The schematic in the phone base suggests that the phone was designed to work with a local battery, but I managed to rearrange the wiring to make it work on my phone line. It works pretty well now and looks nice too. It has no ringer or dial, but I do not need either in the place where I put it. Overall, not bad for $9.99. I may try to sell the shell and handset from the other one. I see that oldphoneworks.com wants $99.95 for a Leich 62/90 shell, $14.95 for the dial blank, and $79.95 for the 70A handset. Are they really worth that much?
Larry
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/ss74/LarryinMichigan/Leich%202/LeichFront.jpg
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/ss74/LarryinMichigan/Leich%202/LeichGuts2.jpg
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/ss74/LarryinMichigan/Leich%202/LeichSchematic2.jpg
Is it just me? I can't see all the pictures or the right side of your post because they run off the page and there's no scroll bar. Had to zoom way out to even see the reply button. Anyway, nice phone.
Everything looks normal here.
Everything is OK on the left coast.
Okay back East, too.
Larry, when it comes to major telephone components, OPW is probably the last place to get an accurate value. If the parts were really worth that much, you wouldn't be able to buy complete sets on ebay for so little.
Quote from: Brinybay on October 05, 2009, 05:55:41 PM
Is it just me? I can't see all the pictures or the right side of your post because they run off the page and there's no scroll bar. Had to zoom way out to even see the reply button. Anyway, nice phone.
You are not alone, I was having the same problem last week from work.
-Bill
After Brinybay's post, I edited my original, adding line breaks between the images. Either way, it displayed properly on Firefox 3.5.3.
I have not been on this forum long, but it seems that these Leich phones are not very popular. There has apparently been very little mention of them here before and little information on-line. Are they even considered to be worth collecting?
BTW, does anyone know the official model number of this phone?
Larry
Larry:
I don't think the problem was your posting. We have experienced some unknown oddities recently, and it is just something that I have learned to shrug off.
As to Leich phones, you probably don't see that many of them because they were not all that numerous as a whole. I believe Kellogg later either acquired Leich or was making private label parts for them. I have a Leich wood wall phone, but other than a handset, I don't really have any Leich items, so I have not paid much attention to them. You might try Kellogg Mike's website at http://www.kelloggtelephone.com/ I also seem to remember that AE had some kind of interest in Leich as well.
Believe me, there is nothing wrong with a Leich phone, so I would not use the word unpopular in the negative connotation.
-Bill
I agree with Bill. We don't talk about them often because they're not very common. They're very attractive phones, though, and I certainly wouldn't mind having one in my collection.
The issue with the margins may be a result of the photos. I have no idea how those photos are posted when not using the Forum software for uploading photos. Is is a matter of posting some source code??
in ebaby speak, a leich would be rare. ;) larry, if you like your phone, all is good. :)
It's a neat looking phone, and in good shape. I've never seen one in person but they look pretty solid.
What type dial did they have, like AE or WE ?
D/P
I'd love to have one of those beehive phones.
I have seen four or five of these on ebay recently, and only one had a dial. The day that I bought mine, there were two listed. I bid on one (250501830267) (in the pictures above), which had several hours to go, and then I noticed another one (200386258236) about to end bidding, so I bid on it also because I did not expect to win the first. On the first one, I was the only bidder, and the second had only two other bidders. The first one I received was an empty shell with a hookswitch and terminal strip. It included a complete handset, but the cords were old 2-conductor power cords which were obviously there for show. The diagram in the base indicated that it was supposed to be connected to a magneto subset, probably like this: http://sidberry.home.att.net/tg_1110.jpg. I contacted the seller, explaining that the phone was not as I expected, and he gave me a partial refund.
The second one that I received (the one in the pictures) included a capacitor, inductor coil and cloth line and handset cords in very good condition (although faded). As I mentioned earlier, it was apparently wired for local battery service, but I managed to rearrange some wires, and it works fine now. There is one short crack in the back of the housing, but it is not very noticeable.
I may eventually add a dial to this phone. Any 3" diameter dial should fit. For now, I can manage without one. What I really like about these phones is that they are small and cute. The base measures 5.75" x 4.75", smaller than my WE302, SC1243, and AE40. Also, they were made in my hometown (Chicago). The housing and handset are bakelite, the cradle is zinc (I believe), and the base plate is steel covered with felt (just like a candlestick). This phone's handset is the newer version (www.oldphoneworks.com/leich-vented-handset.html), and it contains F1 transmitter and receiver capsules. The other phone's handset is the older model (www.oldphoneworks.com/leich-70-a-handset.html). It's receiver consists of a pair of electro-magnets with a steel diaphragm.
BTW, there is one of these on ebay now - 220488921980.
Larry
I was bidding on a couple of them on ebay but let them go.
http://tinyurl.com/yaqh73g (http://tinyurl.com/yaqh73g)
http://tinyurl.com/ybclsv8 (http://tinyurl.com/ybclsv8)
It seems that there has been a sudden spurt of these things. Check out item 280406459492. If someone would offer $350 for mine, I'll consider painting it ivory :).
Larry
Quote from: LarryInMichigan on October 06, 2009, 05:54:32 PM
It seems that there has been a sudden spurt of these things. Check out item 280406459492. If someone would offer $350 for mine, I'll consider painting it ivory :).
Larry
The price is because it's not just any ol' phone, it's a "Deco" phone!
LQQK!!
I'm waiting for an Art Nouveau phone. Maybe one of those silver-mounted jobs?
The seller of the ivory Leich phone asked me for advice about how to list it. I suggested that she identify it as a Leich desk phone that has been upgraded with a new network, and dial, and new cloth cords. I also said that I had no idea what it is worth, but I doubted that anyone would pay more than $100 for it. I also suggested that she clean an polish the finger wheel.
Larry
I love working with the circuit diagrams, and I guess this will be right.
dsk
Handle that Liech carefully. The bakelite shell is thin under the metal cradle, and they tend to get a hairline crack on the upper back corners. The components are itght fit inside as that is a really small phone.
I have one of those with an extended base for the bell.
Howard
Quote from: Brinybay on October 05, 2009, 05:55:41 PM
Is it just me? I can't see all the pictures or the right side of your post because they run off the page and there's no scroll bar. Had to zoom way out to even see the reply button. Anyway, nice phone.
Brinybay;
try holding your "Control" key down while hitting the (zero) "0" key. That should put your view back into perspective.