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What is it ? A 302 sibbling ?

Started by winkydink, August 03, 2011, 08:02:35 AM

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winkydink

I just purchased what I thought was a WE 302 from an auction on ebay.  When I opened up the box I got a great surprise.  There seems to be a knob at the lower left corner of the phone that can be turned.  When opened up there is alot more wiring and hardware than the standard 302.

Can anyone tell me what it is ?  It is dated 1952 and has a #6 dial

Phone is in excellent shape, very clean on the inside and the outside has hardly any scratches, might just need a little polishing.

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

Jim

jsowers

#1
Jim, that looks like either a 410, 411 or 412, judging from Paul's site...

http://www.paul-f.com/we300typ.htm

It's a two-line 302. The later models had clear knobs, and yours being from 1952 would indicate a later model. It also pushed for signaling as well as turned to select which line. It could also be wired to turn the ringer off. Definitely rarer than the garden variety 302.

It may also have an exclusion key on the right switchhook plunger. Does the plunger lift up?
Jonathan

Stephen Furley


jsowers

Quote from: Stephen Furley on August 03, 2011, 09:59:56 AM
What's an exclusion key?

I've never used one, but from what I've read and seen, it's to exclude all the other parties (or extensions) from the line except you and the party you're talking to. In the Home Interphone system it would make the conversation totally private, and I assume that would also be the case in a key system in an office.

You pull up the switchhook plunger and you're automatically granted an exclusive line to whomever you're speaking to. When you hang up, it releases the exclusion. The switchhook is also very different inside and it requires more wire pairs in the mounting cord and a different housing on the phone when it's a 500 set.
Jonathan

paul-f

Exactly.

The electrical circuit is very simple.  It's just a switch that is placed in series with the telephone line.  Two extra mounting cord wires take the phone line from this switch back to the junction box, where it is routed to other phones that are to be excluded.  Installation therefore may require some custom wiring.

If the plunger is up, the switch is OFF, so the other phones are disconnected.

WE used a plunger so that the other extensions will become active again when the handset is returned to the cradle -- turning the switch ON.

They were very concerned that as many phones as possible were connected so that incoming calls could be conveniently answered -- and the billing clock could start.

- - - - -

Model numbers were often not marked on the bottom of 300-series sets.  If yours doesn't have one, look for a mounting code...
   http://www.paul-f.com/we300typ.htm#Markings

Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

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winkydink

A little update....

I looked on the bottom of the case and the following was stamped on there  410AC3

So my guess is that it is a model 410.  I am not sure what the AC3 represents.

The button on the front of the phone will both turn and you can push it in about 1/3 of the way.  There does not seem to be an "exclusion key" for either of the plungers.  They both look like pretty standard 302 plungers.

It does not seem like there were 2 lines hook up to the phone (only 1 line cord), so I am not really sure how the phone was/is wired and what the particular functionality that the phone currently has.

Thanks.

paul-f

True -- A 410 should not have the exclusion key.

You can probably find details on the AC3 and mounting cord details (at least 4 wires are needed for two line operation) in the BSPs.  Check out the ones in the TCI Library by searching for 410 411

  http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php?searchword=410+411&ordering=newest&searchphrase=all&limit=20&option=com_search

The 3 may be the color code for black.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

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