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Mysterious WE 500 Prototype on Ebay

Started by Kenton K, September 30, 2014, 11:50:10 PM

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paul-f

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

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

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

Also, of course, the Ericofon.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

AE_Collector

#31
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

unbeldi

#32
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.


rp2813

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.
Ralph

poplar1

#34
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 ]
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.