Two AB-1 phones, entirely different

[Butch Harlow]

I have 2 AB-1 marked 251 desk phones. The first is a NE thermoplastic body unit with an AE dialer and what I assume is a harmonic ringer. That ringer is marked 210709. No matter how I wire it, it will not ring. It has a F1 handset. It is dated 1954 throughout. The other phone, which I picked up this weekend is a WE steel body unit with  5h dial and a ringer that looks identical but actually works. D3291 is marked on that ringer. It has a F1W handset. The entire phone base is dated 11/40 or IV 40, with exception of the handset, all parts in the handset are dated 1946 and it has a rubber spring cord. Both phones work just fine, but I have lots of questions about both. On the first phone, can anyone identify the AE dial? The only figures I can make out are 825 C. I tried to capture this in a photo.  Also on the first phone, why does it have a F1 rather than a F1W handset? On the first phone is that ringer a harmonic ringer, is that why it does not ring? Lastly, on the first phone, why can I not connect the white handset cord lead to the W terminal on the AE dialer and get a dial tone? When I wired a spare 5h dialer in, following the diagram included in the phone, tucked under the condenser bracket, it worked just fine? On the second phone, everything seems to work just fine. Both phones dial and sound great. Only the WE phone will ring. I will attempt to upload photos...

[Butch Harlow]

AE dial

[Butch Harlow]

Base, drawing, and dial wiring from the NE phone

[Butch Harlow]

Base didn't make the last post...

[Babybearjs]

Butch, on the one phone with the harmonic ringer, the ringer WILL NOT WORK... you need to switch it out with a B1A ringer... the ringer was designed for party line use and the modern phone system only supports straight line ringers. Party line service ended decades ago. also the dial you have is a old #24 dial. the newer AE version of this dial is now listed as a #51 dial. your best bet is to switch out the dials with WE #5, or #6 dials. that way, they have all WE/NE parts. Good lucj with your phones.... the 250 series phones will work fine on the new phone lines, but to let you know... they are now considered 300 series phones as they have all the guts and are now single line use phones.  The 250 series phones used to be attached to a subset and were wired like a 211 handset phone. (unless otherwise constructed...) they used to be mainly used on rural phone lines where operator assisted calls were common....

[HarrySmith]

The F1W handset was for independent telcos.

[poplar1]

.... the 250 series phones will work fine on the new phone lines, but to let you know... they are now considered 300 series phones as they have all the guts and are now single line use phones.  The 250 series phones used to be attached to a subset and were wired like a 211 handset phone. (unless otherwise constructed...) they used to be mainly used on rural phone lines where operator assisted calls were common....

You are correct that the 250  was used with a subset. However, the 250 uses an AA1 tel set mounting, not  the AB1. The AA1 is equivalent to a D1 handset mounting (202): no induction coil, condenser, or ringer inside.

The AB1 tel set mounting (251 tel set) does have a 101A induction coil and 195-type condenser,  inside, as shown on the NE diagram for a 251 above.

[unbeldi]

The AE dial shown is a very late modified 24A36- (ca. 1949-1952)  or even 51-based dial for use with SATT, AE's  Automatic Number Identification (ANI) systems on 2- or 4-party service.  I believe it may be the former, because of the black anodizing of the housing, which I think was eliminated for the later dials.

The dial is compatible with a standard AE telephone dial, but the diagram (P-476494) of a WECo 302-type set with 5H dial cannot be used for wiring. The AE dial implements a different type of 'audible pop'-protection by the off-normal switches, i.e. shunting the receiver and transmitter, while the WECo dial disconnects the receiver.