Well, when you consider there were still many small exchanges in 1969 all over the country that still didn't have dial capability, I'm not surprised to find such late dates on F1 components.