North Electric 500 Sets, black and color

[Doug Rose]

I have never seen one so I picked it up cheap. Cool the way the handset cord comes out of the base. It has a Northern F1 on it, so I put a  North  F1 style, but shouldn't this have a G1, the handset cord is for a G1....Doug

[poplar1]

North 541:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=7478.msg83293#msg83293

[LarryInMichigan]

These were made in a variety of colors, and the ones in any color but black sell for high prices.  There was a wall version also.  I sold an ivory wall version which was missing a part and had some damage for about $300.

Larry

[Doug Rose]

Thanks Larry/David.....kind of different.  I appreciate the info....Doug

[Doug Rose]

I need some ringer help....ringer has three wires, when I move the orange to green on the line cord it rings, but then shorts out. This is the original set up....thanks....Doug

[AL_as_needed]

Very interesting set, didnt know such a version was out there. Then again I also do not really follow NE much, learning every day!

[TelePlay]

Did you check the resistance on the 3 wires to see how the winding is divided?

[Doug Rose]

John....way above my pay grade.

Al...I didn't either, I just thought it was a cool looking phone. Even with a wrong North Handset, it looks cool. I am leaning to keeping it. I like the recessed heavy metal finger wheel...Doug

[poplar1]

The North Handbook for 541 shows the RED ringer wire on L2, the BROWN ringer wire on A -- no mention of an orange wire. (Try disconnecting the orange wire.)
The line cord connects GREEN to L1, RED to L2, and YELLOW to K.
Then for an individual line, you would connect green and yellow together at the wall connecting block.
So, you could also run a jumper wire from L1 to K inside the phone and use only 2 wires of the line cord.

Putting the orange wire on K must be shorting out the capacitor (A-K), making the phone trip ring.

http://telephonecollectors.info/index.php/document-repository/doc_details/1762-north-electric-541-series-tl
Paragraph 22-C 22-B. and Fig. 4

           24. RINGER CONNECTIONS
                           a. The ringer has two color coded leads, one RED and one BROWN.

                           b. Straight—Line and Frequency Selective Ringers — The straight-line,
                     16, 16-2/3 and 20 cycle ringers use the ringing capacitor
                     built into the network. Connect RED lead to L2 and BROWN lead
                     to A of network. The 25 to 66-2/3 cycle ringers are equipped with
                     a capacitor, suitable for their frequencies, wired in series with
                     the RED lead, Connect RED lead to terminal L2 and BROWN to terminal
                     K of the network.

[Doug Rose]

Thanks David.....I will give it a shot in the morning. I do appreciate it....always a pleasure.....Doug

[Doug Rose]

David....BINGO! Rings nice and LOUD!!....as usual....many thanks....Doug

[TelePlay]

Doug,

Could you take a few pictures of the clapper tension spring. I've never seen one like these. It's a coiled spring attached to the clapper wire at the ringer frame or wire "throat" just below the clapper itself.

Also, is it adjustable by sliding the mount or fixed?

[skyrider]

Just wanted to share my two 541 North Electric telephones. The red one with a straight handset cord I picked up near Chattanooga, TN. I almost didn't buy it but when I noticed it had a Western Electric soft plastic handset I couldn't resist. I wonder if they purchased the handset from Western Electric as it doesn't have Bell System on it?  The date inside the phone is 06/1955 and it has no ringer. The markings on the number card shows Dalton, GA which was GTE territory. The handset is 1960.

Has anyone seen a colored straight handset cord like this?

The black 541 came off of eBay. They were both in the $25 range.

Bill Compton

[LarryInMichigan]

I would expect that red North 541 to sell for $300-$400 on ebay.

Larry

[poplar1]

Bill:

G-type handsets were not marked "Bell System" except those made from about 1968-1982: these said "Bell System Not For Sale."

Is there a date on the handset cord restraint? Is it an H4BG cord?The early WE G-3 (color) handsets for red desk phones had H4BG straight cords (gray or later red) or H4BH (later H4BR) spring cords.