Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Auction Talk => Topic started by: Kenton K on September 30, 2014, 11:50:10 PM

Title: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: Kenton K on September 30, 2014, 11:50:10 PM
Does anybody know anything about this prototype? Its got some weird horn/warbler that uses a U reciever. The base is completely different too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381011594702

I'll try to post all the pictures soon.

-Ken

Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: twocvbloke on October 01, 2014, 12:05:34 AM
Maybe it's an experimental tone-ringer, or a loudspeaking phone of somesort, someone needs to buy it and find out.... :D
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: WesternElectricBen on October 01, 2014, 09:05:40 AM
I saw one of those at Lancaster last year, they are very cool. If I remember correctly, this was tested for either a working ringer cut-off or for a party line. (Not exactly sure, though.)

Ben
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: WEBellSystemChristian on October 01, 2014, 09:10:18 AM
I saw that. It looks like an electronic ringer that could double as a speaker.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: rdelius on October 01, 2014, 12:22:44 PM
Somewhere in my files there is an article about this set. It was an electronic ringer
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 01, 2014, 03:13:45 PM
Yes.  Very interesting to see one of these.

This will go for big bucks.

This is a field trial telephone that was used in the Morris trial for the first large-scale stored program control electronic switching system. The experience from the Morris system led directly to the development of the NO. 1-ESS.

The switching circuits in the Morris system used cold-cathode gas-filled tubes and required low current devices. The ringing signals needed to pass through the same tubes as the voice signals, but the standard ringing voltage was too high for that.  So they used a low-voltage audio frequency for ringing and the subscriber set had a transistor circuit that detected this frequency and amplified it for alerting through the horn, as you see in this picture.

These sets dialed at 20 pulses/s.

This is a very attractive set, not only technically, but also by the color and condition.  Outstanding !
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 01, 2014, 03:17:21 PM
I hope nobody has connected this set to a normal telephone line, and possibly blown out the transistor circuit.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: Slal on October 01, 2014, 05:59:13 PM
Had noticed this one too & was going to ask about it.  Kenton beat me to punch.

Will save photos & Unbeldi's explanation for future reference.

thx

--Bruce
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 01, 2014, 07:38:29 PM
The details of the Morris system are rather interesting and funny in a way.  For example, to keep the gas-filled electron tube diodes firing better, they installed fluorescent lights in the cabinets, making the whole switching system glow ominously--and they probably saved on light fixtures in the switch room.

Because of using audio frequencies for ringing, it was rather easy to provide fully selective ringing on party lines for up to eight subscribers by simply tuning the ring detector in the telephones to the appropriate frequency. No specially made ringers were needed for each party.

The system provided the first version of vertical customer features to the subscribers, such as short code dialing with two digits, and call forwarding.


Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: Phonesrfun on October 01, 2014, 07:47:42 PM
Interesting that the cover has two mouse-holes for the handset cord.  Notice the revised placement of where the handset cord exits the phone.  A new mouse-hole for that plus the one in he normal position.  That tells me that the vent-slots for the ringer and the new mouse-hole were all cut into a production cover, which makes perfect sense for a limited production prototype.

The base, however is custom, at least not your average 500 base.  It seems they did put the little slit in the side in the normal handset cord position.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 01, 2014, 07:52:41 PM
Quote from: Phonesrfun on October 01, 2014, 07:47:42 PM
Interesting that the cover has two mouse-holes for the handset cord.  Notice the revised placement of where the handset cord exits the phone.  A new mouse-hole for that plus the one in he normal position.  That tells me that the vent-slots for the ringer and the new mouse-hole were all cut into a production cover, which makes perfect sense for a limited production prototype.

That is probably correct. You can tell that the hole was cut, because it doesn't have the little rim around it as does the original one.

When you look at the seller's high resolution pictures of the inside housing, one can see the cut marks on the slots, and the fact that several ribs have been cut out too.  The housing is a standard production housing with the normal manufacturing mold stamp (C|60).

The trial included about 650 customer location.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: WesternElectricBen on October 01, 2014, 08:29:51 PM
Maybe Paul F can weigh in with his thoughts.

Ben
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: Kenton K on October 01, 2014, 08:47:41 PM
Does anybody know what the lamp is on the inside for? One can't see it from the outside.

KEn
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: AE_Collector on October 01, 2014, 09:34:38 PM
I dont recall hearing of this electronic switching test at Morris Illinois before. But Google has, it is mentioned when you Google Morris Illinois.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris,_Illinois

I dont know how the experiment was done at Morris but AE Canada tested their very first electronic CO, the "C1" (and yes, everything that I have been told does indicate that "C1" means Canada's First electronic exchange) at an existing CO on the outskirts of Vancouver in an area known as Whonnock.

This was a few years later in mid to late 1960's, maybe 1967 and special phones were not required by then. During the test which went on for somewhere between one and two years, the existing SxS CO and the new C1 CO were cut back and forth several times. At the conclusion the C1 exchange was removed and sent back to AE in Brockville for further examination.

I would expect that a similar situation existed at Morris. They would not likely have cut this CO in and removed the old one as in a normal CO cutover. They quite likely cut back to the old CO some time after the experiment concluded though maybe others have more information.

I would expect that these special phones that were required for the new CO would have been made to work with the existing CO as well if at all possible. So thinking out loud about the lamp...could it be a resistance lamp in the ringer circuit to possibly make the phone compatible with the existing CO at Morris as well as new test CO? Cutting a CO over quickly is one thing but having to replace all phones simultaneously is another! Making the new phones compatible with both Exchanges would solve a lot of "logistics" problems.

They couldn't install these new phones in the subscribers house until after the CO cut over to the new electronic exchange if the existing CO ringing would damage these phones. That would leave the customer out of service for some time or at least unable to receive calls until the phone was switched out.

Terry



Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 01, 2014, 10:01:17 PM
Quote from: AE_Collector on October 01, 2014, 09:34:38 PM
I dont recall hearing of this electronic switching test at Morris Illinois before. But Google has, it is mentioned when you Google Morris Illinois.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris,_Illinois

I dont know how the experiment was done at Morris but GTE Canada tested their very first electronic CO, the "C1" (and yes, everything that I have been told does indicate that "C1" means Canada's First electronic exchange) at an existing CO on the outskirts of Vancouver in an area known as Whonnock.

This was a few years later in mid to late 1960's, maybe 1967 and special phones were not required by then. During the test which went on for somewhere between one and two years, the existing SxS CO and the new C1 CO were cut back and forth several times. At the conclusion the C1 exchange was removed and sent back to GTE in Brockville for further examination.

I would expect that a similar situation existed at Morris. They would not likely have cut this CO in and removed the old one as in a normal CO cutover. They quite likely cut back to the old CO some time after the experiment concluded though maybe others have more information.

I would expect that these special phones that were required for the new CO would have been made to work with the existing CO as well if at all possible. So thinking out loud about the lamp...could it be a resistance lamp in the ringer circuit to possibly make the phone compatible with the existing CO at Morris as well as new test CO? Cutting a CO over quickly is one thing but having to replace all phones simultaneously is another! Making the new phones compatible with both Exchanges would solve a lot of timing problems.

Terry

It is rather improbably that these were meant to be compatible. These are rather different sets, and although they used the same handset elements, the circuitry was very different, using low current transistor-based transmission circuits.  The dial also is not compatible as it was pulsing at 20 PPS, not 10.

However, the lamp could still be some kind of resistance element, or perhaps a circuit protector the guard against high currents.

Morris was to be converted from manual service to dial in 1959 with a 5XB switch. The ESS was installed in parallel to the crossbar,  but the crossbar was finished before the ESS.  The ESS was a completely self-sufficient operation however and there was no failover in case of trouble.  Turns out that after a few months, the trouble reports from customers were lower than from the XB.

Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: paul-f on October 01, 2014, 10:12:52 PM
This was from one of a series of field trials (including Morris) of electronic ringers during the late 1950s and early 1960s, starting with Crystal Lake, IL in 1956.

Search the TCI Library for "BLR tone ringer"

As I recall, Ericsson had already pioneered tone ringers by that time.

Similar sets have been shown at several past telephone shows.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: paul-f on October 01, 2014, 11:09:48 PM
For more technical details, see these Bell System Technical Journal articles:

"Tone Ringing and Pushbutton Calling," March 1958, page 340.
  http://www3.alcatel-lucent.com/bstj/vol37-1958/articles/bstj37-2-339.pdf (http://www3.alcatel-lucent.com/bstj/vol37-1958/articles/bstj37-2-339.pdf)

"An Experimental Switching System Using New Electronic Techniques." (Joel, A.E., Jr.) September 1958, BSTJ v37, p1091, see photo on p1095 (below).
  https://archive.org/details/bstj37-5-1091 (https://archive.org/details/bstj37-5-1091)
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: AE_Collector on October 02, 2014, 01:16:50 AM
Quote from: unbeldi on October 01, 2014, 10:01:17 PM
It is rather improbably that these were meant to be compatible. These are rather different sets, and although they used the same handset elements, the circuitry was very different, using low current transistor-based transmission circuits.  The dial also is not compatible as it was pulsing at 20 PPS, not 10.

I believe that 5XB or maybe all XBar (and maybe even Panel) will handle 20PPS dials, dont they?

I do see what looks like a different network in the ebay phone as compared to the picture of the 500 with electronic ringer that Paul posted. Now we need to detrmine if this ebay phone is just a 500 with the experimental electronic ringer or is it a specific phone for the Morris electronic exchange trial that also has the electronic ringer.

Is there any chat on the TCI or ATCA lists about it?

Terry
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 08:45:17 AM
There is a III-62 dated capacitor in this set, while the set itself is dated 1960. I am reviewing the time of the trials. and it seems the trials were ended in 1962, rather than started.

In A Survey of Bell System Progress in Electronic Switching, BSTJ 1965 44(6), pp.937,  W.H.C. Higgins states this:
The system was installed in the central office in Morris, Illinois, early in 1960, and part-time telephone service was given to a small number of customers beginning in June of that year.6 Full-time service began in November of 1960 and continued through January of 1962, at which time the trial was terminated.

The first 1ESS system installation started in 1963 already in Succasunna, which leaves very little time for development if the Morris trial had started/concluded any later.  Morris is credited as the reason for scrapping the tube system and directly influencing the design of 1ESS. However, Succasunna started operating in 1965, two years later, so component design was likely carried out on-site.  Given that the development leading to the Morris system took something like four or five years, there was very little research time for this.

I think, a lot of the developments went on in parallel, as the first time-division multiplexed ESS PBX system started in 1963 (No. 101-ESS).

Bell Labs internally published a book on the Morris system  ''The Electronic Switching System" dated January 1960, and it speaks of the Morris trial in the future tense, but the system, including the trunking arrangements with other systems, the 5XB and the 3CL toll board, are already detailed, and the entire system is customized to the requirement in Morris.

Another description of the system appears in The History of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - Switching Technology.  It also has the trials concluding in 1962.  It credits the beginnings of the Morris design to 1952, and the incorporation of stored program control (SPC) into that system in 1955.  So it seems that all the other trials of the "tone ringer" concept were in preparation of the Morris design.  A prospectus of 1954 already recommended the placement of the system in Morris. The History places the start to June 1, 1960, with 24-hour/day service commencing November 11, 1960. In June 1961, a peak of 434 telephones of 650 main and extension phones were in service. The trial was completed in January 1962.

Picture: Hist.Eng.Sc. Bell Sys - Switching Technology (1982)
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 09:46:44 AM
So all this doesn't answer the question what a III-62 dated capacitor is doing on this set. It's clearly a WECo part, and the date suggests it being time-period appropriate.

The date of the set leaves no doubt that it was used for Morris, 11-60 is the time when the trial went into full-time mode, but this capacitor is puzzling.

There is also no doubt that all previous sets like this had the only goal of providing a telephone set for the Morris system, no matter where prior testing occurred (Crystal Lake). The cold-cathode tube system was completely scrapped after Morris, but I am wondering whether the same subscriber sets could have been used with the all-transistorized versions leading to the Nos. 101 and 1 ESS.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: Dan/Panther on October 02, 2014, 11:53:18 AM
It never ever gets old with this hobby. No matter how long you collect it seems like new stuff pops up all the time. Very interesting phone, and you can tell, ( if it is the way it was originally made and not modified), that it is a prototype of sorts.

D/P
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 03:38:22 PM
Closer examination of the set brings an explanation.
It is hard to see on the original picture, but with image enhancement it is visible that the 425B network in the set was made also made in 1962, after the trial had completed.  The network is bolted to the plate, but that alone may not be of much significance.

This makes it very likely that one of the engineers involved in the trial took the set and converted it, perhaps to operate in a standard loop,  or for another experiment.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: paul-f on October 02, 2014, 04:02:39 PM
Quote from: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 09:46:44 AM
So all this doesn't answer the question what a III-62 dated capacitor is doing on this set. It's clearly a WECo part, and the date suggests it being time-period appropriate.

The date of the set leaves no doubt that it was used for Morris, 11-60 is the time when the trial went into full-time mode, but this capacitor is puzzling.

There is also no doubt that all previous sets like this had the only goal of providing a telephone set for the Morris system, no matter where prior testing occurred (Crystal Lake). The cold-cathode tube system was completely scrapped after Morris, but I am wondering whether the same subscriber sets could have been used with the all-transistorized versions leading to the Nos. 101 and 1 ESS.

Do you have sources for your "no doubt" conclusions, Karl?  The timeline also supports a conclusion that the tone ringing project was developed to achieve a long term cost and/or energy saving goal, independent of Morris or even electronic switching in general.  The trials started years earlier 64 miles from Morris and apparently continued for years after Morris.  There may be even later trials to be found.

The tone ringer generators used at Crystal Lake could could potentially have been installed in any CO.

There may still be some gaps in our knowledge leading up to the release of the S1A tone ringer (501-260-100).
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 04:19:47 PM
Quote from: paul-f on October 02, 2014, 04:02:39 PM
Quote from: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 09:46:44 AM
So all this doesn't answer the question what a III-62 dated capacitor is doing on this set. It's clearly a WECo part, and the date suggests it being time-period appropriate.

The date of the set leaves no doubt that it was used for Morris, 11-60 is the time when the trial went into full-time mode, but this capacitor is puzzling.

There is also no doubt that all previous sets like this had the only goal of providing a telephone set for the Morris system, no matter where prior testing occurred (Crystal Lake). The cold-cathode tube system was completely scrapped after Morris, but I am wondering whether the same subscriber sets could have been used with the all-transistorized versions leading to the Nos. 101 and 1 ESS.

Do you have sources for your "no doubt" conclusions, Karl?  The timeline also supports a conclusion that the tone ringing project was developed to achieve a long term cost and/or energy saving goal, independent of Morris or even electronic switching in general.  The trials started years earlier 64 miles from Morris and apparently continued for years after Morris.  There may be even later trials to be found.

The tone ringer generators used at Crystal Lake could could potentially have been installed in any CO.

There may still be some gaps in our knowledge leading up to the release of the S1A tone ringer (501-260-100).

No doubt we have gaps in documentation and thinking... and I have not read all that we do have, but the Morris system was already envisioned in 1952, and specifically designated to operate at Morris in 1954, whether there was stored program control or not.  SPC was invented the same year, 1954, and incorporated into the design.  The cross-point switch was going to be cold-cathode tube based in either case. So they knew already in 1954 that they needed to develop a different signaling system
for Morris to be possible technically. If there was any other goal, why didn't they continue the effort with the tone ringer after Morris?  The 1ESS used standard local loops and signaling levels.

PS: the trials actually started before Crystal Lake, with small tests in Georgia.

But certainly there were ideas about tone ringing, as well as tone-based ANI, also using an 8-frequency system before.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: Phonesrfun on October 02, 2014, 05:34:22 PM
I don't suppose there is a schematic for the Morris sets?.....  Nah, probably not.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 05:38:20 PM
Quote from: Phonesrfun on October 02, 2014, 05:34:22 PM
I don't suppose there is a schematic for the Morris sets?.....  Nah, probably not.

I have not found one.  I have a schematic of the tone ringer though.
I think it is in one of the sources already quoted here.

Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: paul-f on October 02, 2014, 05:49:31 PM
Quote from: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 04:19:47 PM

If there was any other goal, why didn't they continue the effort with the tone ringer after Morris?  The 1ESS used standard local loops and signaling levels.


There are two topics here -- sets in ringers and conversion of the network to low voltage ringing.

There were later field trials of sets with electronic ringers, such as the set (shown below) covered in a 1968 Bell Laboratories Record article.  They produced the S1A and S1AM tone ringers, as noted above.  As we know today, the industry did eventually replace the mechanical ringers in the sets.

I suspect the Bell System had the vision that electronic ringing was the way of the future but couldn't devise a cost effective way to convert the entire POTS network to low voltage ringing that would get past the accountants and regulators.  We had to wait for the cellular network for that.

It's amazing in retrospect that they accomplished what they did with electronic switching during the infancy of the transistor, when solid state technology was evolving so rapidly.  ISTR reading that by the time Morris was being built the engineers already realized the technology was obsolete.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: mentalstampede on October 02, 2014, 05:58:12 PM
I'd like to see the date on the dial and if it is indeed a 20 pps dial. I'm thinking that this may have been converted for use on a standard local line after the trial.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: poplar1 on October 02, 2014, 06:23:55 PM
There's a post on the forum about a 1963 Princess with electronic ringer, but I'm unable to find it.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 07:08:30 PM
Quote from: paul-f on October 02, 2014, 05:49:31 PM
Quote from: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 04:19:47 PM

If there was any other goal, why didn't they continue the effort with the tone ringer after Morris?  The 1ESS used standard local loops and signaling levels.


There are two topics here -- sets in ringers and conversion of the network to low voltage ringing.

There were later field trials of sets with electronic ringers, such as the set (shown below) covered in a 1968 Bell Laboratories Record article.  They produced the S1A and S1AM tone ringers, as noted above.  As we know today, the industry did eventually replace the mechanical ringers in the sets.

I suspect the Bell System had the vision that electronic ringing was the way of the future but couldn't devise a cost effective way to convert the entire POTS network to low voltage ringing that would get past the accountants and regulators.  We had to wait for the cellular network for that.

The concept of the original tone ringers was that the signaling was tone-based, not just the audible alert.

The S1A type ringers were quite different, they did not use tone signaling, but standard ring voltage, and generated the tones with an oscillator in the ringer.  These were installed on the wall, not inside a set.

Quote
It's amazing in retrospect that they accomplished what they did with electronic switching during the infancy of the transistor, when solid state technology was evolving so rapidly.  ISTR reading that by the time Morris was being built the engineers already realized the technology was obsolete.

Quite likely so, because the 101-ESS was installed a short time after the Morris trial and it seems inconceivable that the basis of that started after Morris.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: paul-f on October 02, 2014, 07:22:39 PM
Carefully keeping the two topics separate, there were a number of other sets that used electronic audible tones.

The 1957 Bedroom Set field trial used a tone generated through the receiver as a ring signal.
  http://www.paul-f.com/weproto.html#PrincessProto (http://www.paul-f.com/weproto.html#PrincessProto)

Also The SC Petite 1602WT used the model 95 tone ringer.
  http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/document-repository/doc_details/2101-1600-petite-style-sc1602wt-tone-ringer-tl (http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/document-repository/doc_details/2101-1600-petite-style-sc1602wt-tone-ringer-tl)

I also have two North sets with Ericsson tone ringers.
  http://www.paul-f.com/North555.htm (http://www.paul-f.com/North555.htm)

Also, of course, the Ericofon.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: AE_Collector on October 03, 2014, 09:04:01 PM
Quote from: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 07:08:30 PM
Quote from: paul-f on October 02, 2014, 05:49:31 PM
It's amazing in retrospect that they accomplished what they did with electronic switching during the infancy of the transistor, when solid state technology was evolving so rapidly.  ISTR reading that by the time Morris was being built the engineers already realized the technology was obsolete.

Quite likely so, because the 101-ESS was installed a short time after the Morris trial and it seems inconceivable that the basis of that started after Morris.

By the time that this initial electronic switching was conceived, experimented with in the lab and a system designed and manufactured for a trial and then actually installed....the engineers and designers had no doubt already moved ahead to a point where discussions might have taken place about scrapping the Morris field trial before the equipment being manafactured for it was even ready to install on site.

Ths scenario likely happens all the time but at some point the field trial with equipment as manufactured needs to go ahead as planned to see what can be learned from it even though what would ultimately become the #1ESS was likely already being experimented with and tested in the lab to a point where manufacturing enough for the next field trial was probably being discussed.

Back to this phone on ebay and whether it is just an electronic ringer phone (ringer activated by 90 VAC) or a Morris field trial set (ringer activated by a specific frequency tone sent to the phone [does that sound correct?]), this phone has a box in it the size of a 425B network that displaces the normal handset cord exit location. What is that box? Could it be the required electronics to decipher and activate the ringer of a Morris field trial phone?

Terry
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: unbeldi on October 03, 2014, 10:06:10 PM
Quote from: AE_Collector on October 03, 2014, 09:04:01 PM
Quote from: unbeldi on October 02, 2014, 07:08:30 PM
Quote from: paul-f on October 02, 2014, 05:49:31 PM
It's amazing in retrospect that they accomplished what they did with electronic switching during the infancy of the transistor, when solid state technology was evolving so rapidly.  ISTR reading that by the time Morris was being built the engineers already realized the technology was obsolete.

Quite likely so, because the 101-ESS was installed a short time after the Morris trial and it seems inconceivable that the basis of that started after Morris.

By the time that this initial electronic switching was conceived, experimented with in the lab and a system designed and manufactured for a trial and then actually installed....the engineers and designers had no doubt already moved ahead to a point where discussions might have taken place about scrapping the Morris field trial before the equipment being manafactured for it was even ready to install on site.

I don't think anyone had the intention of scrapping the trial. It was long planned. Even at Bell Labs research advances had to be justified, feasibility demonstrated, and budgets drawn up.  In order to get funding for new developments they had to show results of the previous work. Morris demonstrated some important points which set the direction of electronic switching--not necessarily in the same direction. The concept of stored program control in telephony, which was only one aspect of the trial in addition to electronic switching, had not been validated any other way.

Quote
Ths scenario likely happens all the time but at some point the field trial with equipment as manufactured needs to go ahead as planned to see what can be learned from it even though what would ultimately become the #1ESS was likely already being experimented with and tested in the lab to a point where manufacturing enough for the next field trial was probably being discussed.

Back to this phone on ebay and whether it is just an electronic ringer phone (ringer activated by 90 VAC) or a Morris field trial set (ringer activated by a specific frequency tone sent to the phone [does that sound correct?]), this phone has a box in it the size of a 425B network that displaces the normal handset cord exit location. What is that box? Could it be the required electronics to decipher and activate the ringer of a Morris field trial phone?

Terry
Yes, the "ringer" in the phone was tuned to one of eight audio frequencies between 400 and 1000 Hz. That extra network can had to contain the circuitry for detecting the frequency, and for generating an ANI signal to provide party ID on calls placed from the set. The ringing system was designed to accommodate up to eight parties on a line, and could also specifically address extension phones.  A user with multiple extensions, but the same subscriber number, could actually dial their other extensions.

In addition the set needed special amplifiers for both the receiver and the transmitter, because the whole system required much lower current than a standard local loop and could not drive standard T1 and U1 elements without that.

Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: rp2813 on October 04, 2014, 01:50:40 AM
I've been tracking the bidders and somebody really wants this phone badly.  It's going to hit four-digit territory if the attempt to shut down the rest of the crowd fails.
Title: Re: Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay
Post by: poplar1 on November 05, 2016, 12:10:52 AM
F-53158 11-60 "PROPERTY OF BELL LAB. MODEL SET 1244"

Ended:
Oct 07, 2014 , 10:00PM
Winning bid:
US $2,201.99
[ 31 bids ]