Aren't these sets rare to some degree? Someone here might want it, but the $65 BiN price seems a little steep.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321800295838
I'm sure the "Leich aficionado's" will have a better handle on this, but I don't think it's a convertible set. I had a Leich convertible desk / wall set and sold it to a collector several years ago. As I recall, the back cradle posts were curved and a lot higher. I think the eBay listing is for a standard desk set. Attached is a not particularly good photo of a Leich convertible, but it does show the curved and longer cradle posts.
Jeff Lamb
Quote from: Ktownphoneco on July 31, 2015, 05:00:06 PM
I'm sure the "Leich aficionado's" will have a better handle on this, but I don't think it's a convertible set. I had a Leich convertible desk / wall set and sold it to a collector several years ago. As I recall, the back cradle posts were curved and a lot higher. I think the eBay listing is for a standard desk set. Attached is a not particularly good photo of a Leich convertible, but it does show the curved and longer cradle posts.
Jeff Lamb
I believe Leich made several different convertible sets. I remember a tipic here about this particular model.
The one on eBay is not a convertible. It is even advertised as a desk model. It looks like it has some sort of junction box at the end of the line cord.
There was the desk/wall convertible (actually made in several model numbers with different generation internals)
http://www.paul-f.com/500style.html#LeichConv (http://www.paul-f.com/500style.html#LeichConv)
...and the North conversion set:
http://www.paul-f.com/500style.html#L7H6M (http://www.paul-f.com/500style.html#L7H6M)
Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on July 31, 2015, 04:43:25 PM
Aren't these sets rare to some degree? Someone here might want it, but the $65 BiN price seems a little steep.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321800295838
Are you thinking about a 105 or the 700?
That's what I was thinking of; North!
By 'Convertible', I was talking about the shell and handset being 'converted' from the older plastics. I guess that term can do double duty with the other Convertible model by Leich.
The plastic kits were used to dress up a North chassis, kind of like a 5302, right?
I saw a discussion somewhere, maybe Facebook about this phone. Someone said it was a North version of the 5302? Newer plastics for the older insides.
Quote from: HarrySmith on July 31, 2015, 08:06:34 PM
I saw a discussion somewhere, maybe Facebook about this phone. Someone said it was a North version of the 5302? Newer plastics for the older insides.
I think it was something like a 5302, but it was a combination of two different companies. I have no idea why GTE/AE was making products for North chassis' though.
Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on July 31, 2015, 09:01:27 PM
I have no idea why GTE/AE was making products for North chassis' though.
If North or a refurbishing company offered AE enough money, why wouldn't they (or Leich) make conversion kits for them?
Jack
Remember Automatic Electric's Autelco division would rebuild other brands of telephones .Example a Kellogg non dial stick with an AE style dial base.It made sense to rebuild a 10-15 year old telephone to double it's life.Telephone sets were not cheap.
Quote from: G-Man on August 01, 2015, 01:06:30 PM
From the TCI Library....
GENERAL TELEPHONE NEWS
It is customary to state the author and source publication of verbatim quotations. Stating a library is not particularly helpful or customary for quotations.
Quote from: unbeldi on August 01, 2015, 01:13:15 PM
Quote from: G-Man on August 01, 2015, 01:06:30 PM
From the TCI Library….
GENERAL TELEPHONE NEWS
It is customary to state the author and source publication of verbatim quotations. Stating a library is not particularly helpful or customary for quotations.
The offending documents have been removed.
I missed Steve's original post, but found an interesting article in the Library with a simple search for "General Telephone News." The entire article is worth a read. Thanks for scanning it for the Library, Steve.
It's from General Telephone California News - October 1957, page 17 and starts:
Drive to Slash North Instrument Surplus
is Underway in Company
A full scale company drive is now underway to reduce a large surplus
of black North Electric telephone instruments. Plant and Commercial personnel
are concentrating on installing these sets, all in top working condition, in all
cases in which the North instrument can be used.
Quote from: unbeldi on August 01, 2015, 01:13:15 PM
Quote from: G-Man on August 01, 2015, 01:06:30 PM
From the TCI Library....
GENERAL TELEPHONE NEWS
It is customary to state the author and source publication of verbatim quotations. Stating a library is not particularly helpful or customary for quotations.
Paul Fassbender was able to find it with the information that I originally provided:
- Source Publication- General Telephone News (no author listed).
- Location- TCI Library.
- Title- Drive to Slash North Instrument
Surplus is Underway in Company
I have since been given the go ahead to repost my original comments:
Probably not long after the following article, someone at Gen Tel/A.E. probably decided the solution would be to emulate Western Electric's 5302 by having their Leich division manufacture new plastics (some in colors) to retrofit these older North Electric sets.
Shown below is General Telephone's take on the above. It also illustrates that sets were being repaired in the shops of their own operating companies and not being sent to their parent company's Autelco division.
From the TCI Library....
GENERAL TELEPHONE NEWS
Drive to Slash North Instrument
Surplus is Underway in Company
A full scale company drive is now underway to reduce a large surplus
of black North Electric telephone instruments. Plant and Commercial personnel
are concentrating on installing these sets, all in top working condition, in all
cases in which the North instrument can be used.
This problem was re-emphasized in a
recent meeting of representatives from
Plant, Commercial and Engineering Departments
with Dean M. Barnes, operating
vice president. It was pointed out
that while the company has a large supply
of telephones in stock, the supply
of new Automatic Electric Type 80 in-
struments is rapidly dwindling. This is
due to greater public demand for the
new design of the Type 80 set.
"Rather than order more Type 80's
at this time," Barnes stated, "we must
meet customer needs by fully utilizing
the surplus instruments we have on
hand whenever it is possible to do so."
This oversupply of North Electric
instruments and undersupply of Type
80's has been caused largely by our
willingness in the past to install the
Type 80 whenever the customer indicated
such a preference. In many of
these cases the North instrument could
have been used just as well.
The choice of instrument for an installation
is determined primarily by
transmission requirements, Barnes explained.
The Automatic Type 80 can
suffice for almost any regular installation,
from a transmission standpoint.
The North Electric instrument, due to
different transmission design, is suitable
for many, but not all, installations.
"Instead of using the Type 80 for
any and all installations," he continued,
"we must use it only where the North
cannot be used. The North instrument
will then be installed wherever it can
meet transmission requirements. Thus
the North will be used in the majority
of our regular installations."
Barnes pointed out that, in addition
to the instruments in the storeroom, the
company has about 500,000 black North
Electric instruments currently in operation.
Because of our high station turnover,
these sets will come out of service
and rapidly accumulate on our shelves
unless we make every effort to use them.
"Although some of our customers may
indicate their preference for the newer
Type 80 set, it should be pointed out to
them that the North Electric set is presently
the standard instrument for the
majority of our installations," he said.
"We would certainly like to meet
every customer request in supplying instrument
models," Barnes stated, "but
it's economically impractical. We can't
discard thousands of clean, efficient instruments
simply because they've become
'last year's models,' then turn
around and buy thousands more of the
latest design. Since telephone instru-
ments are built to give many years of
useful service, we must make use of
those we have on hand for as long as
they are serviceable.
"And although the North Electric instruments
we have in stock are not the
latest style, they are still handsome sets.
Our instrument shop personnel have
taken great care to see that every instrument
that is made available for service
is new in appearance and in top
working condition."
Thanks for the reference G-Man; an interesting insight.
Jack