Help ID AE 21 versus AE 42

[jfrutschy]

Hey everyone.  I am getting confused from the pdf catalog for AE telephones.  Simply put.  How do you tell the difference between the type 42 versus the 21 metal boxes they look the same?  All catalog pictures I have seen the front cover has a screw that locks it on the front of the cover!!!!!

I have one that the locking screw is on the side???  All my others are on the front.  Of course some with louvers and others with vent holes indicating a time line.  Posted pix on earlier post (ae cosmetically finished).  I have four under construction right now.  Awaiting parts and some powdercoating.

What do I need to do to make each one historically correct as in its operating componets or does it matter as long as you use the same either type 42 or 21.  I want these others to be correct.   I have had a devil of a time aquiring the transmitters and receivers and hookswitches Im ending up with more cases than I need.

John

[AE_Collector]

To me the AE 42 is a similar steel box to the AE 21 but came originally with the one piece AE 41 handset where as the AE 21 was a two piece receiver and transmitter type set.

Terry

[Russ62]

Hi, All the A.E non stepped deskstands whether with or without a place for a dial, and almost all the trans-on- front metal wall phones, with or with out dial location, are mysteriously labeled type 21 in the A.E catalogs.  The exception is the type 42 which is a trans-on-front wallphone that comes from the factory with the newer type induction coil and other components from the type 40 monophone, and of coarse the capsule type receiver and transmitter which are also labeled type 42 when listed separately in the catalog. The handset metal wallphone is labeled type 44 in catalog 4055-D. As to the vents vs louvers, I have several A.E. subsets, (but no A and E subsets) for my A.E. deskstands, some with vents and some with louvers. I believe this has something to do with Automatic Electric's earlier purchase of American Electric and Monarch and integrating their products in much the same way as my early, but typical looking type 80 monophone that says manufactured by Leich Electric.                           Russ

[AE_Collector]

To me the AE 42 is a similar steel box to the AE 21 but came originally with the one piece AE 41 handset where as the AE 21 was a two piece receiver and transmitter type set.

Terry

Oops, I have made that mistake before. I was thinking AE 44 metal wall phone with handset but typing AE 42 metal wall phone.

Terry

[stub]

There are 3 just alike in appearance 21 , 42 , 21A. The difference is the transmitter, receiver and induction coils. The early 21's had a polarized receiver ( with horseshoe magnet), booster ind. coil ( 2 windings), anti-sidetone booster ind. coil ( 3 windings) and series circuits ( D C receiver , no magnet ) . The 42 is as Russ stated.
The 21A uses the 42 receiver and transmitter and a different induction coil. Maybe I got it right? stub

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