Compare WE 295A Schematics

[Larry]

I bought a Western Electric subset that was advertised as a 285A.  I search the Internet for a subset with that type number and found none.  So, I suspected that it was a 295A.  Since I needed another subset, I bought it believing it was, in fact, a 295A.  When I received the subset I understood why the seller identified as a 285A.  The embossed model number appears in two places on the box, and it is very difficult to tell if it's an 8 or 9.  Could go either way.  I believe it's a 295A.

Since the schematic on this subset does not match the subset on a 295A I already own, I'm pasting the schematics below.  The components in the two boxes are identical and I can wire up the second subset identical to subset #1.  Perhaps this second subset is a bit older than the #1.  The latest patent date on #2 is 1901.

Larry

[unbeldi]

Ah, I remember seeing that auction. I was surprised because I had never heard of a 285, and examined the pictures.  I concluded that the seller misread the identification.  A nine stamped in wood, or even with a rubber ink stamp, can easily look like an eight.

The 295A subsets came with a variety of specific drawings over time, but they are all equivalent.  In addition, the 295 family had a large number of variants for specific service types, for which the components were similar, but different.

[unbeldi]

By these two diagrams you see that WECo probably just changed the terminals in the subset.  Rather than providing two terminals for L2, namely for one side of the line and for the yellow lead to the desk set, they provided only a single one in the second diagram.

In the first diagram the desk set would be connected on the left side, and the line and ringer on the right set of terminals.

[Sargeguy]

Here is a link to a discussion of the topic:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=11379.0