Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Forum News => New Member Introductions => Topic started by: Under Dog on October 23, 2014, 07:24:33 PM

Title: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Under Dog on October 23, 2014, 07:24:33 PM
Hello everyone!  Just thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself. 

Some years back when my grandfather died, my mother made sure I got to keep the old black 302 that he used at his desk for years.  I really need to clean it up a bit, as it looks like it has just been again away, and stumbled on this site while looking up ways to clean/restore it.  From some of the pictures I've seen so far, WOW, nice work! 

The old 302 works just fine, and I love the sound of the old bells.  So much so that I've recently started replacing all of the cordless phones around the house with ones with bell ringers.  My wife isn't thrilled.  While she admits she likes the way they sound, it drives her crazy that she can't wander the house while chatting away.  So far the compromise has been to keep a few of the cordless units around, but to turn their obnoxious ringers volume all the way down so that you really only hear the bells.  It sounds so much nicer around the house this way!

Another collector, Paul H, down near the San Francisco Bay Area, was kind enough to pass me a 500, 5302, and a broken 302 to play with.  So far, the 500 is polished and sitting in the kitchen.  I'm just now starting to tinker with the 5302.  (If you're on here, Paul, thank you again!).

Well, that's a good start for now.  Any questions, just ask!

Doug
Portland, Oregon
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Phonesrfun on October 23, 2014, 07:29:53 PM
Welcome to the forum, Doug.

We have  several here in the Pacific Northwest who participate.  Portland is where I was born and raised, but I am currently living in Walla Walla, WA.  We have a Northwest Phone collectos show in Seattle every year, and for 2015 it is planned for May 30th.

This is a great place to talk phones!
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: paul-f on October 23, 2014, 08:17:23 PM
Welcome Doug.

We have a similar set-up, with a 4-phone cordless set-up for when we want to roam around or use a speakerphone and about a dozen vintage phones for good sound quality.

No electronic noisemakers are allowed.  In fact, with so many vintage phones, we'd exceed the REN rating for the line (typically about 5 vintage ringers).  All ringers in the sets are turned off or disconnected.  We have a centrally-located WE 592 ringer that can be heard anywhere in the house.  There's usually a vintage phone within a few steps.

We can easily rotate the vintage phones for variety or to display seasonal colors.

You have lots of expansion capability.  Enjoy.
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: AE_Collector on October 23, 2014, 08:27:49 PM
Welcome Doug from Portland!

I am going to move you into the New Members Intro area but carry on talking phones and bells!

Terry from Vancouver Canada.
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Under Dog on October 23, 2014, 08:38:34 PM
Whoops...  I didn't see the "child board".  My apologies as I am still learning this forum.

My son is currently in Moscow, ID.  We get out there once in a while.  Our last trip we spent some time in Lewiston/Clarkston checking out the antique stores.  I would imagine Walla Walla's got some good ones???
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Phonesrfun on October 23, 2014, 09:54:51 PM
Quote from: Under Dog on October 23, 2014, 08:38:34 PM
My son is currently in Moscow, ID.  We get out there once in a while.  Our last trip we spent some time in Lewiston/Clarkston checking out the antique stores.  I would imagine Walla Walla's got some good ones???

Ha ha.  Between myself and a guy named Charles here in WW we scour the antique stores quite a bit.  I am frankly disappointed in what little there is here.  I did buy something in Lewiston, ID once.

I should have mentioned in my post about the Northwest phone show that we get a very sizeable and respectable showing from SW British Columbia too.  One of which is AE Collector (Terry).   You might say we have an international presence.
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: AE_Collector on October 23, 2014, 10:27:15 PM
Quote from: Under Dog on October 23, 2014, 08:38:34 PM
Whoops...  I didn't see the "child board".  My apologies as I am still learning this forum.

No apologies required nor expected. We move stuff around here as and when required and we don't expect anyone to know exactly where to post every time.

Terry
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: tallguy58 on October 23, 2014, 11:21:30 PM
Hey Doug, glad to have you aboard.
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: dsk on October 24, 2014, 01:24:52 AM
Welcome!  ;D

dsk
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Doug Rose on October 24, 2014, 07:27:32 AM
Welcome to the Forum....its a fun place. You will learn a lot, proving that you can teach an old doug new tricks.....Other Doug
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Under Dog on October 24, 2014, 12:10:28 PM
Thanks all.  Glad to be here.

Doug... my mother had a Far Side comic blown up to a wall poster for me.  It was a picture of a mailman apprehensively approaching a house with a young man hiding behind a tree.  Caption "Beware of Doug"... 

BTW, Nice phones.  Your red and green pics come up a lot!
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: tallguy58 on October 24, 2014, 12:32:10 PM
Like this
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Under Dog on October 24, 2014, 12:46:30 PM
 ;D  Yep!  That's the one! 
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Greg G. on October 25, 2014, 02:28:04 PM
Quote from: Under Dog on October 23, 2014, 07:24:33 PM
Hello everyone!  Just thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself. 

Some years back when my grandfather died, my mother made sure I got to keep the old black 302 that he used at his desk for years.  I really need to clean it up a bit, as it looks like it has just been again away, and stumbled on this site while looking up ways to clean/restore it.  From some of the pictures I've seen so far, WOW, nice work! 

The old 302 works just fine, and I love the sound of the old bells.  So much so that I've recently started replacing all of the cordless phones around the house with ones with bell ringers.  My wife isn't thrilled.  While she admits she likes the way they sound, it drives her crazy that she can't wander the house while chatting away.  So far the compromise has been to keep a few of the cordless units around, but to turn their obnoxious ringers volume all the way down so that you really only hear the bells.  It sounds so much nicer around the house this way!

Another collector, Paul H, down near the San Francisco Bay Area, was kind enough to pass me a 500, 5302, and a broken 302 to play with.  So far, the 500 is polished and sitting in the kitchen.  I'm just now starting to tinker with the 5302.  (If you're on here, Paul, thank you again!).

Well, that's a good start for now.  Any questions, just ask!

Doug
Portland, Oregon

Welcome!  I've always included Portland in my searches since I have relatives just across the river in Vancouver, WA.  I've made many a trip down there for phones, and by stopping to see Mom, I called it a trip to see Mom with a side trip for a phone, that way I didn't factor in gas as a cost for the phone.  My first vintage phone was obtained in Portland.

My wife also wanted a cordless phone, so we did include one with two handsets.  Except she didn't want the 5 or 6 vintage phones that I had hooked up to all ring, so I disabled the ringers except for two.  We have a small house so it's not hard to hear any of them.
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Under Dog on October 25, 2014, 02:45:58 PM
Down here?  Where are you from?

I'm about to head to the Tacoma area for 2 weeks of work.  Would love to see the collections of any folks up in that area!
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Greg G. on October 25, 2014, 03:46:42 PM
Quote from: Under Dog on October 25, 2014, 02:45:58 PM
Down here?  Where are you from?

I'm about to head to the Tacoma area for 2 weeks of work.  Would love to see the collections of any folks up in that area!

I'm just north of Seattle, in Lake Forest Park.
Title: Re: New guy from Portland, Oregon
Post by: Phonesrfun on October 25, 2014, 04:41:36 PM
Tacoma and Seattle both have telecommunications museums:

http://www.scn.org/telmuseum/tacoma.html

http://museumofcommunications.org/

I haven't been to the Tacoma museum, but I have been to the Seattle museum.  Well worth the trip.