Imperial question.

[Dan/Panther]

I'm no expert by a long shot, but I agree with Ben, that certainly looks like bakelite showing through.
The solid ivory handset on my Ivory 302, is also seem less.
But my question would be, why go through all the trouble to make the thing look great, and then leave such an obvious screw up on the handset finish ?
D/P

[Dan/Panther]

In addition neither one of my original, D1 bases have the "Western Electric Made in America", across the bottom, and both just say D1, with just the letters USA under it.
Also look at the photo below.
D/P

[bingster]

The bases came both ways.  The earlier ones have the string of text at the bottom, and the later ones don't.

[benhutcherson]

I just looked at my I-32 D1, and it has the text as pictured in the auction.

[Phonesrfun]

Bingster:

In order to use the 685 subset, which uses the 425A network, there is a back-door way to hook it up, using the standard 4 wires in the desk set cord, but I do not believe that is sanctioned by the BSP's.  There was a post a week ago where I did some testing and found I could make it work that way acceptably.  I set out the wiring for that.

See: 
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1958.msg26401#msg26401


There is a post on the TCI website of a hook-up using a 5 wire desk set cord, and requires a slight modification to the wiring in the base of the 202.  This, I believe, would be the sanctioned way of doing it.

-Bill

[bingster]

Thanks, Bill, it was your post I was referencing.  I was just wondering if the G-style transmitter and receiver capsules made a difference in the way it should be wired.

[Phonesrfun]

Not really, just that the extra white receiver wire coming from the handset should be tied to the red transmitter wire. 

I have noticed that my Imperial with the U1/T1 combination with its better response when wired to a 684A subset (based on 302 technology) produces a louder than normal signal in the receiver.  It would be better served using the 685 subset, but using the 5 wires, so as to not bypass the automatic voltage adjustments of the varistors.

-Bill