Western Electric 2 Line Rotary 511 C/D for 1A Home Interphone System

[Phonesrfun]

I am a late-comer, but it is a microphone element, and not a secondary ringer.  It is the exact mic that is in a #52 headset.

[JorgeAmely]

Dennis:

Minor correction. Mine is a 502 A/B.

[John S]

I bought the phone on e-bay, it came from Bedminster, PA.  I had no idea what was inside, just when you thought you seen it all........

[jsowers]

John, yours looks to be an early model Interphone phone too, from the first year. I don't think they changed any or at all, but it's nice to know that. Funny that the original customer would spring for such an expensive device in their home as the Interphone and still get a black phone and not a color one. Bedminster, PA? Is that the home of a big WE plant or something? I remember seeing that city name somewhere.

As for Ma Bell listening in, it only went inside the house. But you could snoop on someone very easily from room to room. They touted that as an advantage so you could hear your baby crying--an early baby monitor. It would be very cool to have one of these, but I can see all those electrolytic capacitors in the control unit going bad. And all the wire you would need between stations would be incredible.

Below are copies I scanned from my BSP on the Home Interphone, from March, 1960. I have another BSP that explains the operation of the Interphone if anyone is interested. There is more to the BSP that includes the pages below, but it's the schematic and adjustments for the control unit.

[JorgeAmely]

Jonathan:

I would like to see the BSP of the operation of the Interphone, if it isn't too much trouble.

Thanks.

[jsowers]

No problem, Jorge. It's 8 pages, so it's continued in the next post. The BSP isn't very descriptive, so also in the next post, I'll post scans of a booklet that may have come with the Interphone that looks like maybe it was meant for the general public and not a phone tech. EVERYTHING in the world you ever wanted to know (as Ed Mc Mahon used to say say to Carnac).

[jsowers]

Part two of the operations BSP for the Interphone, and also a brochure that may have come with the Interphone, from 2-64. I love the lifetime guarantee statement on the back cover. I guess that meant the lifetime of the Bell System.

[JorgeAmely]

Excellent presentation Jonathan. Thanks!

I wonder how many kids spent countless hours playing with these systems. I also wonder how good the quality of sound was by having the microphone covered by the housing.

[Kenny C]

i was thinking the same thing because the cases arent exactly thin

[AE_Collector]

John S:

Well thank heavens! It has a lifetime guarantee so you've got nothing to worry about if you can't get it to work!

Terry

[paul-f]

Well thank heavens! It has a lifetime guarantee so you've got nothing to worry about if you can't get it to work!

  ... as long as you continue to pay your monthly charges! 

[jsowers]

Excellent presentation Jonathan. Thanks!

I wonder how many kids spent countless hours playing with these systems. I also wonder how good the quality of sound was by having the microphone covered by the housing.

And they used a modified U1 receiver capsule as a mike in the outdoor door unit. Not exactly what it was designed for, but I suppose it worked backwards, and they were very rugged. Yes, it would be fun to play with, but knowing your parents could eavesdrop on you was probably not fun at all. The sound of what it managed to pick up probably sounded like it was down in a tunnel with the mike inside the phone. Also with all the wires in the cord, these phones were not even unpluggable.

And can you imagine what the monthly charges on this thing would have been? And to pay them for years and years? I wonder if after the Bell System breakup, if any of these 20+ year old systems were left still working, the customers were probably on their own.

[John S]

Thanks everybody for the information.......Once I get the phone cleaned up, I will post new pictures.  After reading all the information on the board, I think the phone is really cool......soemthing different.......

Thanks to all!!!!!!!

John

[Dan/Panther]

I'm not quite clear, is this a transmitter device, or hard wired ?
D/P

[paul-f]

And can you imagine what the monthly charges on this thing would have been? And to pay them for years and years?

A March 1961 price list gives the following Home Interphone monthly rates:

• $6.75 - Minimum system (3 phones, 1 door unit) + $30 one-time
• $1.25 - Each additional telephone + $5 one-time
• $1.00 - Each additional door unit + $5 one-time

System limits: 5 phones, 2 door units.
Add scheduled charges for CO line(s) and extension telephones.
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