News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

My first Craigslist purchase..

Started by Everwood, February 10, 2011, 11:52:01 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Fibber McGee

Repair and restore whatever is needed to bring it to original operating configuration......then go find another one...or a WW2 Field Telephone (like an EE-8, which can work with local battery or common battery) and then put one in one part of the house and the other somewhere else (garage?)  ...then you can use them as an intercom and they will be functional and original unaltered condition.  Just my two cents worth.    ...that is what I did with mine--it is useful, fun, and allows a realistic demo of how it was really supposed to work.  Display or use, you made a great find at a steal of a price!

GG



Everwood, you could try this:

Per Doug, don't alter anything or try to adapt that one, but clean it carefully.

Then find another magneto phone of any kind on Ebay or wherever. 

Install them in different parts of the house, out of normal hearing range of each other. 

Connect a local power source such as a set of rechargeable batteries to each one according to its own schematics (polarity doesn't matter).

Then run some station wire between them and hook up each one according to its own schematic. 

What you have then is a pair of magneto phones working like an intercom.  And if anyone visiting wants a demonstration, you can call each other from one to the other, with the added benefit of discovering that the audio is probably better on these century-old phones than on most modern cellphones. 

Doug Rose

GG....welcome back! You were missed....Doug
Kidphone

Greg G.

Quote from: Everwood on February 10, 2011, 11:52:01 PM
Looked on Craigslist for the first time last night.  Found an extremely vague description of "old wall phone, was my grandfathers"    I asked what year.. he replied 1901.  I drove the hour and 15 minutes down to check it out.  Here is what I came home with for $85 (asked $100).  Hope I didn't get hosed... seems legit.

I could use some help, I am only about a week into these vintage phones.  Is this something to restore or leave all the webs and dust?  I don't want to touch her until I get some idea.. thanks for any info on this. 

Craigslist rocks!  That's where I've found 90% of my phones.  The best finds are when they use vague or unusual terms in the description.  I can't exactly remember, but my first phone was a Japanese NEC, and the seller used some different terms, "Asian" being one.  Short story is it didn't come up using my usual search terms.  Using the plural helps too, I've found a couple collections I got for a steal that way.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e