Is this an AEI (European Automatic Electric) 80 or something else?

[AE_Collector]

Does anyone know if this is an AEI 80? If not, any ideas what it is? Definitely looks European to me.

It's on ebaY right now. I did the "mister helpful" thing and told the seller that it wasn't an 80E as he suggests and isn't even an Automatic Electric. He says it says Automatic Electric on the handset.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180592813800

Terry

[Dan/Panther]

Looks Eastern Block to me.
Maybe handset was changed.
D/P

[rdelius]

The set is Japanese
Robby

[Adam]

AE handset notwithstanding, I think it's easy to see why this phone might be taken for an AE80, seen in another pic from the auction, its profile is similar.

[AE_Collector]

The set is Japanese
Robby

I hadn't thought of it being Japanese but now that you mention it, there are things in common with other Japanese phones that I have seen.

Are you fairly certain of this Robby?

Terry

[AE_Collector]

AE handset notwithstanding, I think it's easy to see why this phone might be taken for an AE80, seen in another pic from the auction, its profile is similar.

Here are two more shots of the inside.

Terry

[Wallphone]

I agree with Robby about it being from Japan. I posted pics of my beige one awhile back. I don't remember what the discussion was about then, but I posted mine because I always thought that from the side it resembled a Kellogg 1000 (Red Bar). Mine has a label Scotch taped that says Tandy / Radio Shack 279-007. Looking in the Radio Shack catalog archives, I only see it listed in 1973 & 1974.
> http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalog_directory.html <
In the 1974 catalog it is listed on page 118.
Mine has the same dial card as the one in the catalog, which is different from the eBay phone.
I remember that they used very cheap wire connectors that wouldn't stay on the lugs and I had to solder a couple of them on.

[LarryInMichigan]

I see an SC 1543 on the same page of the catalog.  I paid less for mine.

Larry

[mienaichizu]

that is a Japanese NEC phone and I'm sure on it. I have seen lots of it here in the Philippines and also in Japan when I went there 3 months ago

check out the link I posted

http://mienaichizu.multiply.com/photos/album/234#photo=81

I also remember that I posted here the blue NEC phone I recently aquired

[AE_Collector]

Looking in the Radio Shack catalog archives, I only see it listed in 1973 & 1974.
> http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalog_directory.html <
In the 1974 catalog it is listed on page 118.

I would have never thought to go looking for "antique" radio Shack catalogs on-line in a million years! Some of those 70's covers look familiar! Thanks for the links Doug.

Terry

[LM Ericsson]

Thats definitely not a AE80 its a Nippon Telephone & Telegraph telephone from Japan. Thats all I know about that phone.

[Jim Stettler]

Thats definitely not a AE80 its a Nippon Telephone & Telegraph telephone from Japan. Thats all I know about that phone.

Isn't Nippon Telephone and Telegragh, ie Nippon Electric Ie (Japan) Western Electric?
Jim

[GG]

Yes, this is an NTT 600-series set, in this case a 650 (later version).  There are a number of variations made by a number of manufacturers.   Older ones (late 60s to early 70s) may be found with dial fingerwheels in colored plastic, usually a slight contrast to the dial number plate.  Mid to late ones (up through the early 80s) will typically have clear fingerwheels.  Some of the color schemes are two-tone, for example two-tone green similar to GPO 706 color scheme, or ivory (not faded) with a white number plate.  The last production years of these had two-piece handset shells and flat coiled cord stock for the handset cords. 

The version that Radio Shack sold was unusual and relatively "rare" for its type (aside from the fact that they were "more common" in the USA than the version used in Japan) because it had a straight handset cord and clear hookswitch plungers (the Japanese versions usually had white hookswitch plungers).  These can often be found at inexpensive prices because they are not one of the "collectible" species such as WE, AE, and lately SC. 

The transmission networks were not particularly self-compensating: on a CO line they will sound OK but on a PBX they may have *very* high sidetone.  (OTOH, the Dutch Ericssons and Philips (HEEMAF) and Standard Electric (also sold by Radio Shack in the 70s) have practically zero sidetone on a PBX.)

The ringer has a variable bias spring that is highly useful; press down the little metal tab below it to enable moving it to a different slot in the tab. 

If you find one with loose wires on the push-on terminals: DON'T solder them on: just pull the wire off its terminal, take a pair of pliers and very gently squeeze the end of the connector, and it will press onto the pin on the circuit board (or the transmitter or receiver) with a nice snug fit.