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Odd F-1 Handset

Started by compubit, February 02, 2015, 10:30:41 PM

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compubit

Just tested the new 354 (warped case, but that's in another section), and everything worked, except for I could hear nothing from the receiver.  I checked all the wiring, and everything matched up, so I looked at the receiver itself, and saw no wires from the transmitter. (Muttering something impolite under my breath)

I then looked at the transmitter, and sure enough, no wire. Then I noticed: there's no channel for the wire to run through inside the handset (comparing it to my other F-1 handsets nearby).  In the receiver area, there's no hole for the wires to enter, and same in the transmitter - the plastic is smooth all the way down...

Has anyone else seen this?

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

Kenton K

Thats a nice early handset. Early ones had a wire molded into the bakelite. Yours has a date of march 1939 based on the stamp on the lip. I'd use a ohmeter to test the connectivity of the receiver contacts to R and W.

-Ken

DavePEI

Yes, the older handsets contained two wires encased in the plastic to connect to the transmitter... If they go bad, the handset is toast (but if you are careful, you can cut two slots to the transmitter on the underside, run wires, then fill, It is really tricky, though)

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

Phonesrfun

Really easy to check with an ohm meter.  I would suspect the cord or one of the elements before the wires inside the handset.  While I don't dispute that they can go bad, I have never run into that situation myself.
-Bill G

paul-f

Quote from: compubit on February 02, 2015, 10:30:41 PM

Then I noticed: there's no channel for the wire to run through inside the handset (comparing it to my other F-1 handsets nearby).  In the receiver area, there's no hole for the wires to enter, and same in the transmitter - the plastic is smooth all the way down...

Has anyone else seen this?


Jim,

Other obsessive collectors have noted several variations of F handset handles...
   http://www.paul-f.com/we300typ.htm#F1evolution

Collect them all!
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

DavePEI

Quote from: Phonesrfun on February 02, 2015, 11:41:23 PM
Really easy to check with an ohm meter.  I would suspect the cord or one of the elements before the wires inside the handset.  While I don't dispute that they can go bad, I have never run into that situation myself.
I have run into two of these with the problem. I think it happens when they are stored in damp locations for some time. The wire corrodes inside the handset material just about where it connects to the screw terminal (and of course in these is inaccessible).

It is easily measurable with an ohmmeter, but not so easy to fix. On one, I did do a reasonably successful repair using a dremel to cut two slots on the base of the handle to hide new wires in, then drilling through to the transmitter and receiver, finally filling the slot. But the best way is to simply replace the handset outright. Too much work to repair, and one slip during repair will destroy the handset completely.

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

WEBellSystemChristian

That design was really bad on Western Electric's part. If the handset no longer works, you would have to throw it away! Who ever heard of Western Electric throwing something away?!?
Christian Petterson

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

compubit

Thanks for the information!  I was searching on the site (a great wealth of knowledge), but didn't see anything similar (guess I need to dig further into paul-f's site).

Everything else on the handset was 50s, so I assumed it was an error (or possibly a handset meant for use in paging).  Now I see the "39" - I had been looking inside the cups for a (painted) date stamp - now I know where to look!

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

Kenton K

Handsets were often reused long past their manufacture date, so I could see a 39 on a fifths phone.

Ken

poplar1

Latest painted date I've seen on an F1 handle is 1-9-39.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

Dan/Panther

That was an early attempt by Nicola Tesla, to transmit current, without wires...JUST KIDDING.  :o

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

compubit

Good news! Both have connections (verified via multimeter).

The first phone (pictured) - figured out that the contacts aren't in the right place for the receiver (both are coming straight out - nothing hitting the center contact of the receiver module). I'll have to do a little bending.

On the second phone, the contacts were pushed down into the handset, so that the receiver module wasn't making contact...

Glad I have y'all to keep me straight and now I have an additional 354 and a 302 (though with a F1W handset, I'm guessing that it's a 302W? - there's nothing indicating - that I can tell - of a specific model number) to play with.

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

Babybearjs

it always helps to have extra parts for these on hand... I have a few of these type handsets and its been mostly the receiver unit that fails.... testing parts across to of a kind phones helps.... that way you can tell if its the handset, or the receiver unit inside....and it could also be the transmitter too.... parts fail.....
John