Who do you think made the best telephones?

[dsk]

Even when this thread is so extremely subjective, we may observe the development by copying the basic idea from others, and making it better and better.  If we start in the 19-thirties, the most phones became molded in one unit, without many parts to build a case with ringer/subset - external fork, external dial etc.  Better dials. The were made more easy to move around with carrying handle, plug and socket. Internally better anti sidetone, better receivers and transmitters, as capsules,  compact capacitors, better ringers. Some tried plug and play, some made them more universal so you could adjust for different systems, loop lengths, automatic loop compensation, the semi conductors came and you got well working automatic loop compensation.
Some of these ideas was left and they went back because the ideas did not work out.

And now an extremely subjective statement:  When the deregulation came (in most countries) They forgot much of it and stopped making phones to last for ever, fixed receiver, transmitters, no serviceable parts.

dsk

[compubit]

IMHO, there's a maturity on this board I don't see on some other boards I have frequented in the past.  We may disagree on a topic, but see the civility in the discussion.

That's what keeps me coming back (and, oh yeah, the topic is TELEPHONES!!!!).

Jim

p.s., I do think deregulation "killed" the hardware industry, but then look at the other technologies that have come into being, that might have been slower in coming were it not for deregulation...  Who'd have thought that I'd have 9 separate land-based phone numbers under my name averaging less than $1 per month each, not including the 4 tied to personal and work cell devices...

[jsowers]

Most people will prefer what they grew up with.

It's funny, I grew up in AE territory and we always had an AE phone until private lines became standard about 1983 and we could then own our own phone. The party line AE80 went back to the phone company and I installed a WE 500 set I found at a yard sale. Only after I joined the Forum did I gain any appreciation for AE products, so I appreciate the education the Forum has provided. As a kid I always thought the AE phones we had were totally inferior. My mom had six brothers and sisters and all of them and my grandmother had phones from Southern Bell. How I wished we had one. My uncle worked for Southern Bell and I got to see and use the latest phones at his house.

I do have some AE products in my phone collection on display. An AE50 and three early Starlites. It's a challenge to find unfaded AE color phones. Most of my collection is WE phones. I collect what I couldn't have in my childhood.

As far as AE copying WE, I think the AE Starlite was a copy of the idea of the Princess phone, using a different design, but aiming for the same market and in almost the same colors. Pretty much the same for the AE Styleline copying the WE Trimline and their panel phone and their SpaceMaker, etc. copying the WE versions. AE added things like the electroluminescent dial of the Starlite, the swivel dial of the SpaceMaker and the color-coordinated overlays of the panel phone. Those things at least made the phones unique.

So there's room to collect both--if you have enough room to display them. They all have their merits.

[RotoTech99]

Dear Forum:
From: Rototech99

I think AE, WE, and SC are all top telephone manufacturers, each adding their own respective innovation to the world of phones.

[19and41]

I think that each of the predominant manufacturers were making products that were expected to perform to set specifications of performance, durability and complexity.  There were many purchasers that had similar criteria that resulted in devices that were by necessity built in a similar manner to achieve the same performance standards.  I would imagine there would be more disparity at the opposite end of the judged qualities,  the worst phones and equipment.

[Partyline4]

Wow, I had forgot about this post, and I am amazed at the response!

I agree with the notion that this whole thread is subjective, but it's good to get people talking about what they're passionate about, and luckily we're all passionate about the big picture, telephones!

My feeling is that Western Electric really spearheaded most of the movement in the industry. It seemed like when they came out with something, all of the others had to pick up their pencils and make a similar design. I am still stuck between W.E and A.E. I really agree with the post that A.E. stuck with their belief to be unique. You just don't see anything else like'em.

The phones of today just don't hold a candle to the quality and longevity of the phones of yesteryear.

I'm glad I can be proud of such things, though. I wonder if people even thought about it during the hindsight "Golden Years" of telephony? Did they understand how much went into the devices they used every day?

Amazing.

[RotoTech99]

I think this is where the phrase "sometimes you were better off not knowing applied to a lot of phone subscribers... They were happy the phone did what it was supposed to never knowing the technology and research put into it making it work reliably, and survive every conceivable mishap, or rough handling user who slammed or threw the phone like a football when somebody blew a fuse in a call.

[Partyline4]

I think this is where the phrase "sometimes you were better off not knowing applied to a lot of phone subscribers... They were happy the phone did what it was supposed to never knowing the technology and research put into it making it work reliably, and survive every conceivable mishap, or rough handling user who slammed or threw the phone like a football when somebody blew a fuse in a call.

I can agree with that.

[Babybearjs]

I vote for W.E. and a close second for A.E. the W.E. phones were built to last, the A.E. phones are nice but the 40's, 50's and 80's are hard to service. and I absolutely hate the A.E. 90's. the networks in the 80 and 90's have that goop in them that leaks all over. the W.E. phones are so easy to work on. oh yeh, and I absolutely HATE Stromberg-Carlson. I have never seen such junk.... I worked on a 1500 series phone once.... what a pain rewiring it.... and the multiline phones are a joke.... who designed the terminal boards??? double decker terminations? and to have the break when trying to unscrew a terminal.....junk! and they used NUMBERS instead of LETTERS to I.D. the boards.... what a pain! ITT come in a close 2nd.... since they are just like W.E. in the design..... I used to sell the big button phones from ITT back in the 80-90's.

[RotoTech99]

I like the later models of the AE 80, And Starlite with the PC board type networks, they were reasonably simple to service. I'm not terribly fond of the potted network types, but I do prefer the PC network equipped versions because they were simpler to service.

About the only thing I didn't understand about the miniature Type 46A and 46 ringers is why they didn't design a volume control cam or lever into them to allow the 46 types to have adjustable volume...

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I like the 1950s type 80s, but they are a pain to work on or rewire. The way the cords are restrained with clumsy metal clips, and how the screws are threaded into the bolt that holds the feet on was a pretty dumb idea. Eventually, as the Neoprene feet outgas, the screws are rusted in place, and the screw heads break off when you try loosening the clip to get the cord out. I should know, I accidentally did that to my Blue AE80!

Other than that, they are pretty good quality. And, like I said before, the fact that the design is all on their own and not licensed from WE makes me think we should cut them a break.

[RotoTech99]

The one main thing I would have liked to see more of is the 80d to 80e conversion kits and how they used those

[Babybearjs]

I did like the AE 86/87 phones. took the light bar out of the 86 and put it in the 87, then took the spare wiring and hooked up the busy station lights.... had to switch out the switch hook too..... the 87 switch hook didn't have enough wires for the lamp circuit.

[dsk]

Some of these were in service for more than 60 years, 
The twin dial versions did not last that long I guess, because they were used on double desks for 2 persons sharing one phone.  The metal cabinet was pretty tough, and the circuit was close to the W.E. 302.

dsk

[Partyline4]

I did like the AE 86/87 phones. took the light bar out of the 86 and put it in the 87, then took the spare wiring and hooked up the busy station lights.... had to switch out the switch hook too..... the 87 switch hook didn't have enough wires for the lamp circuit.

Are you talking about the A.E. Multiline phones?


I found one of each at an estate sale a while back that didn't even advertise that they had phones!

Paid $10 each.

One wall hanger, and one Desk sitter.

I had an issue with the wall hanger's dial. Turned out to be a cracked connection on the transistor that makes the whole thing work! That took a while to find!

I love to use the wall version while sitting at my desk.

I have a 1952 WE 500 as my bedside companion, with a USA Magnavox caller ID so I don't catch those scam calls...