Western Electric 233G on Ebay, did I blow it or do OK?

[ChrisW6ATV]

Hi all-

I just won the auction for a 233G today. I can already see a few things about it:
-The handset is cracked
-It likely has no keys, and maybe no lower lock or coin box
-Built in 1955, refurbished in 1972?

I am willing and able, and will in fact enjoy, adding the missing parts and also doing what may be needed to get it working on my home phone line. It is obviously not at all "original", but I will be happy to make it "complete and correct as Illinois Bell would have had it in the 1970s".

Here is the Ebay link. Do any of you have opinions of it? Did I get at least a reasonable project, or is there anything glaringly wrong as visible in the pictures? Thanks.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204075768436

[poplar1]

You could use a 30C lock for the vault door: That is the same lock used for Western Electric single slot vault, so is not hard to find. Older 14-type and 30- type will also work.

Your upper housing lock (10G or 10H) has been modified, probably so that it will open with a screwdriver.

The coin relay was removed in order to install a ringer. The coin relay is not necessary if you just want to answer and call out. However, there is no speech network in your phone. Originally, the 425-type network and 2-gong C4A ringer were contained in a separate subset, coded 685A. The 685A was mounted   below the phone.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Thank you for your notes, poplar1. I will get a good look at it when it arrives, and I will check TCI and the archives here for everything on 233G phones, now that I own one.

I do like the idea of dropping in a dime and hearing "Ding ding!" like in the old days, but I am sure it is not as simple as just reinstalling a coin relay. Lots of learning ahead, I love this!

[TelePlay]

I do like the idea of dropping in a dime and hearing "Ding ding!" like in the old days, but I am sure it is not as simple as just reinstalling a coin relay.

The nickel and dime chime is still in there (green circle) as is the quarter gong (red circle).

The totalizer is an electromagnetic relay that sat where the ringer now is and its purpose was to hold the coins until it was determined if the call went through (coins were routed to the coin box in the vault) or the call did not go through (coins were sent to the coin return).

You will still be able to drop a dime and hear the ding, ding with this payphone.

[HarrySmith]

It looks like it may have been "modified" to use on a land line. One of the pay phones I worked on had a network installed under the chute. It looks like there are wires going under there so it may have one. I would try plugging it in when you get it and see if it works. Not a bad deal.

[ChrisW6ATV]

You will still be able to drop a dime and hear the ding, ding with this payphone.

Thank you for your notes and for that good news, TelePlay. I will study these phones; I like the idea of restoring the totalizer function, and now that I have learned of the polarity reversal action on (some but not all?) phone lines, I will find out if my Sonic Fusion phone service includes that behavior. (They already asked me why I want to keep my pulse-dialing ability on my phone service on their forum, now I will see the reaction to this question there, ha ha.)

[ChrisW6ATV]

It looks like it may have been "modified" to use on a land line.

Thanks for your comments, Harry. I do see that it has what may be a 42A-type RJ11 or similar jack attached, so when it arrives, I will trace out what is there by the added bell and check for dial tone and so on.

[ChrisW6ATV]

I wish to thank member/moderator FABphones for adding the pictures to my post from the Ebay listing, they are a great help. I am still new here, so I need to be sure of what is the best way to add pictures and so on, myself.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Hi again. I have been studying pay phones and downloading information since September, and I have attached a diagram of how this phone was wired when I got it. It has no network, so I did not even try to connect it to my phone line, and it has all kinds of wiring changes and a couple of added parts (capacitor, diode) in addition to the bell.

I did not yet get a 685A subset, but I found a 554 phone chassis on Ebay with the C4A bell and 425B network for tests. I am about to rewire it with those components according to the diagram in this post:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=16308.0

We shall see what I get!

[ChrisW6ATV]

It just plain WORKS!  It talks, it listens, it dials, it answers, and it rings.

It is "amazing" (ha ha, but it should not be) that when it is all connected exactly as the Bell documents show, it worked properly the first time.

Now that I know all of the components are good, I can proceed to get the coin hopper/relay system going, look for a proper 685A subset, and then look into the process to get actual coin control working. I have seen that there are one or more pre-built devices available to simulate full coin phone line operation, but I may try building my own, as a learning experience (plus, I love to tinker with things and make them work).

Thank you all for your comments and help to get this going and for providing the documents needed.

[RDPipes]

It just plain WORKS!  It talks, it listens, it dials, it answers, and it rings.

That really is something..........I couldn't get my EX to do half of that, except the talk thing!
She had that down pat.

[FABphones]

Great result. 

...there are one or more pre-built devices available to simulate full coin phone line operation, but I may try building my own

Keep us up to date with how you get on.

[ChrisW6ATV]

I will do so, FABphones. Thank you for modifying my posts, I will remember not to "insert" my pictures; I had noticed that they appeared twice.

[ChrisW6ATV]

I had removed a diode that I did not see on the Bell diagrams, but from my electronics knowledge, I know it is likely a back-voltage suppressor for the electromagnet that is part of the coin mechanism. I may put it back, and/or also look at other 233G pictures to see if they have it. Do any of you know if that diode (shown in my drawing in post #8) is a standard part that I should keep in place?

[Stan S]

The diode was added for DTF (DIAL TONE FIRST) operation.