How is it possible to have a WE202 with a built in ringer? Please refer to Ebay item 151129582335. I'm not in the market; just curious.
Rachel
someone else will probably have some input, but I just looked this phone up and any 202 with a built in ringer probably has been modified which would take away its authenticity. also these phones require a subset to work properly which I didn t see in the listing, because there were no photos of its inside. I don t even no if the handset is period correct or even a western electric handset. Gregg
I saw that listing also. I was hoping for pictures of the inside to no avail.
Gregg is correct, they never came with a ringer from WE.
I was going to ask the seller but figured it was a waste of time!
Also has the wrong dial and handset
Frankenphone candidate.
Wrong dial.
Wrong handset.
picture for posterity...looks like a NE NU handset..Doug
Doug,
Thanks for posting pix can't open ebay item. I've been saying for a long time don't assume that "Ma bell" or her Canadian cousin didn't make it that way. I have dial version I assume Canadian , due to handset and where I got it , 202 in NICKLE with a brown NU handset and a chrome GPO dial new in box ( with absolutely no writing on box ) that I got up in Newfie many years ago. And it has black cloth cords . Also have a no dial manual Western 202 in silver plate , that came out of a WE co 3rd line supervisors office.with a brown F1 handset.
Working for phone companies for 35 years I've come across MANY phones that I've heard never existed..
ANDY F K1WI @MGH
PS Still looking for that BLACK lightweight F1* handset , that I've been told never existed .
Andy, try this link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151129582335
This sure looks like the same phone, but with a different handset.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161114192728
Okay, I captured the base photo from each listing. The handsets are different but the phone is not only identical but also placed exactly the same in each photo. All I did was resize them to match each other and when laid on top of each other, the phones are identical. The base screws, the marks in the leather/felt, the dust, everything is the same, it's the same phone, but two different handsets. How did they do that? Go figure.
The bottom photo is an overlay with one of the photos being at 50% opacity. You can see the difference in the handsets but the phone is a match.
Working for phone companies for 35 years I've come across MANY phones that I've heard never existed..
ANDY F K1WI @MGH
PS Still looking for that BLACK lightweight F1* handset , that I've been told never existed .
[/quote] Andy the lightweight F1 you are looking for was made of thermoplastic. It was black and made at the tail end of the F1s life. I have had a few, they are REAL and very light compared to the heavyweight Bakelite F1....good luck in your search....Doug
Doug ,
Thanks , I know I have a broken one. I remember they were also used on the OGT ( outgoing trunk test panel) in some crossbar COs. But I've been told they were never made
Quote from: K1WI on September 24, 2013, 09:13:12 PM
Doug ,
Thanks , I know I have a broken one. I remember they were also used on the OGT ( outgoing trunk test panel) in some crossbar COs. But I've been told they were never made
Whoever told you that never read the Bell System Practices that are in the TCI Library.
Have one of those plastic F1* handsets .Photos are on the forum somewhere.Might dig it out.
Item 151129582335 on Ebay now states: "listing ended by seller because there was an error in the listing."
The new listing of the same phone is now item 161114192728.
I compared both listings and the error in 151129582335 was a "price: US $249.00" shown under the starting bid of US $9.99. The new listing does not have a price.
Rachel
Can you believe it? This item ended at $515.
Rachel
Something sure doesn't look right about those bids. The phone and handset looks like it has been repainted- can't imagine this phone is worth much more than $75. The fingerwheel is interesting - looks like it's stainless steel.
For posterity, this is the seller description of the phone from the eBay listing:
"You are looking at a beautiful vintage 1937 western electric 202 rotary phone. I purchased this at a estate sale from a man who worked at a phone company. This phone is in excellent condition and has a mirror shine to it. Look at photos for full description. The dial turns smoothly with that old time clicking sound. This phone has a built in ringer and no ringer box is required. This is very rare to find. It has been tested and is guaranteed to work. Has a new wall phone cord added that works on any phone jack.Has a nice black felt bottom in excellent shape."
The bidding history is in the attached pdf file (10 bidders, 33 bids, sold for $515 on 10/1/13)
On top of everything else wrong with this phone the handset cord appears to be a line cord.
The dial doesn't look like a Western Electric, and it probably has an electronic warbler and one of the compact Automatic Electric networks in it as well.