Kellog 500 clone.

[McHeath]

One thing that would be nice about those early Kellogg phones is that you can remove all the components from the chassis and give it a real nice clean up. 

I dunno D/P, looks pretty much like Dennis's phone, except the ringer.  It's a nice condition phone whatever the case. 

[Dan/Panther]

I guess my disappointment stems from the fact that the components are WE and not Kellogg.
To get it to "Excellent Original Condition" as listed, I may have to spend another 30 to 50 bucks and rob another phone to get the dial and ringer that are original.
The guy said the phone is the way he got it. I requested a small adjustment to the price and he agreed to a $10.00 refund. I'm not dissatisfied with the phone, I just thought I was getting something different than what I did.

Larry;
I can't remember which thread I answered a former request, but let's just Ditto it here.

Anyone have an original 1954 Kellogg Dial and ringer they will sell me for $10.00, I'll pay shipping
"Excellent original condition" of course.

D/P

[Dan/Panther]

Yesterday afternoon, I noticed I had not heard my phone ring all day, which was unusual. I picked up the receiver, and was greeted by silence.
I called 611, from my cell phone, as they run a free line check to insure the problem is mine and not theres.
It said the problem wsas inside my house.
So I stsrted to trace it out, starting at the junction box, which has a modular receptable for trying a phone to make sure it works fron the pole. It was fine. I then hooked a butt set at the terminals directly next to the plug, and got nothing.
I finally was able to trace the problem to my Kellogg DK500. When i unplugged it everything worked fine. So I lifted the hood and disconnected one line wire. Same thing, all worked fine. So it's the 500 that's bad. I disconnected the ringer and the lines were fine. What in the ringer would cause all of my phone lines to go dead I haven't yet put a meter to the coil, but I suspect a shorted coil.
I was just about to brag how well built the Kellogg was, even compared to a WE 500, But this is the first 500 style set I've had fail in service, so that observation is not gonna happen.
D/P

[Phonesrfun]

It would have to be a dead short to cause you to not hear a dial tone, which is odd, considering that the capacitor should prevent that, and the coil should be a high enough resistance even with a shorted capacitor to keep it from being a dead short.  So, unless it is wired wrong, both the ringer coil and the capacitor would have to be shorted to get complete silence.  That would be pretty odd unless the phone had been hit by lightning, in which case a visual on the ringer coil would probably show damage.

[LarryInMichigan]

D/P,

From looking at your pictures at the beginning of this thread, I see that the green line wire is connected to the wrong terminal.  It should be connected to the "L1" terminal.

Larry

[Kenny C]

mine is just like dennis's except mine has the regular ringer and does not have the capasitor and is wired differently i do think that is a replacement ringer because its cords are not cloth and because of the different layout

[Dan/Panther]

D/P,

From looking at your pictures at the beginning of this thread, I see that the green line wire is connected to the wrong terminal.  It should be connected to the "L1" terminal.

Larry

Larry;
I caught the wiring after I got the phone and corrected it before connecting it to the line.

D/P

[GG]

Following up on this topic: the ringer in question, in that K-500 set, was definitely not WE.  WE did not equip their ringers with thick plastic-insulated wires at any point I'm aware of.  They went from the 1950s/early-60s style of paper or cloth insulated wires, to relatively thin plastic-insulated wires by at latest 1971. 

For which reason I believe that ringer is an original Kellogg ringer.

If the network had been swapped-in from WE, you would see strip marks at its mounting points, where the original rivets had been drilled out.  However seeing as ITT-Kellog appeared to use screws + hex-nuts to mount the hookswitches on those, the same on the network block tend to point to it being ITT-Kellogg also, and the absence of rivet spin marks would demonstrate that the network block was original to the phone.

I can't comment on the dial since ITT-Kellogg and WE were virtually identical and it takes closer photos to differentiate them.

If these phones had ever been through telco refurbishing, they might have ended up with WE dials, transmitters, and receivers: slightly mongrelized but permissible since the components were identical functionally and visually.  (Personally I'm not too keen on AE dials in WE 302s, and WE #5 or #6 dials in Kellogg 1000s, both of which are historically legit from indie telco history but in any case easily remedied.)

Re. that phone putting your line off-hook: probably a wiring issue.  Compare the DC resistance of the ringer coils with a known-good WE C4A: they should be the same.  If the coil is bad you can swap one in from a C4A that has a loose volume control or some other difficult problem.  Another good reason for a home PBX: isolates telephones that develop trouble.  A short across a Panasonic extension port does not harm the PBX cabinet or block incoming or outgoing calls, it just looks like an off-hook extension.

[MDK]

At my favorite antique store, I've seen a phone like the one in the initial post, with the rounded-looking handset, and a metal fingerwheel. I believe the model number stamped on the bottom may have been BK-500.

It looks to be in good shape aside from some filth, with no cracks I could find. The dial is a bit sticky.

What is a fair price for something like this? They had $22.00 marked on it. I have to justify these sorts of purchases with the wife, or possibly make a lower offer on it. If my old lady thinks its worth 40 bucks, then she may let me spend 20.

[Dan/Panther]

The phone is well worth $22.00. HOWEVER, make sure your wife is with you, and offer $20.00, if the guy says no, then your wife will feel more confident it's worth the $22.00. If he says yes make sure to tell your wife you just about stole the phone from him. Banjo's can go for upwards of $40.00.
D/P

[MDK]

Thanks.

I think I'm going to try a package deal. The store also had a really sweet minty-looking Astatic JT-30 microphone with original box and instruction sheet, marked $35.00. I just built myself a '57 Fender Champ clone, and this would be the perfect pair for my harp rig.

I think I can swing 50 for both the phone and the microphone. We'll see.

[MDK]

I've finally gotten back to the antique store to discover the Kellogg still there. I paid $15. It was pretty filthy inside and out, and the cords are pretty badly cracked, but the shell and the handset are in really good shape.
I have not tried yet, but I assume a WE dial ring might fit this... ?
.

[Dennis Markham]

I have not tried yet, but I assume a WE dial ring might fit this... ?

Yes it will fit.  Nice looking phone and for only $15.

Here's one I rescued from the trash a few years ago.

http://tinyurl.com/ajnd2rv

[Doug Rose]

Dennis....that is just an amazing refurb. You do outstanding work!

I have one on eBay this week with a very interesting dial card. I have never seen a Kellogg dial card that fit a WE style dial...Doug

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300819119016

[Dan/Panther]

It's been awhile since I worked on the Banjo. I took it apart and isolated thr ringer. I can call out, and receive calls with the ringer completely disconnected.
Maybe someone can give me some resistance readings, wire to wire, on the ringer. I have listed what I get with several combinations.

I have The following..

Red to Gray-920 ohms
Gray/Red to Black-2690
Red to Black-open
Gray/Red to Gray-3610
Gray/Red to Red-920
Black to Gray- 920
Gray/Red to Red-2690

All in Ohms.
Dan