GTE Automatic Electric, Model 80

[AE_Collector]

The best deal shown is the top left black AE80 (I have lots of those) that can turn into an Ivory 40! As soon as I get home I'm going to start taking pictures of them to post on this thread so i can see what they become!

Terry

[Doug Rose]

The best deal shown is the top left black AE80 (I have lots of those) that can turn into an Ivory 40! As soon as I get home I'm going to start taking pictures of them to post on this thread so i can see what they become!

Terry

I will happily take that Ivory AE40 off of Jorge's hands. Happily!!....Doug

[JorgeAmely]

Which one of those is not like the others?

B:
Some are more modern than others and those have printed circuit boards with network components on them. The older ones have potted networks and most likely a potentiometer for line current adjustments. The older sets have thick finger wheels and a chromed card holder. Some are like the later WE finger wheels: all in one with cardboard card attached from the back. The oldest one, which I believe is the equivalent of the WE Mediterranean Blue color, has a smooth handset cord. This set was also made for just a few years during the early 50s.

The black model has the oldest handset, made of bakelite. This is the only one I have with a rural numbers wheel.

[JorgeAmely]

Very interesting how when Dennis posts pictures of Jorge's AE80's they all change colors as compared to when Jorge posts them. For example, the Garnet Red 80 in the top right of the picture that Dennis posted turns into a Jade Green 80 when Jorge posts its picture. Did anyone else notice that!  

Does anyone know what color AE90 I should post a picture of to have it turn into a dark blue one?  

Terry

I just reordered them by the color code numbers per Paul's site in the second picture.

[JorgeAmely]

Terry,

Didn't you know that AE80s are able to change color?  That ability put AE far ahead of WE and the others.  I cannot find the diagram which shows the color-changing circuit, but Jorge must have a copy

Larry

Larry:

I will PM you a copy of the circuit.  

PS: Larry, I have attached a new picture of how the phones look like after I applied the color changing circuit to all of them. Hope it works for you too.

[JorgeAmely]

I also see the Black one sprouted a straight handset cord and the Red one grew a case

Harry:

That one with the curly cord is now in a box and replaced with the older rural wheel phone.

[AE_Collector]

Larry, I have attached a new picture of how the phones look like after I applied the color changing circuit to all of them. Hope it works for you too.

OH MY GOSH ....a perfect "negative" of the originals!

That dark blue one is the Paul McCartney of telephones isn't it...still out of step with the others.

I think I need to get my glasses checked, I can no longer read the sign at the bottom of the picture....

Terry

[Kenny C]

speaking of 80's whats that little turny doohickey on the bottom for?

[AE_Collector]

speaking of 80's whats that little turny doohickey on the bottom for?

It is a manual loop compensator. The speech network performed best when the phone was adjusted or "compensated" for the length of the loop which of course is the length of the cable from the CO to the phone.

Soon after AE incorporated the manual loop compensation into their new 80's and 90's (others too, I have a 183 with manual compensation) they were able to further upgrade the phone network so that it automatically compensated for the disctance so the manual rheostat disappeared. Presumably they figured out the automtic compensation from the new WECo phones?

Terry

[JorgeAmely]

Larry, I have attached a new picture of how the phones look like after I applied the color changing circuit to all of them. Hope it works for you too.

OH MY GOSH ....a perfect "negative" of the originals!

That dark blue one is the Paul McCartney of telephones isn't it...still out of step with the others.

I think I need to get my glasses checked, I can no longer read the sign at the bottom of the picture....

Terry

Terry:

I agree. You wonder if AE bothered to create a Mediterranean Blue "look alike", why is it that they didn't follow through with a Mahogany Brown, Oxford Gray and Rose Beige color?

[AE_Collector]

Jorge:

I can't recall if we talked about this before (maybe I shouldn't tell you this!) but I have *most* of the parts to make a brown AE80. Not an 80E but an 80. AE's color for brown is Espresso Brown.

I made several raids into our 40 year old "shops" when they were closing them down in 1999 or 2000. One of the items I came out with is a brown case for an 80 that is not painted but solid brown plastic. That may not be that big of a deal since AE started making brown sets sometime in the 70's but not an 80, 80E yes but not the 80. It might have been AE Canada trying to convince BC Tel to offer 80 rental sets in Espresso brown and offering to make brown shells to refurbish the older 80 sets into new sets. BC Tel ran a very large telephone set refurbishing operation.

I can use this to make my own Espresso Brown 80 by using a handset and cord from an 80E but the problem is the number ring. I would have to use a black one or maybe a beige one as beige looks good with brown. Or I could paint a number ring brown and get the stick on letters/numbers to put on it.

Terry

[andre_janew]

I think they did away with the manual loop compensator in the 1960s.  I say that because I have a 1964 AE80 than does not have it.  I also have a 1957 Leich, which resembles an AE80, and it has the manual loop compensator.