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New Member - Some questions

Started by tpezzolo, July 11, 2013, 04:33:55 PM

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tpezzolo

Hey Folks - It started about 10 years ago when at a garage sale, I picked up a couple dozen western 500s for $10. I cannot remember why I bought them. Several of them had a sticker on them that warned "your conversation might be recorded", I assume they were maybe from a government facility.

Since then, I collected them whenever I came across them. Different colors, the wall-hanging style, etc. But I have only every kept them in boxes and haven't really done anything with them.

Does anybody have any ideas for me? I don't know much about electronics, but I have wondered if I could use them to as almost an intercom system in my house. Just have them wired directly together.

And then on the other hand, I am thinking about getting rid of them. I just moved, and realized how much stuff I am hanging onto that I never use. I'm feeling the need to do some more purging of clutter, to make my space more liveable.

What would be the best venue to unload a few dozen old phone?

Thanks for whatever advice you can share. Best Regards,
Tony

WesternElectricBen

Welcome to the forum!

I always would be interested in a nice Western Electric 202/302/354/500/554/1500/1554 etc. So if you need them gone PM me.

I don't know anything about electronics either, I've learned how to correct wiring in a phone but... I heard you can use a 9 volt battery and connect a few phones. I know their has been a thread or two on this topic.

Ben

HarrySmith

Hi Tony! You are a very lucky man!
You have a chance to escape from the clutches of Phonitis ;D
Do not try to use them as an intercom! If you so much as open one up to make it work it will be too late ;D
What you have already collected will pale in comparison of what is to come.
You will need 1 (or more) of every color, then there are the different manufacturers and the different materials. Don't forget about the specialty stuff like explosion proof phones. Then you will need a PBX to connect them all and use them. Telephone signs and special tools will be needed also.
Soon you will need a bigger house!
Seriously, if you want to sell them this is the place, many here, including myself, would be interested in them. If you just want to get rid of them I will PM my address and I will even cover shipping;D
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

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

paul-f

The good thing about vintage telephones is that you don't need to be a technical wizard to get them to run.  Once you learn a few basics, the wiring is fairly simple and phones can often be fixed by simply swapping components, 

Many in this group started with little or no related background.  The inmates here love to share our addiction, so are glad to help you learn.

You already seem to have a good start on a collection of potential "donor" phones, in case some do not work.

Welcome to the group!
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

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WesternElectricBen

Quote from: paul-f on July 11, 2013, 05:50:06 PM
The good thing about vintage telephones is that you don't need to be a technical wizard to get them to run.  Once you learn a few basics, the wiring is fairly simple and phones can often be fixed by simply swapping components, 

Many in this group started with little or no related background.  The inmates here love to share our addiction, so are glad to help you learn.

You already seem to have a good start on a collection of potential "donor" phones, in case some do not work.

Welcome to the group!

Thats a good way to describe people with phoneitus, were inmates and will never get out...

HarrySmith

Another horrible tell tale sympton of this disease is the uncontrollable compulsion to read every post on this forum ;)
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

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

WesternElectricBen

And to stop at a garage sale or flea market even if you don't have money on you...

That happend to me today atleast..

Ben

tpezzolo

Hey All - Thanks for the welcomes and the great replies.

If anybody has plans or could send a link for how two old rotaries might be wired together, I would be really interested in trying that out! I would love to run a direct line from my home office (detached building) to the kitchen.

I have a couple prize phones that I would love to hang onto, but I think I will pull the boxes down, get a final count, snap some photos and post on the web-site. See who is interested in what and begin to unload my bounty.

Thanks all.

WesternElectricBen


HarrySmith

I attached a schematic for setting up an intrcom from a previous post.  A search will bring up a few others but I think this one is pretty clear cut. Here is a discussion on using a cellphone charger to power the phones:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=4114.0
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

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

WesternElectricBen

I found a really simple and easy video you can follow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh2rwDR3kr4 Good luck!

Ben

tpezzolo

Hey so that youtube video seemed about the perfect thing. Thank you for posting!

I could pick my two favorite phones, hook up an intercom between the kitchen and office - and then, I could feel good about letting the other ones go, to find better homes with members of this forum. :D

I have a few questions, has anybody tried this? I'd love to incorporate the original ringer into the intercom design. The piezo buzzer featured, just does not do it for me.

Perhaps a separate circuit, a switch or push button could operate the ringer, and alert the called party to pick up?

Does anybody know how to fire the ringing mechanism? Perhaps you just have to supply the right voltage through one of the colored wires?

Sorry if I sounds like a total noob! Thanks for all your help. I have to find a way to use a couple of these or I will feel like a total person for hanging on to so many for so many years.

Best,
Tony

paul-f

Search the forum for "ring generator" and you'll find many ways to generate the proper ringing voltage.

A nice solution is the Western Electric 118A unit shown here:
  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=7026.msg79858#msg79858

You can keep the ring and voice circuits separate and use 5-conductor cords to wire the system (2 for voice and 3 for ringing) - wired similarly to the buzzer circuits you're likely to have found.

Many of us wanted the phones to ring automatically until answered, so opted for a small PBX.  One of the favorites is a Panasonic 61610.  It gives you great intercom capability with up to 6 external phone lines and 32 local extensions.

They're generally available used at surprisingly reasonable prices.  It would save you a lot of tinkering and experimentation.

That would give you an excuse to keep 32 of your phones!

Think how much fun it would be to call someone at the other end of the house - or at the other end of the couch!

Search the forum and you'll find tons of info on them and other PBXs.

Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

WesternElectricBen

I'm kind of now thinking what the phone between office (the big game watching room) and kitchen will turn out to..

I do recommend the panisonic 616 because you can use as many old phones as you want on it. You could keep USINF splitter after splitter per jack.

I got my 616 for a steal at 5.99 with 5 of the phones, and just remember I'm interested in phones, happy to pay shipping etc.

Ben.

tpezzolo

Wow - This forum is a wealth of information. Now I have too many options!

In general - I am overwhelmed being a first time home-owner. I'm going to pull a couple of phones out of my collection for a future intercom project and put the rest up for sale. I know you are interested Ben. Be patient with me though. It seems like everywhere I look, there is something for me to do right now. I may have bit off more that I can chew with this house!

As soon as I pull the boxes down and snap some pictures, you'll hear from me again at the forum.

Thanks for all the help, guys.