handset types

[McHeath]

do you think they made these type of repairs in the field

I'm guessing yes on this phone.  The phone had the handset cord and handset, along with most of the parts in the handset, dated to 1970 while the phone itself was from 51'.  The phone was in the garage when I bought the house, the previous owners daughter who sold us the place acted like it was a fixture of the house, and looked like it had been there forever.  Maybe they damaged the phones original handset or something, and from what I know of the history of the house, which is a lot, I'm fairly certain that no one living here modified that phone as they were not those type of folks.  (The previous two families left almost all their belongings in the house when they died, they were all elderly owners, so I bought a fully furnished place and got a look into their hobbies and interests, phones were not it.  There was a great collection of political campaign buttons in one desk, all the way back to FDR)   So it must have been Bell System people who modified that phones handset.   There are also no refurb marks on the phone, and all the parts date match.  

It does look rather nice with the G series handset on it, as Mark commented, almost like it was made for it.  

[Steve]

Steve;
I also had put a watch on that handset If you are serious about it, I will not bid against you, if however you are not really interested let me know.
I would like to work out a system of sorts where we here on the forum would not be knowingly bidding against each other. I know that would be very hard to accomplish, but this is a start.

D/P

Thanks, thats nice of you. I did put a bid on it last night, I need to see how I'm doing.

I agree, maybe a PM to members as a heads up what were looking for/bidding on could spare some hard feelings.

If anyone else is looking to bid on this just let me know. a bidding war always makes the next listings shoot up in price anyway. ( "LOOK WHAT THAT ONE WENT FOR!! )

[Steve]

Well, looks like someone else wants it too. if it's a member here, let me know and I'll back off.

[bingster]

These tend to be popular, so it's not unusual that it would get a few bids.  I'd wait until the auction's nearly over before placing another bid.  That way you can get a better idea of where the price is going before you make a final decision.

[Sargeguy]

Be patient.  There are some deals to be had out there:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=260332323085

[rp2813]

I'm brand new here and this is my first post.  I wanted to put my $.02 on the E1 "bullet" transmitter.  My advice is to steer clear of them.  Looks like the ebay one has been retrofitted with the F1 capsule which offers a significant improvement in transmission quality.    I have a 202 with seamless E1 handset from 1931.  I replaced the bullet with an F1 capsule retrofit and I finally had a useable 202.  Although the bullet type transmitter assembly looks original and period, you will get complaints from people on the other end (aka in Ma Bell terms as "distant party") I guarantee you. 

Also, Dennis Markham just recently restored a 302 with E1 handset.  There are lots of before & after pix on his site.  I think the E1 looks strange on a 302 and doesn't sit in the cradle as well as an F1.  On the other hand, F1's look fine on 202's and many of those models ended up with F1's as Ma Bell refurbished them for redeployment over the years they were still being issued to customers.

Ralph

[McHeath]

To me the E1 is a more "primitive" looking handset and does look a bit odd in the 302 cradle. 

[rp2813]

So did anyone here win the crusty one on ebay?  If so, I think the transmitter cover over the F1 capsule on it is the correct retrofit.  The holes in the cover are kind of large and let the orange of the early style F1 capsule show through, but the assembly is correct for this type of transmitter capsule.  As was mentioned elsewhere, Ma Bell couldn't change out the E1 transmitters from bullet type to F1 fast enough, but they were able to re-use the spitcup transmitter cap with this arrangement so the look of the E1 remains original in the cradle, and for the most part, out of the cradle as well.

[bingster]

Those extra large holes are the holed face of the transmitter capsule, itself.  You're seeing it without the screen in each of the photos. 

I guess the price of this one was about average, but it seems a bit much to me.  For not much more, you can buy a whole D1/E1.

[rp2813]

Oh yeah, on the second look I see what you mean about no capsule cover.  My guess is that cleaner E1's than that one can be found out there and one in better shape would be worth waiting for.  Nice early F1 transmitter capsule but it's debatable whether it would still work.