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WE 333A Wall Phone

Started by zaphod01, November 16, 2015, 06:22:46 PM

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zaphod01

I know nothing about this model and couldn't find much online. The closure screw is on the side instead of the front like my 333B and my 334A. Picture frame front. Photos attached.

It was de-installed by cutting the line cord and leaving about a foot of green and red wire. I stripped a half inch of insulation, wired it to a RJ11 junction box, and it works like a champ. $58 on ebay.

Anyone know when these were made?
"Things are never so bad they can't be made worse." - Humphrey Bogart

unbeldi

#1
Quite nice find.  In the best condition, i.e. barn fresh.

The 333A was the first all metal combined common battery subscriber set, the self-contained wall companion to the 20AL desk stand with the 334A metal desk set box.

The 333A and 334A sets still had the gongs of the ringer on the outside. It was the predecessor to the 533A, for which the gongs moved inside housing.

When the 333A was refurbished with the anti-sidetone circuit in 1930, it became the No. 433 subscriber set and had a No. 146 induction coil.  The 333 had the No. 20 induction coil. I believe, by the time the No. 46 induction coil was introduced in 1919, the 333 subscriber set was already history.

Yours was probably made before WW-I, it still has the large 2 µF condenser (21D), which was reduced to 1 µF to save material in the 333B (21AN).


PS: After looking around some posted 333B types, it seems that many of them also have the 21D condenser, despite what the catalog says.  Given the time, it may have been a moving target.
In any case I would date your subscriber set between 1915 and 1918.

zaphod01

I checked and my 333B also has a 21D condenser. First time I've had them open side-by-side.
"Things are never so bad they can't be made worse." - Humphrey Bogart

unbeldi

Are the hookswitches identical ?

Sargeguy

Interesting phone.  I don't recall ever seeing one that had a raised central  portion on the front as seen in the 533A.  All of the one's i have in my collection (or sold to you!) have a flat front on them.
Greg Sargeant
Providence, RI
TCI /ATCA #4409

unbeldi

Quote from: Sargeguy on November 18, 2015, 07:54:45 PM
Interesting phone.  I don't recall ever seeing one that had a raised central  portion on the front as seen in the 533A.  All of the one's i have in my collection (or sold to you!) have a flat front on them.

I think the raised area was a little larger later.

But zaphod's 333B looks from the inside like it wasn't raised at all.