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I've regained some faith in the availability of bargain telephones

Started by benhutcherson, January 04, 2009, 05:49:25 PM

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benhutcherson

Back when I first took an interest in this awful addiction, one of the biggest draws was the easy availability and low cost of admission. It wasn't until last September or so that I even bothered to search on Ebay, as I could find as many as I ever wanted locally.

It was a long time before I paid over $10 for a 500 set. Heck, it was a long time before I even found a set priced at over $10. The first one to break $10 for me was a really nice, all original, date matched 1955 set for which I paid $15-only because it was nice enough that I felt it was well worth it.

I recall one local antique mall at which I was able to pick up 3 500 sets for $3 a piece(on separate visits), as well as a rotary dial trimline for the same price, and, best of all, my first 302(a beat up one with a 5H dial) for $5.

Recently, however, all of the bargains have seemingly dried up locally. 500 sets haven't been as plentiful, and when I find them, they seem to be priced at $20+ even for late, cheap modular ones. Yes, there's always Ebay, but a $5 telephone on Ebay quickly turns into a $15 or $20 telephone with shipping.

I did manage to restore my faith in the availability of bargains over the weekend, though. At another local flea mall, I came across a really nice 2500(my first 2500), with the real prize, a G6 handset, for the princely sum of $2.88. Yes, I realize it's not rotary dial, but the network dates to 1963, so it more than likely was at one time. This particular one was refurbished in 1983. If nothing else, the G6 is, of course, fully compatible with any 500 set(it may get transplanted to my 1985-refurbished AT&T 500), and well worth the purchase price.

Like I said, not a rotary dial, but I think most of us can appreciate the heritage and connection of the 2500 to the 500. The 2500 will be going on my desk to provide a convenient way for me to navigate the multitude of DTMF driven switchboards out there.

The same booth at this same mall also yielded a non-dial 500 set from '59 over the summer, so I'm definitely going to be paying it a visit again soon.

Now, if you'll please indulge me in some photos

Before clean-up(I'd guess this to have been used in a garage, owing to the large amount of black grease on it)


After a soapy water bath



Also, I have one quick question. It's been a long time since I've used a 2500, but I seem to remember the buttons having a good amount of travel. The buttons on this particular keypad have very little travel at all, and, after taking it apart, it does not appear to me as though they could possibly have any more. Are all 2500s like this, or is this only characteristic of the relatively late(1983) keypad?

Thanks,
Ben

bingster

There was a change made somewhere along the line to the keypads.   The travel of the buttons was lessened, and they were given a "detent" or "click" at the bottom.  I'm not sure when the change was made, though.

$2.88... That's a bargain, no matter what type of phone it is!  Good job. :)
= DARRIN =



Dan/Panther

Ben;
How do you get the dial to rotate, and where is the finger stop ?
Is the phone complete or are parts missing ? ??? ;D
D/P

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

mienaichizu

I also bought another 2500 just this week, same color as yours Ben

benhutcherson

Bingster,
Thanks for the info on the keypads. Digging a little bit deeper onto the Bell System Memorial site, I found a reference to a type 36 keypad, as well as a type 76. Mine is a type 76.

Based on the photos of the type 36 keypad, it appears as though the type 76 would be significantly less expensive to manufacture. The keys are basically a printed circuit board with a metal "bubble" over each contact point, rather than an arrangement of levers and springs. I guess that that's why the action of the buttons is such that it is.

There's some information on Bell System Memorial about the research and field trials Bell Labs conducted on the original keypads, including specifically on the action of the keys. The 2500s I've used I found to be very pleasant-I don't much like this one at all.

Interestingly enough, the newer ITT and Cortelco 2500s/2554s I've used seem to use the old design of keypad, and not the same thing that this one uses.

mienaichizu

one of my 2500, the Stromberg Carlson has a type 36 keypad, my latest purchase, the ITT has a type 76 keypad