Is this a WE D-Type?

[benhutcherson]

Steve,

Thanks-that makes sense.

Does the ringer also disconnect when the handset is picked up? Otherwise, I would think that the stray inductance of the ringer coils would cause some issues with voice distortion in the talk circuit.

[Dan/Panther]

I think $85.00 is a good price, the E1 is worth $60.00, and the ringer box maybe $30, If he'd ship I'd take it for the E1, then sell the rest. You could almost get the E1 for free.
D/P

[Steve K]

Ben- The ringers and magnetos were connected across the line and did not disconnect when off hook.  The extra resistance made little difference.  Sometimes one side of the ringer was connected to ground depending on the party line service.

Dan- I agree that $85 is a good price.  Those E1 handsets go for very high prices for some reason.  I think that every one of those handsets made are still in existence!

Steve

[Dennis Markham]

Except for this one by Sargeguy

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=544.msg5891#msg5891

[Steve K]

Well, it is still in existence but just in two pieces!  Yes, I had forgotten about that one.  I guess I tried to repress the memory of that poor handset.

[BDM]

Not making fun of Sarge in any way, but every time I see that photo. D1 laying sideways, E1 laying broken in half. It reminds me of a murder scene photo...................................... The Three Stooges never broke them.

[Dan/Panther]

It takes a lot of strees to break a copper wire like that. Bending back and forth it takes several bends to break the wire, actually snapping one like that must take much more to break it.
The phgone body must have landed on top of the handset while it was still upright.
Another possibility, Maybe Sargeguy hit someone over the head with it....

D/P
Just a side note.
I've been separated for almost 3 years, and divorced for about 2, and we (I) live in a very small town, and to this day no one has asked me where my ex has gone or where she is ?
Maybe I'm the only one that didn't know about her ?

[Greg G.]

I think $85.00 is a good price, the E1 is worth $60.00, and the ringer box maybe $30, If he'd ship I'd take it for the E1, then sell the rest. You could almost get the E1 for free.
D/P

Hmmm, well, perhaps.  Wouldn't hurt to take a closer look.  Mom and a couple siblings live in Vancouver, so I can always visit at the same time, it's not a trip just for the phone.  That's why I shop in CL under Portland/Vancouver. 

I have a noob question though, what is the purpose of the subset besides being just a ringer for incoming calls?  I noticed it has a crank and some gears and belts.  Did it function similar to those crank wall phones? 

Anything else I should look for on this, e.g. what would be a deal killer? 

[Greg G.]

I would say that $85 is a reasonable price for an E1 handset and a D1 base/body.  The ringer box is then a bonus.  It's not a steal but a fair price.  I cannot tell from the photo if the handset is grooved or seamless.  Is the leather bottom in good shape.  You can always add a dial.  A #4 would work nice in this set.

Which is better, grooved or seamless?

[bingster]

Seamless is more sought after, because it's the older style.  But for most of the D-mount's life, it used the grooved type, so that style is probably more appropriate. 

In order to be truly seamless, the receiver and transmitter caps should be seamless, as well as the handle.  All too often, a seller will describe a handset as seamless, when it has grooved caps.

[Steve K]

I have a noob question though, what is the purpose of the subset besides being just a ringer for incoming calls?  I noticed it has a crank and some gears and belts.  Did it function similar to those crank wall phones?

The subset contains the magneto for ringing and the induction coil for the talk circuit.  The crank is just geared to the magneto and will probably need to be lubricated for best operation.  This phone setup actually functioned just like the wall crank phones, just in a more modern arrangement.

Steve

[Greg G.]

Well, here it is.  Not sure what to do with it now.  Tried to dicker with the guy, but his price was firm.  I don't include the cost of gas driving there since I coupled it with a visit to Mom. 

What I would like to do is put a dial in it and get it functioning as a regular phone, plus having the base and handset all done up nice and pretty, but lacking a shop and tools to do that, I would have to consider getting some bids on having that done, including having the dial installed.  Recommendations? 

One question though, wouldn't I still need a seperate ringer box/subset, since the housing doesn't have a ringer?  If so, I would just as soon use this one, but again, I would have to get some estimates on having that done, I have no clue how to do that.

The crank on the subset turns ok, bell rings as you turn it.  I don't know what the bank of connections are inside the subset, some wires appear to be missing or disconnected.  I took pics of all the markings and any dates I could find.  The transmitter and receiver have 1935 dates on them, the bracket where the box screws shut has a date of April 30, 07.  There's some other markings on the edge of the inside of the box that I have no idea of what they indicate.

http://img18.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=wed25.jpg

[Steve K]

There are several things you can do.  My first reaction is to keep it as original as possible but that is just me.  You can add a dial fairly easily.  You can also used that subset but it would require some rewiring and a capacitor to use the existing bell.  I would disconnect the magneto.  You could also get a later metal or plastic subset that contains a ringer.  These come up every few hours on eBay.

Steve

[bingster]

What I would like to do is put a dial in it and get it functioning as a regular phone, plus having the base and handset all done up nice and pretty, but lacking a shop and tools to do that, I would have to consider getting some bids on having that done, including having the dial installed.  Recommendations? 

Installing a dial will take you approximately five minutes total, and it's very easy to do.  There's plenty of information on the forum that we can direct you to, which tells exactly how to do it.  Once you've done it, you won't believe you ever considered paying somebody to do it.

If you do decide to install a dial (which personally, is what I would do), you'll need a few things:  Obviously you'll need a dial (#4, #5, or #6 type dials will work).  You'll also need three small screws to mount the dial to the base.  Finally, you'll need two short wires, called "dial cords."  We can direct you to these things if you decide to install a dial.

One question though, wouldn't I still need a seperate ringer box/subset, since the housing doesn't have a ringer?  If so, I would just as soon use this one, but again, I would have to get some estimates on having that done, I have no clue how to do that.

If you decide not to use this subset, then yes, you'd have to have another one.  A more standard type would be far easier to connect and use.  Keep in mind that the most important part of a subset (ringer box) is not the ringer, but rather a part called the induction coil.  It's the part that delivers the proper amounts of current to different parts of the telephone.  You must either use the one you have or use another--that is, you must never hook the phone directly to a jack, skipping the subset--the receiver element in the handset can suffer permanent damage if no subset is used.

Again, though, hooking the phone up to a subset is an easy process, and we can help you with that, too--no need to send it away or pay to have it done.  If you choose to use the one you have, I'm sure we can help you make the modifications necessary to use it on a standard telephone line.  If you want to buy a subset that's designed for a standard line, you'll want a subset type 634 or 684.  534 and 584 can also be used, but don't deliver the performance of the 6XX subsets. As Steve says, these are plentiful on ebay, and go for an average of $40.

[Greg G.]

Sounds like a different subset would be the way to go.  That would preserve this one in it's original state rather than gutting it.  That leaves having the exterior restored, that I know is not something I want to attempt.

So I'll start looking for a dial and a subset, possibly cords, or should I wait on those?