What would YOU do with this?

[Jester]

Pictured below is a Northern Electric 20B deskstand I bought off ebay a few months ago.  I lean toward dial phones most of the time, but the nickel plated finish and its obvious age and originality appealed to me.  The Buy It Now price of $40 along with extra parts thrown into the lot didn't hurt, either!   I believe this is the oldest 20 series phone I have ever seen, and here is an explanation of details that make me think that:

1)  The transmitter cup is embossed "Northern Electric & Manufacturing Company Limited".  From what I have read the name changed to "Northern Electric Company Limited" about 1910.  Also notice the cup is the old wall phone design with the solid perch adapter screwed to it.  Later cups are cast one-piece with the perch mount as part of the casting.

2)  The knurled thumb nut on the perch bolt.

3)  The perch is a solid piece of metal machined to shape, not a cast piece.

4)  The base is not stamped with the company name or any patent date around the stem opening as I have seen on later versions.  Also, the threaded ferrule for the cord hole is made of brown bakelite.  Later bases have a crimped brass ferrule at that opening.

After getting it here, I wrestled with how to assemble & display it.  I decided early on that I wanted to add a dial to the circuit, but I wanted the addition to be attractive and like it could have been added on in the field by a service tech.  I also decided to go with anti-sidetone circuitry instead of the original electricals, which means changing the switch in the desk stand, for starters.

Below is phone in some detail shots and the collection of parts I have for completing the restoration.  Notice the dial mount is a #20 deskstand with a cut down stem & a 30A dial adapter cup mounted to a U shaped perch adapter is mounted where the transmitter cup should be.  The only original parts are the dial( a #4 conversion of a #2 that I added a repro #2 fingerstop to) and the felted cover-- all other parts of the dial mouont are reproduction.  The last shot shows the two subsets I am considering for this project-- a 334A on the left & a 495BP on the right.  Notice the 495 is a phone co. refurb. that has been rebuilt to Anti-sidetone specs.  The set no. is painted on the inside cover in red, the original no. stamped into the case has been scratched out and the original patent date placard and schemetic have been intentionally painted over.  Does anyone recognize what no. subset this used to be?  All I can make out is 2--.

[bingster]

$40 BIN???  That's an astounding deal!  OST receiver, too.  Amazing.

I'm not much help here, because given it's age and scarcity, I'd polish it up and leave it just as it is.  Probably the only change I'd make is chroming the card holder.

[Jester]

Sorry, Bingster
I should have mentioned I added the 122 Pony-- actually I built it from two using the better parts from both to make one complete receiver.  And yes, even that was pricey-- about twice the price of the phone!

[Phonesrfun]

I would leave it as it is.  I would not touch it mechanically.  My thought is that if you want a dial antisidetone stick, get a 151AL.  You would not be able to put AST with the switchhook assembly on that stick anyway if it only has three leaves.

-Bill

[Dan/Panther]

Jester;
I would do s thouroiugh cleaning and display it.
Did they come originally with the pony receiver ?
You made one good from two phones, did you get two pony receivers. If so is one for sale?
D/P

[Jester]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your candid replies-- this is why I asked.  My true intention was to use my creative side & add a dial so it looked plausible for BSP of the time, and would still be reversible--meaning you could take it out of the circuit & the remaining assembly would be original.  Below are pics of the assembled mock up alone & with the desk stand.

[Phonesrfun]

Whew!

I thought you wanted to do a chop job on the stick itself.

-Bill

[Jester]

Bill!!!!
NEVER!!   I'm more of a purist than that!!

[bingster]

Actually, I was thinking the same thing as Bill.  Now that I see what you're proposing, I think it's pretty darn neat.

[Jester]

Dan/Panther,
To answer your questions, yes, the 20B was available with the Pony(OST) receiver.  Here is a link to a current auction:http://tinyurl.com/lalu6u

As for selling the second receiver, I will warn you that the bakelite topcap has half the shoulder missing that fits over the sleeve that covers the element, the sleeve is badly cracked & comes apart in 2 separate hunks, & these pieces could be made smaller if one sneezes wrong, and the diaphragm is missing--probably the most curable malady of the whole mess.  The good news is both binding posts for the topcap have excellent nickel finish & the ear cap is in excellent shape & is embossed "Property Of American Bell Telephone Co.".  I have misplaced the topcap, but when I locate all the parts I will list them in the classifieds for trade.

Stephen