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AE Starlite Bug bit me! Some unusual ones

Started by markosjal, February 28, 2018, 02:47:36 AM

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markosjal

Ok I just bit the bullet and found two beautiful AE Starlite phones on auction. These both seem to be unusual Starlites. I actually found three unusual Starlite on Mercadolibre.com.mx but only bought the two. Threw in a broken old Styleline  for a mini network , ringer and other spare parts as it was super cheap.

490 Pesos is about $24 USD , 500 Pesos is about $25 USD and free shipping on both.
https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.mx/MLM-554939901-telefono-de-los-60s-importado-_JM

https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.mx/MLM-611396998-telefono-antiguo-funcionando-con-linea-moderna--_JM


third one not purchased yet, but in worse shape and not going anywhere , is GTE: General de Telecomunicaciones SA
https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.mx/MLM-599714727-telefono-antiguo-_JM

Are you drooling yet AE_Collector?

Mark
Phat Phantom's phreaking phone phettish

19and41

Nice catches!  I've not seen one like the $490 phone.  Thanks for sharing.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

markosjal

#2
I saw some Italian Starlite like that not long ago. I think somewhere there are pics here.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=17412.msg179904#msg179904
Phat Phantom's phreaking phone phettish

markosjal

#3
Quote from: 19and41 on February 28, 2018, 01:28:16 PM
Nice catches!  I've not seen one like the $490 phone.  Thanks for sharing.

Unfortunately I think a spring must have broke or come off that (beige phone)  dial disassembled for cleaning. I can not find a dial like it to see how it should be. Clearly it is an AE dial. It is labelled AE and even seems to have AE Fingerwheel but note the 9 is at the bottom and not the 0, as seen on typical N. American AE dials.

I actually cut down a very tiny spring and was convinced I was close, but it sprung away while trying to install it, and has not been found since. Even the fingerwheel seems to confirm there was a spring there as it has a recess to accommodate the spring retainer (hook).

Some info on that dial here
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=19942.msg204629#msg204629

Interestingly enough I also see these Euro AE units with what appear to be Ericsson Dials
as in the link here (photo attached)
https://www.etsy.com/mx/listing/188151389/telefono-starlite-amarillo-italiano-60

Now I did this as a "proof of concept" and took the same type of dial I suspected this was and mounted it in the Italian starlite. Screw holes matched up and all.  See second photo

If you look closely at the Number 3 Digit slot you will see the number retainer slot or cutout and another at the 3 o'clock position . There is another between the 7 and 8 that does not show well on this first pic but I have confirmed it is there on others meaning they did in fact use the Ericsson dials.


Now I found where to get a Junker Beige Ericsson with one of these dials in good condition, in beige and the number card retainer intact so I will be doing that. 3rd pic. This is identical to the phone I took the black dial off, except in beige. The rest of these things are really JUNK!

Note that the European AE in first pic with suspected Ericsson dial even has the same UGLY typeface and weird finger stop as on the Ericsson dials.

Some here may then call it a "frankenphone" but it is all I can do considering I may never fix the old dial , nor find one like it, and also considering that appears to be exactly the same dial found on may of these already.

Then again, would you hesitate to put an SC or NE dial on your WE that needed one and the SC or NE dial had a decent color match?

Mark
Phat Phantom's phreaking phone phettish

19and41

To find specific make parts like that, I would do some searches on Ebay using variations on the keywords and when one would come up with the best result, I would bookmark that one or ones and run those searches every day.  That can work out to be pretty fruitful.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke