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Hello World!

Started by Scotophor, February 15, 2014, 04:11:21 AM

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Scotophor

Hello world!

I've just decided to join this forum after having various posts come up several times in my recent Google searches. My name is Alan, a.k.a. "A.J.", and I'm in eastern Los Angeles county, CA, USA.

Some people who know me think that I collect collections  ;) . I don't know if two rotary phones counts as a collection but I'll probably have more soon.

My first "collector" phone is a black NE-500, pre-modular style with clear finger wheel, which I found in a thrift store for $10 locally a few years ago (how a Canadian-issue phone got this far south I have no idea!) It had no number card and seems to have been assembled from a mix of refurbished or NOS parts circa 1984, the date on the shell. The base and other parts are dated 1971, transmitter element is '73, receiver element is '79. The only things I've done to it are to clean it up a bit, change out the handset cord for a longer one, and swap out the silver flat "1/4-modular" line cord for a color-matched round one with lug end, which I've installed into a 4-prong plug, also black (with help of a squirt of spray paint). In the computer room, I've installed a 4-prong jack for it. I researched my local exchange and found that it was built in the 1940s by Associated Telephone, and so I made a replica "Listen for Dial Tone" number card with the correct EDgewood-6 number on it.

I also have a WE-302 which I'm working on, but it appears to have been a poor purchase decision. Found for $35 at a flea market in absolutely filthy condition with paint spatter and heavy grunge plus tobacco residue, it also appears to have been telco-refurbished at some point, having transmitter and receiver elements from '41, most other parts from '46, a '47 dial number plate, and a '56 F1 handset. One odd feature is that it has the ringer adjuster from a 5302. It has a Tenite shell with some fairly deep scratches and gouges (that were hidden by the filth), and a stretched and distorted handset cord which will need replacing due to insulation coming off the conductors at the base end. It's also moderately heavily rusted and corroded inside, though the dial runs fine now that I've cleaned, lubed and adjusted it. I found a photo or scan online of an original Associated Telephone number card (apparently they're rather rare), which I reproduced in CorelDRAW, so this phone's dial has an even more locally-appropriate card, in case I ever finish restoring it and return it to service.

Other than those, I also have two beige modular BellSouth TP201L-10 touch-tone Trimlines with bell ringers and LED backlit keypads, in continuous service since original purchase circa late 1970s or early 1980s (I haven't opened them up in decades, and memory has failed as to the exact time they were installed).

The Trimlines and the NE-500 (plus a relatively recent cordless) are all "daily drivers". BTW, they all work fine in all respects on my "land line" which is actually Verizon FiOS FTTH (they forced us to switch last year; apparently they intend to, or have already, stopped copper line service altogether in this area).


Anyhoo, I look forward to hanging out here a bit, and now I'm going to make a reply in the topic that brought me here this time.
Name: A.J.   Location: LAPNCAXG, EDgewood 6

Matilo Telephones

Welcome to the forum, Alan.

I think 2 phones count as a collection. But I couldn´t help notice that after you describe 2 of your phones, more were mentioned. It seems as though someway you count these as part of your collection?

A part of phonitis seems to be a some sort of denial. Some phones as not counted when doing a numerical servey. There is Always some excuse. It belongs to the wife. It is in daily use, so it doesn´t count. etc. But when talking about the collection, somehow these same phones are not discounted. So you may have already passed the point of no return.  ;)
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

Contempra

#2
Welcome to the forum scotophor :D

dsk

Welcome to the forum Scotophor :D

I'm looking foreward to see some pictures when times come.

dsk

G-Man

#4
QuoteMy first "collector" phone is a black NE-500, pre-modular style with clear
finger wheel, which I found in a thrift store for $10 locally a few years ago
(how a Canadian-issue phone got this far south I have no idea!)

Associated Telephone/General Telephone/GTE used in addition to their own manufacturer, Automatic Electric, also sourced  a large mixture of instruments from Western Electric, North Electric, Leich, Stromberg Carlson and others in addition. 

When Western Electric purposely made it difficult for telcos other than their own Bell affiliates to purchase their products, they responded by purchasing from Western's little brother, Northern Electric.

tallguy58

You've come to the best place to get the right information on everything telephonic.

The guys here are amazing!

Welcome! Please post some pics of your stuff.
Cheers........Bill

WEBellSystemChristian

Welcome to the forum, Scotophor! Believe me, you'll find that the two-piece collection will grow into a forty-some collection quite soon!
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

paul-f

Welcome A.J.

The cautionary tale is that we all started our collections with "one or two" phones!  They breed.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

Doug Rose

Welcome AJ...this is the place to be if you like old telephones.....Doug
Kidphone

Mr. Bones

Welcome aboard, AJ!

     Glad to have you here, and as far as phonitis goes, I'm sure that you, like any of us, can quit anytime you want to. ;)

Best regards!
Sláinte!
   Mr. Bones
      Rubricollis Ferus

WesternElectricBen


Scotophor

Thank you all for the kind words of welcome!
Name: A.J.   Location: LAPNCAXG, EDgewood 6

G-Man

#12
I see from your CLLI (Silly-Code) that you are located in La Puente, Ca.
If you have an interest, the Southern California Telephone Show is coming up on March 22nd in Placentia






LAPNCAXGDS0
State: CA
English Name: LA PUENTE
Switch Type: WECO 5ESS (Digital)
LATA: Los Angeles CA (730)
Exchanges Served: 10
Served Exchanges: 626-330 626-333 626-336 626-369 626-855 626-933 626-934 626-937 626-961 626-968
Served Rate Centers: LA PUENTE, CA

Building CLLI:  LAPNCAXG 
Street Address: 15844 Workman St
La Puente, CA
Lat/Long: 34.02141, -117.95185
V/H Coord: 9211, 7823
Tandem: COVNCAXF01T
Served Companies: VERIZON CALIFORNIA INC.-CA (GTE)

Scotophor

Thanks for the heads-up. I had seen the Calendar listing for that show already. Not sure whether I'll go yet.
Name: A.J.   Location: LAPNCAXG, EDgewood 6

persido

Welcome A.J
You're gonna love it here, a lot of great people that are very helpful.

Scot