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New member in Richmond VA, US

Started by virre, December 27, 2021, 03:06:04 PM

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virre

Greetings from new member Victor in Richmond, Virginia everyone!

I've found so much high-quality information in the forums that I'm starting to feel guilty, so I wanted to introduce myself and thank the community. Thanks All! Maybe at some point I'll be able to give something back!

I don't consider myself a collector per se...I am attempting to transform our living room into a 1930s/1940s time capsule. But reviving a "dead" phone is its own reward, and has been very addictive.

My first vintage phone was at an antique store in sunny Orange, California circa 1985. It's a metal 302 dated 1937 which I still have.

This was followed by a lllooonnnggg stretch of time where I was still had a simmering interest in vintage phones, but things like education, career, and family were prioritized.

I picked up a few things like a WE B1 and a WE 500 a few years ago, but didn't really do too much with them besides display them. I tried plugging them in for a while, but the constant barrage of telemarketers quickly put the kibosh on that idea.

This year I've been able to devote some time and resources to this pursuit, however : )

One thing led to another, ergo:

WE 20AL
WE 40AL
WE B1
WE D1 x 2
WE 302 Metal Shell
WE 302 Tenite Shell (whew, stinky)
WE 500 (Black)
WE 534A Subset
WE 534F Subset...came gutted, slowly being converted to a 634A
Two trimline pushbutton phones that I use for testing & configuration
Danish Jydsk crank telephone
Grandstream HT802 ATA for use with voip.ms

All the western electric phones are in working order. NONE of the western electric phones were working when I got them. It's entirely thanks to y'all and the information in the forums that they've been brought back to life.

Victor, Richmond, VA

edit 12-27-21 - images removed, rotated, reattached




MMikeJBenN27

Welcome to the club.  Please, though, do NOT plug your B1s, D1s, and desk stands into the wall jack.  You are supposed to connect them to a SUBSET, as you need the induction coil that is in the subset.  That SUBSET goes to the wall jack.  Hotwiring them to work without a subset can demagnetize the receiver capsule, and might even weld the dial contacts together, and results in loud harsh clicks and snaps in your ear.  The alternative is to retrofitt them with mini networks.  They had induction coils in miniture, just no ringer.

Mike

Doug Rose

Welcome to the Forum. You have some very nice phones....Doug
Kidphone

RB


virre

No worries Mike, that's one of the first things I picked up from the forums!

I use a 534A for the candlesticks, and a juryrigged subset using the inductor and capacitors from a 302 base with one of the D1s.  The plan is to rotate the phones every now and then so they all see a little use.

Does anybody else look at old tech and get the impression that deep down it still wants to be useful?

Thanks for the welcome all!


oldguy

Welcome Victor. Nice phones. Glad your here.
Gary

SUnset2

Welcome aboard.
Those are nice phones for your theme.  Next you will want to decorate the other rooms in different periods with the appropriate telephones for those eras.

MMikeJBenN27

Fantastic.  Nice phones you have.

Mike

5415551212


HarrySmith

Welcome to the asylum. I usually give a warning here about Phoneitis but it looks like it is too late for you, you are already infected. Get ready to build an addition for all your phones & phone stuff! If you have been lurking you probably already know you have found the best forum on the web! Have fun ;D
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"