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AE 40, 47 & 50 Base Code Observations (2017!)

Started by RotoTech99, January 03, 2017, 12:13:37 PM

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unbeldi

It would actually be fairly simple to test the AE ringer bridges for impedance and resonance. I have made such measurements for other types of ringers by WECo.  See here for examples:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=11948.0


unbeldi

Quote from: AE_Collector on January 03, 2017, 10:37:18 PM
I have records of phones (AE40, 47, 50) with first letter(s): D, L, N, P, PL, PN, SL, SN, SZL, Z. So I think that rules out where the phone was made but it does allow it to represent features that occasionally overlap.

I didn't realize this kind of variety of  leading codes.
Since AE sold telephones all over the world, wouldn't the idea of these being sales regions or customer series indeed be a top choice for investigation ?  Seems so to me, given the priority position of the code before the model number (4123, 4111, ...)



Jack Ryan

Quote from: AE_Collector on January 03, 2017, 10:37:18 PM
I know we are talking about two different letters here, I am referring to the letter at the very beginning of the base code.

I have records of phones (AE40, 47, 50) with first letter(s): D, L, N, P, PL, PN, SL, SN, SZL, Z. So I think that rules out where the phone was made but it does allow it to represent features that occasionally overlap.

Terry

Add to those GN and TN.

Jack

RotoTech99

Got a question regarding AE40 colors.. if "23" is the color code for a standard black set, what would the codes be for the other 9 colors?

Also, what about for a black set with chrome bands, or for color sets with gold or chrome accent?

I  noticed some of AE's color coding was similar to ITT's  coding, so that was why I used it with the AE40 coding.

I think I have some sets with other than"23"; I'll post them tomorrow, if the forum readers can give some ideas on what colors they.might represent, I might be able to work them into my coding, and probably other forum readers as well.

unbeldi

Quote from: RotoTech99 on January 04, 2017, 08:35:42 PM
Got a question regarding AE40 colors.. if "23" is the color code for a standard black set, what would the codes be for the other 9 colors?

Also, what about for a black set with chrome bands, or for color sets with gold or chrome accent?

I  noticed some of AE's color coding was similar to ITT's  coding, so that was why I used it with the AE40 coding.

I think I have some sets with other than"23"; I'll post them tomorrow, if the forum readers can give some ideas on what colors they.might represent, I might be able to work them into my coding, and probably other forum readers as well.

Who or what says that 23 is black ?

Are you taking it from 4123 ?

RotoTech99

yes, I was taking it from "4123",  someone earlier called "23" the code for poverty pack black (standard); I assumed the color code was part of it.

I thought maybe "23" was a early code for black, until "00" was generally used to code black as such.

unbeldi

#36
Quote from: RotoTech99 on January 04, 2017, 09:09:14 PM
yes, I was taking it from "4123",  someone earlier called "23" the code for poverty pack black (standard); I assumed the color code was part of it.

I thought maybe "23" was a early code for black, until "00" was generally used to code black as such.

I am sure that is not the case.

The sequences, such as L 4123, or L 4111, or N 4071, are simply catalog order numbers.   I think we should be careful to not interpret too much into these. A 4123 may well be the second generation post-war AE 40, but a 4111 was not even a type 40, but was type 47 Monophone.
I have pictures of a blue AE 40, starting with Z and a five-digit code that is completely unrelated, and then some codes. [PS: see earlier, Jack posted some too.]

It may well be that the 41 series was started after the war for the high-impedance ringer series, but it could also simply be the updated housing type in the 1946 (or so) patents that had modified carrying blocks in the cradle, perhaps or probably even a combination of improvements that led them to change the ordering numbers.

AE had sudden changes in ordering number previously.  When you study the ordering numbers for the Type 34 Monophone, you'll find that they changed also without explanations.






RotoTech99

I'm still a little uncertain because Jack Ryan or someone else said they thought "23" was identifying a "poverty pack black" code, so I'm inclined to go with that, unless there's something that better clarifies colors and features.

RotoTech99

Dear Unbeldi:

it was Jack Ryan who said that he thought "23" correlated to a basic black AE40.. I may have misinterrepted what he meant, but his thought certainly seems logical..

I think the other code numbers I gave from my list would apply on this as well.

unbeldi

Quote from: RotoTech99 on January 04, 2017, 09:48:18 PM
Dear Unbeldi:

it was Jack Ryan who said that he thought "23" correlated to a basic black AE40.. I may have misinterrepted what he meant, but his thought certainly seems logical..

I think the other code numbers I gave from my list would apply on this as well.

It certainly appears true that the 4123 is the very common black Bakelite AE40.   But this does not mean that 23 represents the color black or has for that matter any significance whatsoever, other than being the number assigned to the product by the accounting department.


Jack Ryan

Quote from: unbeldi on January 04, 2017, 09:58:21 PM
It certainly appears true that the 4123 is the very common black Bakelite AE40.   But this does not mean that 23 represents the color black or has for that matter any significance whatsoever, other than being the number assigned to the product by the accounting department.

I made the comment earlier that the code "23" seemed to correspond to the common black un-highlighted model. I didn't say that 23 was a code for black or that it had any other significance.

Just for clarity...

Regards
Jack

AE_Collector

#41
One has to remember that almost all of these sets were black back then. And there are up to 3 sets of additional codes (that are usually 2 or 3 digits long) stamped after the "L4123" on the base of many of these phones. The coding system probably evolved throughout the manufacturing run of Bakelite Monophones. The color of the phone was most likely just a digit or letter in one of the codes that followed the initial "L4123" code if the color was indicated at all. There may have been a whole series of slightly different 4 digit codes to cover typical variations likely more electrical in nature than cosmetic. Things like type if dial, type of handset cord, number of conductors in base cord, sets configured for local battery etc. Then if something changed across the board with the sets such as a change to the case, carrying handle, ringer impedance etc, they may have incremented the 4 digit codes for the whole series of variations.

Terry

RotoTech99

Dear Jack:

thanks for the clarification.. what about the codes 20. 22. 44, 46. and 74?

These codes followed either "40" or "41" on the sets on my list, what can you figure on those?

Jack Ryan

Quote from: AE_Collector on January 04, 2017, 10:32:03 PM
One has to remember that almost all of these sets were black back then. And there are up to 3 sets of additional codes (that are usually 2 or 3 digits long) stamped after the "L4123" on the base of many of these phones. The coding system probably evolved throughout the manufacturing run of Bakelite Monophones. The color of the phone was mist likely just a digit or letter in one of the codes that followed the initial "L4123" code if the color was indicated at all. There may have been a whole series of slightly different 4 digit codes to cover typical variations likely more electrical in nature than cosmetic. Things like type if dial, type of handset cord, number of conductors in base cord, sets configured for local battery etc. Then if something changed across the board with the sets such as a change to the case, carrying handle, ringer impedance etc, they may have incremented the 4 digit codes for the whole series of variations.

Terry

Without official documentation we will not answer this.

I made the comment because there is a very high correlation between there being "23" in the code after 41 and the telephone being a basic black model with no highlights. There is a very large number of phones of different colours, highlights, cord types and circuits with an ID starting with 41 so 41 is not correlated with the poverty pack model.

Jack


RotoTech99

Thanks.
My guess as to the coding overall is that corresponded more to identifying the basic model, color, and ringer/feature codes,not such coding electrical features.

Now coding for local battery sets could certainly be possible.