Hotel phone

[Greg G.]

My first phone of the year, bought from an ATCA member.  WE hotel phone.  Just came today.  I was told it has a frequency ringer, but what frequency, I don't know.  The dial is from 2-51.  

[Greg G.]

More pics.

[LarryInMichigan]

Briny,

It looks great.  I would love to have one of those, but I have nowhere to put one.  Is the handset cord original?  If so, it is in amazingly good condition.  Let us know how well it works.

Larry

[Jim Stettler]

Nice phone Briny, In the past I have played around with the parts on frequency ringers and have been able to get some to ring as Straight line ringers. I think Steve H. (the dial guy) knows how to do this.
Seems to me that I would rearange the weights on the clapper and and test it with a ring generator on a key power supply. This was 10-15 years ago,and I have slept since then.
Jim S.

[bingster]

Very nice phone!  You may find that this has a standard ringer in it, rather than a frequency ringer.  BSP 4566 Dec. '26 specs the 553-A as having a standard ringer, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been changed somewhere along the line.  Hook 'er up and find out!

[ntophones]

I just saw one of those in a Humphrey Bogart movie! I wish I could remember which one. The movie wasn't that great, but, the phone was neat! Congrats!

[HobieSport]

I just saw one of those in a Humphrey Bogart movie! I wish I could remember which one. The movie wasn't that great, but, the phone was neat! Congrats!

When Briny first told us about this phone in another thread, I thought I saw it in a Bogey movie too. I skimmed over "The Big Sleep" and it wasn't there. Maybe "The Maltese Falcon"?

What Bogey movies have you watched lately, ntophones? I want to know, because I'd love to post a nice still shot of Bogey on the same phone as Briny's .

Congrats, Briney, it looks great. What a classic.

[Dewdrop]

That is a cool looking phone.

More and more lately I find myself watching the B&W movies from the 40's and 50's just to see the PHONES being used. I'll give out a "WOW look at that one" and my husband will give me that "look". I just can't help it.

Debbie

[HobieSport]

More and more lately I find myself watching the B&W movies from the 40's and 50's just to see the PHONES being used.

Hi Debbie,
I'm just wondering if you've seen this thread about "Old Phones in Movies":
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=search2
It's a long, sometimes silly but fun thread, if you might be interested...
-Matt/Hobie

[stub]

Brinybay,
               That's a great looking phone. Here's to many more!!!!  stub

[McHeath]

What an interesting phone.  And that ringer, the gongs are huge, it must wake the dead!  Well, if you can get it to cooperate that is eh?  It's interesting how much empty space there is inside it as well, guess they made it big to catch attention and all, or something. 

[Phonesrfun]

Greg:

The other phone collector here in Walla Walla (Charles McDonald) may have a S/L ringer for that I could possibly wring (pun intended) out of him for a pretty reasonable price.  I need to go visit him this week-end anyway.  He is 80 and does not have internet, and although he has his wife to talk to, she doesn't talk phones, so when I go over there, I can count on a long protracted visit!

He has tons of parts and he has always been very generous towards me on pricing.  Probably because I drive him around to antique shows.  A couple years ago he bought a genuine fire hydrant at one show, and I was able to get it into the trunk of my Mustang.  All the way back home, for 50 miles it was as if I were driving up hill since the car was weighted down so much in the back.  But that's a different story.

I am interested to hear how your phone works, and I can offer any help I can.

-Bill

[Greg G.]

Briny,

It looks great.  I would love to have one of those, but I have nowhere to put one.  Is the handset cord original?  If so, it is in amazingly good condition.  Let us know how well it works.

Larry

I never asked, but I'm pretty sure the handset cord is a newer replacement, but that's ok.

[Greg G.]

Greg:

The other phone collector here in Walla Walla (Charles McDonald) may have a S/L ringer for that I could possibly wring (pun intended) out of him for a pretty reasonable price.  I need to go visit him this week-end anyway.  He is 80 and does not have internet, and although he has his wife to talk to, she doesn't talk phones, so when I go over there, I can count on a long protracted visit!

He has tons of parts and he has always been very generous towards me on pricing.  Probably because I drive him around to antique shows.  A couple years ago he bought a genuine fire hydrant at one show, and I was able to get it into the trunk of my Mustang.  All the way back home, for 50 miles it was as if I were driving up hill since the car was weighted down so much in the back.  But that's a different story.

I am interested to hear how your phone works, and I can offer any help I can.

-Bill

Where do I hook up the line cord?  I don't see any dates on this, but the dial is from the early 50s, and this is a 30s era phone I believe.  I was thinking I wanted a "period correct" dial, but then it occurred to me that they didn't have dials in the end-user phones in the 30s, so maybe this is a "period correct" dial after all.

Parts eh?  Well, I could also use a black WE handset cord for my 5302.  The one that's on it is very stretched.  I wanted to put a good one on it while I tried fixing it as it's the one I use beside my bed.  I could always use line cords.  I'm also looking for parts for my 52 WE 500, everything from the base up in black.  It was "modernized" by putting a modular beige housing and handset on it, but the base and network are all original (and very clean) 52.  I want to convert it back to an original black 52 phone.  Also need gongs for one of my 302s.

[Greg G.]

Briny,

I would love to have one of those, but I have nowhere to put one.

Larry

And your point is...?  Just follow Kidphone's example, plenty of room!  C'mon, get with the program here!