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Who Amongst Us Has The Oldest 500?

Started by HobieSport, November 26, 2008, 09:53:35 PM

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What's your oldest mostly original 500?

I have a '49, but don't tell anyone.
1 (0.9%)
1950
12 (10.3%)
1951
20 (17.1%)
1952
25 (21.4%)
1953-1957
72 (61.5%)

Total Members Voted: 117

rp2813

Dan, that is a great find!  It must have been really thrilling to see that phone being carried out of the guy's truck with a straight handset cord on it, and then when you got to see the bottom with the 11/50 date, well, it must have been real difficult to keep that poker face going.

Seems that most 1950 phones we've seen are almost completely matching dated.  I wonder why that is?  It makes me think that maybe the 1950's were pulled from service when found out there, possibly due to improvements to the networks that happened early on, rather than allowed to be refurbed and redeployed.

Early dial bezels are interesting.  I've seen the painted types (on my own 10/50) and I've seen injected types that look like they're painted, and I've seen injected types that are obviously injected looking.  I find that looking at the "MNO" letters shows the most difference between the two manufacturing methods, as well as letters like "P" and "R" that will look much more filled in on an injected bezel than on a painted one.

Awesome find, and I'm glad the phone ended up in the proper hands.

Ralph
Ralph

Dan

Thanks for the kind words Ralph. I am thinking about using it as my daily driver phone, but I may kill the kids if they pull it off the table. It sits now on the shelf, waiting it's turn ::)
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dan

Bill thanks for the OHM info. I will be looking @ that this coming weekend. As of now, I'm in the middle of some "bleaching" with peroxide on another thread
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

rp2813

I came back to give this another read.  I have a 1953 U1 that has been retrofitted and re-badged U3.  It has the little Tic Tac mint thing on a wire instead of the 4A capsule.  If I understood things correctly, there isn't an option to change this back to a 4A arrangement.  So what is the opinion out there regarding updated receivers?  It's kind of a stretch to have this type of varistor as a component of a '53 phone, but still, it's originally dated 1953.  I'm leaning toward considering it to still be a 1953 component.

Dan, how does your 11/50 transmitter work?  I have the reverse arrangement on mine, with a '50 receiver but a '53 transmitter, which is the one I believe it had when I got it.  I have changed that one out to a '55 because the '55 had the best overall transmission quality and tone from those I had on hand.  I think this aspect of using vintage phones as daily drivers needs to allow for some flexibility.  I don't want the people on the other end to be asking what's wrong with my phone, so will go with later dated transmitter elements when necessary.

Another interesting thing about your phone Dan, is that it appears to have seen some use as witnessed by the feet and the fingerwheel, and the handset cord that needed to be replaced early on.  Most of the early 500's I've seen have been very low mileage sets.  Yours appears to have been allowed to become the workhorse that it was designed to be.  I read somewhere about the equalizers supposedly failing after a certain number of hours, in the thousands, but if your phone is any indication, they were probably underestimating. 

I hope to see a progress report from you on making this phone your daily driver when you have an update.  I really enjoy having my 10/50 on my desk and using it on a regular basis.

Ralph
Ralph

Craig T

I have two, 1953 ((with dial card from my hometown) and 1954.

Wallphone

#80
Here is one from 5/52 but is has been reconditioned with modular cords.

> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120526279863 <  (dead link 11/8/22)

Dougpav

Greg G.

Quote from: Wallphone on February 03, 2010, 09:05:39 PM
Here is one from 5/52 but is has been reconditioned with modular cords.
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120526279863 <
Dougpav

I have a similar beige one from 12-52.  All the inner workings are from 52, case from 65, dial 59.  I plan to "de-refurbish" it back to what it was originally, a black hard-wired 500.  Just need to find the parts for it.

http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh22/Brinybay/Telephones/52%20Beige%20mod/
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

AET

I just got one from 1952, with a coiled line cord.  Looks to be pretty original. 
- Tom

rp2813

A coiled line cord?  Is it original?  Can we see pix?
Ralph

AET

I haven't done much with the phone, besides taking the cover off to check the date on the network.  I will get more info and pics asap.
- Tom

jeremylivin

A friend gave me a black 1961 500 the other day.

The cords are modular though so I don't think it's worth much?  It is in good condition though.
Jeremy Livingston

rp2813

If the the 1961 500 has the original chassis and dial, it could easily be un-modularized with a hard-wired type case, handset & cord, and hard-wired mounting cord.   All of those parts are ones that were most common to be replaced in the field or renewed upon refurbishing anyway, which is why you see a lot of phones out there that don't have matching dates on all components.  You can find those parts on cheap 500's at flea markets and swap meets.

I don't think a modular 500 is worthless.  They have their place, and I have a minty one in beige.  They are still rotary dial, and that's what counts.
Ralph

AET

I don't mind modular 500's.  I use them plenty around here and my one next to my bed, which is my daily driver is a modular notched, I beleive also from 61.
- Tom

bwanna

#88
modular phones are ok...i just hate the crappy looking clear line cord. here's a link to another thread that shows how i installed a matching line cord. i know this counts as a modification, but it suits me. ;D

http://tinyurl.com/yfaowbw

btw, that thread is a great illustration of the fabulous people on this forum :D a little drama was playing out at my house on christmas day. within 5 minutes of my posting a cry for help, panther dan came to the rescue. a few postings back& forth...problem solved. thx again, d/p :)
donna

Craig T

Original or not that is a very nice touch Donna. I would like to do that with the couple modular family phones I have saved for my collection  :)