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Is this an Automatic Electric 34?

Started by Dan, June 05, 2011, 07:01:00 PM

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Dan

Well, the 34 arrived today, boxed with the common 1961 Black WE500 in the same box!! Double boxed and bubble wrapped per my instructions. NO DAMAGE to the 34.  :P :P ::)

The 34 has a dial tone but the dial is slow to return and will need to be lubed first. The bad news is it has a frequency ringer. I don't know how easy it will be to find a SL ringer for this but if someone has an extra, i'll buy it from you!

I am going to clean her up and post pictures.

PS your AE34 (Jorge) and it's pictures on picassa are spectacular!
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

AE_Collector

#16
I know that everyone uses or displays their phones differently but I sometimes find myself wondering why a frequency ringer automatically "has to be replaced" with a SL ringer.

We don't usually have the need to rip the magneto out of a Magneto phone and replace it with a dial or touch pad to make it fully functional. I know that replacing a ringer isn't quite the same as swaping out a magneto but never the less, a frequency ringer is a historically accurate piece of equipment in an AE phone and if it appears to have been there since the phone was manufactured I'd think that there would be some desire to keep the phone as it was made.

The vast majority of the phones in my house will never find themselves attached to a phone line so as long as the ringer in them is authentic, I'm happy. As far as the phones in my house that are connected to my phone line, I don't have them all ringing anyway.

A ringer for an AE34 is a difficult item to find due to the angle bracket it uses. You might have to modify a newer style ringer onto the old type ringers bracket in your 34. In that case I'd rather keep the original frequency ringer in it.

Just my thoughts. This just came to mind when reading your post Dan. I am not commenting on how you want to restore your particular phone. As I said I know everyone has their own ideas but I just wanted to point out that a frequency ringer is still an authentic ringer in many AE sets.

Terry

Doug Rose

Terry...I agree 100%. I would rather have a phone with matching dates than replace the transmitter to have a working phone that will never be connected to dial tone.

My vote is to leave the original phone; original!!

Bruins and Canucks are really having a battle, back to the game...Doug
Kidphone

AE_Collector

#18
Quote from: Doug Rose on June 10, 2011, 10:01:06 PM
Bruins and Canucks are really having a battle, back to the game...Doug

Same here, third period is under way!

I was downtown Vancouver today right beside Rogers Arena. A real festival atmosphere, just like when the Olympics were on just over a year ago. Major streets in the area closed from noon on in the area and Giant TV screens set up right on the streets for the overflowing crowds to watch the game. Had a *itch of a time even getting out of the downtown area to get home to watch the game!

GO CANUCKS!!!

Kenny C

I don't see any harm done in replacing the ringer. Usability is more important to me than matching dates. If I get a phone I don't want it to set on a shelf and collect dust I want to use it! He could always save the ringer and put it back in for authenticity if he ever sold it.

Just my 2¢
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

AE_Collector

Quote from: Kenny C on June 10, 2011, 11:01:21 PM
I don't see any harm done in replacing the ringer. Usability is more important to me than matching dates. If I get a phone I don't want it to set on a shelf and collect dust I want to use it! He could always save the ringer and put it back in for authenticity if he ever sold it.

Just my 2¢

Agreed Kenny. I just wanted to point out tha tit isn't automatically mandatory to ditch a frequency ringer. If you are going to use it and it has to ring then you probably want to find a SL ringer for it.

PS: Canucks win! 1-0. Back to Boston for game 6 on Monday.

Terry

Dan

The bands have a little bit of chipping. Running my fingernail over them reveals they were black paint over brass. The fingerwheel is also brass too. I am going to strip the black paint and get that brass shining.

As far as the ringer goes, I like to keep the original frequency ringer  parts in a labelled box so I can always convert back to original. I like to have the bells ring as an option. Converting between original or working is the best of both worlds to me.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Doug Rose

Quote from: Dan on June 10, 2011, 11:47:08 PM
The bands have a little bit of chipping. Running my fingernail over them reveals they were black paint over brass. The fingerwheel is also brass too. I am going to strip the black paint and get that brass shining.

As far as the ringer goes, I like to keep the original frequency ringer  parts in a labelled box so I can always convert back to original. I like to have the bells ring as an option. Converting between original or working is the best of both worlds to me.
Dan....if you are going to use it and want it to ring, definitely replace the ringer. If it was going to sit on a shelf, I would have left it. It will look great with the brass shined.....great find.....Doug

Terry.......arrggghhhhh.....
Kidphone

AE_Collector

Dan: Those handsets always have the brass bands but were almost always painted black. A very few were chromed like the 40/50 handsets and of course even more rare is the gold matte finish used on colored thermoplastic AE 1/2/34/35 sets. The very earliest of the type 41 handset used on the 40/50 )etc) sets also had black painted brass bands if they weren't chrome bands.

Doug: We agree.  I was just trying to point out that a frequency ringer isn't like a broken part that has to be replaced but if it will be a daily driver and really has to ring then of course a SL ringer is the answer.

Terry

Doug Rose

Terry...aaarrrrrrrrrrrggggghhhhh   was your Canucks beatng my Bruins......aaaaaggggghhhhh....see you Monday.....Doug
Kidphone

AE_Collector

Quote from: Doug Rose on June 11, 2011, 01:00:35 PM
Terry...aaarrrrrrrrrrrggggghhhhh   was your Canucks beatng my Bruins......aaaaaggggghhhhh....see you Monday.....Doug

Yeah Monday will be another tough one for us. If so it is going to go down to another "best of one" series. If so hopefully it isn't decided by a single goal in OT.

Terry

deedubya3800

Anytime I make a modification to a telephone, unless it's to repair or replace something that is so far gone that it can't be used or displayed in its current condition, I always try to make the mod fully reversible.

So far, though, the only mods I've had to make are hooking up a modular jack inside a daily-user 302 and borrowing a ringer out of a display-only phone for another daily user that came without one.

Dan

Well, I have her somewhat cleaned up. I'd love to put an extensicord? on it but currently the one on it will have to suffice. Love the lines on these!

Before-ebay auction picture



After- all brass under the black paint!

"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright