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Never seen a rotary dial like this one.

Started by N7LTH, January 11, 2016, 08:25:07 PM

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N7LTH

Howdy-

I just picked this phone up on eBay; almost let it slip by but I checked again and no one had yet snagged it. It caught my attention because of the 11-hole dial. I still haven't figured out why an AE-style dial would have 11 holes but researching indicates that it may have had something to do with long distance as the dial card alludes to. Around the front of the case it has a few patent dates ranging from 1915 to 1920.

I just could NOT pass it up. Other than an extremely slow dial return it seems reasonably OK (probably a good clean/lube will do the trick).

This phone would have been a blast to have in a bar back in the rotary-dial days.
You know you have either phonitis or phonosis when your favorite film is "Dial Comes to Town".

NorthernElectric

I think you might have a 'Franken-dial'.  I think that the fingerwheel and number plate don't match.  So the question is, does the fingerwheel go with that dial and can you actually dial 11 digits?

Here is a dial I saw on eBay (here).  The seller has identified as a 'Type 51'.  I don't know what the purpose of the 'A' is, but I'm sure somebody on the forum will.

Cliff

HarrySmith

Nice find! Pretty unusual. I seem to remember a discussion on a phone like this but I cannot recall if it was here or on the lists. Can you post a link to the auction? Or just the item number would do.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Babybearjs

this is a dial from a field radio from back in the 50's. it was used in the military and these are quite rare, but are around.... I have one in chrome. the 11th digit (A) resets the dialtone.... I had mine hooked up for awhile and then pulled it. basically, these are museum pieces now. not really useful with todays technology....
John

paul-f

Check out the photos in this topic:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13707.0

They are definitely visually interesting and mine routinely draw comments from non-collector visitors.

The fingerstop held on with a Phillips head screw indicates the dial is much later than the rest of the phone.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

G-Man

 Not sure how the number card alludes to long-distance, but knowledgeable collectors are well aware that Automatic Electric had a very large military and industrial business which, amongst other things, manufactured these dials for remotely controlling military radios, sports scoreboards, factory equipment, etc.

G-Man

Quote from: G-Man on January 11, 2016, 08:50:03 PM
Not sure how the number card alludes to long-distance, but knowledgeable collectors are well aware that Automatic Electric had a very large military and industrial business which, amongst other things, manufactured these dials for remotely controlling military radios, sports scoreboards, factory equipment, etc.

Further- I seem to recall that someone posted diagrams on the TCI list that showed some of these were also used with U.S.N. shipboard radios manufactured by the Collins Radio Company.

N7LTH

#7
From what I can tell, the fingerwheel does in fact go with the dial. As far as actually transmitting 11 digits, I'll need to open the phone up and verify it... the return is just too slow to discern any clicks. She needs a good cleaning anyway.

I agree about the Phillips head screw, but it does have some blackish-looking paint around its perimeter... I still think it's a replacement also. The rest of the dial may be original but at this point I just ain't sure.

Here's a link to the phone:

Antique Bell System Rotary Dial Black Phone

In any case, it IS unusual.
You know you have either phonitis or phonosis when your favorite film is "Dial Comes to Town".

G-Man

 I seem to recall that these dials were not used with the vintage of set shown in the auction, rather, they were either panel-mounted on the radio or on a WECo 302 deskset. 

AE_Collector

The 11th hole on the 1905 Strowger 11 Digit Dial is associated with Long Distance but these 3" AE dials are associated with controlling various types of equipment. They usually have the A on the extra hole but maybe thus is a normal AE dial with just the 11 hole FW on it. I sort of thought that most of the AE 3" 11 hole dials had Normally Open contacts rendering them useless as a telephone dial. But I dont have one and am really only going by what I thought I had heard about them.

Terry

G-Man

Quote from: N7LTH on January 11, 2016, 08:25:07 PM
Howdy-

I just picked this phone up on eBay; almost let it slip by but I checked again and no one had yet snagged it. It caught my attention because of the 11-hole dial. I still haven't figured out why an AE-style dial would have 11 holes but researching indicates that it may have had something to do with long distance as the dial card alludes to. Around the front of the case it has a few patent dates ranging from 1915 to 1920.

I just could NOT pass it up. Other than an extremely slow dial return it seems reasonably OK (probably a good clean/lube will do the trick).

This phone would have been a blast to have in a bar back in the rotary-dial days.

The telephone in the auction is not a former "Bell System" instrument despite having the phony Bell Long Distance Logo on the number card.
It's much more likely that the dial was manufactured for a remote-control application and it was kludged together with the wrong number-plate or fingerwheel and finger-stop.

It will be interesting to see the photos once you take it apart to clean and lube it.



TelePlay

This Tele-Chec image from another forum topic



is straight on so the finger stop mount can not be seen. This topic's phone has an external mounted finger stop on the dial, not a #2 type, but another. Anybody recognize this stop mount? It's rarity?

N7LTH

Quote from: G-Man on January 11, 2016, 11:24:56 PM

The telephone in the auction is not a former "Bell System" instrument despite having the phony Bell Long Distance Logo on the number card.
It's much more likely that the dial was manufactured for a remote-control application and it was kludged together with the wrong number-plate or fingerwheel and finger-stop.

It will be interesting to see the photos once you take it apart to clean and lube it.

I'm thinking along those same lines at this time; it might be a "one-off" or perhaps with a very small number of siblings for some remote-control purpose.
You know you have either phonitis or phonosis when your favorite film is "Dial Comes to Town".

G-Man

Quote from: TelePlay on January 12, 2016, 06:50:20 AM
This Tele-Chec image from another forum topic



is straight on so the finger stop mount can not be seen. This topic's phone has an external mounted finger stop on the dial, not a #2 type, but another. Anybody recognize this stop mount? It's rarity?

To further muddy the waters, the "Tele-Chec" photo is a Western Electric F-type handset and remote mobile radio control head, that someone kludged an Automatic Electric H-70227 dial with a Tele-Chec number card that does not belong on it.

As has been previously discussed on the various collectors' list, Tele-Chec was a system used in theaters.

This dial (H-70227) was manufactured for use on a U.S.N. transmitter manufactured by Collins Radio. The "A" stands for [Collins] AUTOTUNE.


TelePlay

Quote from: G-Man on January 12, 2016, 08:14:04 AM
To further muddy the waters, the "Tele-Chec" photo is a Western Electric F-type handset and remote mobile radio control head, that someone kludged an Automatic Electric H-70227 dial with a Tele-Chec number card that does not belong on it.

As has been previously discussed on the various collectors' list, Tele-Chec was a system used in theaters.

Yes, the Tele-Chec dial has the finger stop about half way between the "1" and "0" unlike the WE and AE dials which have it near the "0".



This image is from the Tele-Chec discussion at this link:  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=15278.0