The weather here is very pleasant today, so I went for a bicycle ride and stopped at a vintage/antique store several miles away. This store has some interesting things, but very high prices. After looking at dozens of WE 500s and various other phones, all overpriced, I noticed something more unusual. It is a Swiss model 29 telephone. It was marked $125, but the woman (wife of the owner) let me have it for $100. I doubt that I qualify for any deal of the month accolades, but I have never found one of these for sale, and I wanted to buy something, so it is mine now. The transmitter is missing, but I managed to rig a T1 in the handset. The sound from the transmitter is somewhat distorted. I think that it has too much gain for the phone. Does anyone here know where I can get a proper transmitter element? The receiver element in the handset is from the 1980s. Below are some pictures. The year on the tag is 1931. How badly do you think I was gouged on the price? BTW, the store had a 4-60 beige Princess for $35. I thought that it might actually be a reasonable price. What is an early beige Princess worth?
Larry
While I'm by no means an expert, $35 for the PRincess seems like a good deal, particularly since it doesn't need to be shipped.
I had a 9-60 princess phone that I got for 25 dollars. Had the light kit but I ended parting it out...
Ben
The schematics are based on the same as the Siemens phone of that time.
dsk
I picked up what I thought was the T 29 phone, but I'm wondering if what I got is a knock-off? Looks pretty modern on the inside. Is this a newer version, or just a knock off? They peeled the sticker off the bottom, but I can make out "PTT".
It is obviously quite a bit more modern. It looks like there is a date of "89" on the PC board. Is the shell modern plastic? Mine is metal. The hook switch in mine is mounted up in the top of the shell.
My guess would be that the Swiss PTT had these phones made in the 1980s as replicas of the original T29, which was likely a very popular design aesthetically. I am sorry that you didn't get the "real thing", but the phone should still have value like any vintage European phone. I expect that the other nine bidders or so for this phone were equally unaware as to what lay inside. Some of them may be reading this post.
Larry
It seems to be all plastic. Ringer works nice, transmitter is good, but the receiver has almost no volume. I wonder if the line cord may not be hooked up correctly for our lines. Guess I'll keep looking for the original version.
Did you verify that the green wires on T1 and T2 are connected to the receiver? Did you try a different receiver? The element could be bad. The line cord should be connected to 'a' and 'b'.
Larry
I checked the wires, but the receiver is still weak. I'll try again with another element. Also, the model # for this version is M-29. I haven't been able to figure out if this is just a newer version of your original t-29 or a knock off. It seems to be made by PTT, so I'm guessing a newer version.
Not sure about the screw terminations, but it use to be normal to use the letters M for microphone (transmitter) and T for telefon (receiver).
a and b use to be tip and ring.
dsk
PS, that text including 12 khz may be an indication of an built in filter or meter for the 12 kHz signal used by some countries for billing signal. DS
This thread is old, but the last question does not seem to have been answered. There has actually been a repro Model 29 by the swiss PTT. Page 38/39:
http://www.ptt-apparate.ch/werbung/telefon/Verkaufshandbuch_PTT.pdf
Monthly fee 4 CHF, price 433 CHF.
In the same catalogue, the cheapest phone (Tritel Elm) is sold at 97,70 CHF, monthly fee 2 CHF.
Only outside difference I can see is the dial card holder: metal spring on old versions, thick plastic on repro.
I finally got a 1951 M29 from a seller in Hungary. I bought it on Monday, it came today (Friday) - only 4 days. Quite amazing that it got here so fast. The Seller advertised it as unused and after looking at it there's no doubt that it has never been put into service. The wiring harness has never been hooked up, everything looks like new. The wait was worth it!
NICE! CONGRATS ;D
Very Nice Dave...well worth the wait....Doug
Its one of the types that remained in production for a very long time. The design wasn't exactly innovative when it came out and did never age, but just became iconic instead ;-) That said, the manufacturing quality is outstanding! The dial seems to be a Zenith, which clearly was inspired by the AE Type 24: http://telefonitis.ch/dials.htm
Zenith is still a maker of luxury watches.
Congratulations!
Congratulations, that looks great. I love getting a vintage thing that has not yet been used. The handset is a different style than the one on mine.
Larry
you're right, yours is different on the inside. Yours appears to be 20 years older than mine and in great shape also.
Well, this phone looks great