Ralph Meyer - Everything you wanted to know about old phones

[HarrySmith]

A member of TCI, who literally wrote the book on Old Time Telephones will be running a "class" on old phones.
Ralph Meyer who wrote Old Time Telephones will be doing this. There is no charge for this class. I think we can thank our member Oscar for this. The only hitch is you will need his book and have to be a member of TCI. I just bought the book on Amazon for $26.95 with free shipping. Here is his post:


Ralph Meyer via listserv.icors.org  

Hello All,

Starting November 1, I will begin "teaching" a course called Telephony 101.  I use the word "teaching" loosely because the course will consist mostly of reading assignments followed by questions and answers, but without lectures or exams.  This will all be done on the TCI list server and will consist of going through my book, Old-Time Telephones (2nd Edition).  Reading assignments will usually proceed serially through the book, but sections of the Appendix will be covered as needed to understand basic concepts of voltage, current, resistors, condensers, coils, etc.

Questions about the reading material covered can be sent to me and I will try to answer them.  Participants who want to remain anonymous or who think their questions are too simple (rarely the case) could reply directly to me off the list, but others would be encouraged to ask their questions right on the list by replying to my e-mail giving the reading assignment.  I plan to answer questions openly on the list, protecting the privacy of those who want it.  This kind of discussion goes on all the time on the list, and others not reading along with us might chime in with comments from time to time.

Our amigo, Oscar Hernandez, has recently bought the book and will be our principal student.  Oscar and I have discussed this, and we will proceed through the book at his pace.  When Oscar is ready to move on to the next reading assignment, that's when we will go on.  When Oscar has had enough and doesn't want to go into further detail (perhaps in Chapter 16 or 17), then Telephony 101 would end unless someone else wants to keep going.

No registration or cost would be involved, but you would need to do two things to participate.

1.    Get a copy of Old-Time Telephones, 2nd Edition.  We have scheduled the start of the course for November 1 so there will be time to buy the book if you don't already have it.  The book can be bought on line at amazon.com, abebooks.com, oldphoneworks.com, phonecoinc.com, schifferbooks.com or from other book outlets.

2.    Join the TCI List Server.  This can be done from the TCI home page on the web at www.telephonecollectors.org by clicking on the link with that name.  You don't have to be a member of TCI to join their list and participate (but joining TCI is a good idea).

Although I do not need to know who will be reading along with us, I would be interested.  You could drop me a line at oldtimetelephones@goeaston.net.

Ralph Meyer

[G-Man]

A member of TCI, who literally wrote the book on Old Time Telephones will be running a "class" on old phones.
Ralph Meyer who wrote Old Time Telephones will be doing this. There is no charge for this class. I think we can thank our member Oscar for this. The only hitch is you will need his book and have to be a member of TCI. I just bought the book on Amazon for $26.95 with free shipping. Here is his post:

Ralph Meyer via listserv.icors.org

Instead of using the link to a server that host a large number of groups including the ATCA listserve, here is a link to the TCI list:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/singingwires/

[dsk]

Hasn't been easy to get that book, but now its ordered.
Not a single library or bookstore in this country (Norway) has this book. It takes its time to reach Norway too, so I hope I still may follow the lessons.

It may take looooooong time, but I hope for the shortest possible medio November.

dsk

Total Before Tax:      $34.93
Estimated Tax To Be Collected:      $0.00
     ------
Order Total:      $34.93


Delivery estimate: Nov. 14, 2012 - Dec. 6, 2012
   1    "Old-time Telephones!: Design, History, And Restoration (Schiffer Book for Collectors)"
Meyer, Ralph O.; Paperback; $26.95
In Stock
   Sold by: Amazon.com

[HarrySmith]

WOW, that is a long time for shipping! Ralph is going to start on November 1 so it looks like you will not have the book in time. Maybe someone who already has one can scan part of it for you?
Just came across a book on eBay! Only $26.95 with FREE shipping! Sorry, only US shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110965751943

[Phonesrfun]

I have read Ralph's book cover-to-cover, and I am always using it as a reference when working on phones.

Not only would I recommend his book, but I would recommend anyone who wants to know more about what makes a phone work to take his online course.  It sounds like Oscar Hernandez is going to be functioning as a model student.  Model in the sense that he will be going through this course for the first time, and Ralph will be guaging the material and speed of the class based on Oscar's progress.  That is a novel approach, but it makes a lot of sense in this case.

I cannont help but think that many who come to this forum and ask questions about phones probably wish they had the knowlege or a resource that they could refer to that would give them more of a background in some of the basics of telephony.  Here is a chance for anyone to gain more knowledge.

[dsk]

I've not read that book yet, bu as soon as it arrives....

I have had the experience of reading some explanations in other books, and still not understanding them. E.g. the anti sidetone coil design. Central Europe has traditions for using something looking like a Wheatstone bridge, it quite easy to understand. When you come to the WE 302 or 500 type coil, its quite more difficult, and confusing when e.g. army manuals tries to explain this with Wheatstones bridge. Actually I did not understand the principle before I hard read C.O gibbons description. but when it comes to the British solution with a mix of these 2 circuits, I just cant understand it. I hope the lessons will clarify such things too.

dsk

[HarrySmith]

I think this course will be great! Many people here would benefit from it. I for one can take a phone apart and put it back together with no problem. I can make an old phone work on todays lines even, but I do not understand how and why it works. I hope to gain a ton of knowledge from it.

[DavePEI]

Just a reminder there is only a week or so left to get a copy of Ralph's book and to join the TCI list if you don't already belong to take advantage of Ralph's course. It is another example of the excellent work on the TCI list. I have a copy of the book myself and do plan to take part. I am sure there is a lot covered in Ralph's book that I can still benefit from beside what I have absorbed so far.

Ralph's book contains over 120 black and white photos and 175 patent drawings, charts, diagrams, and schematics tracing a century's development of telephones, from Alexander Graham Bell's first box of 1877 to Trimline models from Western Electric. This valuable reference also provides technical information about their electrical circuitry and electrical measurements required to successfully repair, restore, and maintain a collection. Also included are a bibliography, an index, and a price guide for the telephones displayed.

You can join TCI's listserver, Singing Wires at:

singingwires-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

And I highly recommend joining TCI as a member, see: http://www.telephonecollectors.org/

This should be a wonderful opportunity for us all to learn and benefit from Ralph's extensive experience!

Also, don't forget TCI's Document Repository, the world's largest and fastest growing collection of downloadable BSPs at:

http://www.telephonecollectors.info/

Dave

[dsk]

Hasn't been easy to get that book, but now its ordered.
Not a single library or bookstore in this country (Norway) has this book. It takes its time to reach Norway too, so I hope I still may follow the lessons.

It may take looooooong time, but I hope for the shortest possible medio November.

dsk

Total Before Tax:      $34.93
Estimated Tax To Be Collected:      $0.00
     ------
Order Total:      $34.93


Delivery estimate: Nov. 14, 2012 - Dec. 6, 2012
   1    "Old-time Telephones!: Design, History, And Restoration (Schiffer Book for Collectors)"
Meyer, Ralph O.; Paperback; $26.95
In Stock
   Sold by: Amazon.com

Not bad, the book came today. 
dsk

[Russ Kirk]

I received my book last week.  Don;t know why it took me so long to decide to buy,  but now that i have it is a very good addition to my reference library.

[George Knighton]

The 2nd Edition is the 2005 Edition?  That's the latest of Old-Time Telephones?

I hope so, because that's the only edition I'm finding at eBay and Amazon.

[Adam]

Um... Have they made any new "old phones" since 2005?

:-)

[George Knighton]

Um... Have they made any new "old phones" since 2005?

I dunno, maybe there's been some new carbon core filament wires that he wants us to use starting in 2010.

[Bill]

Yes, 2nd Edition is the newest.

Bill

[dsk]

Now we have come to " Single-box Magneto Wall Phones"

And Ralph says: " If you are of a certain age and your grandparents lived in a rural area, you
probably saw one of these phones when you were a kid."

Yes I remember, at least the magneto phone.
My Grandparents had their 1934 combined set, and my uncle and aunt got an extra phone when they moved in, a 1953 modell.

My aunt has still the same ext. ending on 278 but now touch tone.  

The difference to US telephones was probably the handset.  

My oldest wall telephones are from 1905.  Some pictures here:
http://tinyurl.com/Norwegian-magnetos


dsk