News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

Now the Story Can be Told - 1949 WECo 500 Set

Started by Dan/Panther, March 20, 2010, 11:08:11 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Dan/Panther on April 07, 2010, 12:59:50 AM
I wonder what their source was for that article..it's dated JUNE 1949
It clearly states that....The new instrument developed by Bell is STILL undergoing tests....SOME trial installations will be made this year '1949'....But regular production by Western Electric, will NOT GET UNDER WAY UNTIL LATE 1950 ????

D/P
"In Events in Telecommunications History", They anouce the first supply of new 500 sets on June 2, 1950.
I think that is what LIFE is refering to.
I think the sets started rolling out in 1949. But system-wide introduction wasn't until June 1950.
LIFE was a National Magazine. So I suspect that Late 1950 was the target was system-wide avaliablity.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Jim Stettler

#556
Here are the links from this thread. I was having trouble with Paul's link and the internetarchive links but they worked if I copied and pasted them.
LINKS


Radio & Television News Feb. 1953
http://www.porticus.org/bell/pdf/500set_adv.pdf
( dead link 05-02-21 )

Notes on the 1949 conference
http://www.telephonecollectors.org/DocumentLibrary/WesternElectric/500-Set-Design-1949.pdf

4/51 BSTJ article
http://www.archive.org/stream/bellsystemtechni30amerrich#page/238/mode/2up
The article starts on page 239-270 on the page counter.

" The Ring Armature telephone receiver" (g-type handset).("Bell System Technical Journal" January 1951

http://www.archive.org/stream/bellsystemtechni30amerrich#page/110/mode/1up

Dreyfuss Photo:

http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/79f7ddd94338f795_landing
or (links to life archive w/ related photos)
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=79f7ddd94338f795&q=telephone%20source:life&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtelephone%2Bsource:life%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1

Life Magazine Article 12-12-49
http://books.google.com/books?id=VUEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA67&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Spring 1950 photo from the shareholder meeting:
http://www.archive.org/stream/belltelephonemag00vol2930amerrich#page/n15/mode/1up

Clear plunger/ no rivet, modified frame by ringer vol. control, location of  LOUD ad

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/category/communications/telephone/page/7/

G proto-type design photo from 1946
http://www.porticus.org/bell/images/dreyfuss_handset_prototypes.jpg
( dead link 05-02-21 )

Paul F's site on 500 development proto-types. Includes patent #'s
http://www.paul-f.com/weproto.html#500


Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

rp2813

D/P, that plug you have looks to me like it's way later than what would have been on your phone.  The earlier 4-prong plugs were square shaped with rounded corners.  I don't think I've ever seen a black one, though.  Usually they're ivory or beige, or color matched to the phone set and associated cording.

All of that having been said, I really like the looks of that black one and it would look good with your phone.
Ralph

Drew

D/P,  I'll be talking to my wife's father about your phone again and hope to visit him by this summer and see if he has any material on Bell Labs or Western Electric. I do know he has hundreds of boxes of papers (I'm not kidding).  My guess is most of it is the kind of material you would expect a retired physicist to have, very technical and near impossible for most of us to understand. One thing he may have is electronics magazines from the 1940's and 50's with articles on telephone advancements.

As I mentioned before, his father was working with Bell Labs during WWII working on radar development. Family lore is that it was very stressful - working 20 hour days.

Dennis Markham

With regard to the 4 prong plug.  That 505A plug (the round black one) is much later, probably from the early 1960's.

I don't know what the time-line is for four prong plugs.  Here is a couple shots of an early one on a 302 that Jonathan just posted.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2327.new#new


I've got a couple of those in Brown, unfortunately each has a minor defect of some kind (chips).  They were the precursor to the 283B, I believe.

Dan/Panther

Dennis;
Thanks for the link, I was thinking most likely the round was later. Now looking at the 302 plug, I'll have to dig out my bag and see if I have one like it. Doesn't look familiar.

Drew;
Just maybe in all of his rheems of paper he may have the missing 500 links.
Please be specific as tom what we are looking for. Field testing, 500 production anything alonew those lines.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Dan/Panther

#561
Drew;
There is speculation that the 500 project may have been a prewar project that was put on the back burner because of the war effort. Maybe he was part of that and pulled for other more vital projects.

Dan

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

gpo706

#562
Dan/P

I've a modest idea for display, Make a perspex cube base minus front  (if you see what I mean) and have 45 degree slot in the sides so you can mount a mirror in, you can sit your find on the top and folks can read the base (well in reverse they can).

Saves you having to upend it for curious telefanatics like us.

I'd obviously put a nice clear dust box over it as well, unless you're happy with having folks handle it and having to clean all their greasy prints off at the end of the night.


I've seen identical displays in musuems to show the base of artefacts.




"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

Dan/Panther

GPO;
Yes I see what you mean. Don't touch Please. :o

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Dan/Panther

Can anyone direct me to documentation or more examples of the D# system. I have my thoughts on it and want to research further.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

bwanna

d/p..i think i have a 4prong plug like dennis is talking about. if you think that is what you need i will dig it out. or i could dig it out & post a pic....then you can decide if you want it.
donna

Jim Stettler

Quote from: gpo706 on April 07, 2010, 04:35:03 PM
Dan/P

I've a modest idea for display, Make a perspex cube base minus front  (if you see what I mean) and have 45 degree slot in the sides so you can mount a mirror in, you can sit your find on the top and folks can read the base (well in reverse they can).


I'd obviously put a nice clear dust box over it as well, unless you're happy with having folks handle it and having to clean all their greasy prints off at the end of the night.


I saw a neat Display of ericofons that Richard Rose had at a show.
He made dowel shelfs with 2 angled mirrors, so you could see the different dial faces non-reversed.

Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Dan/Panther on April 07, 2010, 04:48:26 PM
Can anyone direct me to documentation or more examples of the D# system. I have my thoughts on it and want to research further.
D/P
Paul F is probably about the best (only?) source for that info.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Jim Stettler

Regarding Plugs:
I think that Dennis's plug photo is the earliest style of 4 prong plug. I am not sure when they came out.

The earlier plug was switchboard style and was used on B and D mounts,
I am pretty sure is was also used on some 302's.
There is a BSP for jacks and plugs.
I will see if I have an early copy or if I can find the #.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Dan/Panther

Bwanna;
Would you post a photo.

I feel lucky once again. I found two vintage 3 wire line cords on ebay, the guy wanted $11.95, but they didn't sell. So I offered him $10.00 for two of them. He sent them, and they arrived today.
They are hefty, old style rubber (Not Vinyl) with the correct ends, they even have the correct curve in the cord at the chassis mount, very hefty brass, not the thin flimsy newer type, and the bonus, N.O.S., without any markings, no date, nothing how perfect.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson