Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Identification, Repair & Restoration => Technical "Stuff" => AE => Topic started by: Nick in Manitou on June 22, 2016, 04:40:58 PM

Title: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 22, 2016, 04:40:58 PM
I have always really liked the appearance of the AE 50.

Recently I posted in another thread that it seemed to me that the words "reasonable price" and AE 50 didn't seem to go together.

Well, there was a forum member who remembered my statement when he saw an ad on eBay for one with a BIN of $45 plus shipping charges of $24.38.  (I am not naming the forum member who alerted me to the opportunity in case there is someone else who would have liked to have been notified.)  I jumped on the opportunity and, with the blessing of my wife who said she liked the look of the phone and that my birthday is only a few months away, I snapped it up without much consideration at all.

Several folks have voiced their concern about how fragile these phones are and how important it is for the seller to know this and take it into consideration.  I sent the seller a message about the vents often being damaged in shipment and to please not ship the phone with the handset on the cradle.  She responded very reasonably.

It took a while for the phone to arrive but when it got here it was in great shape.  The seller apologized for the delay but said that she lives out in the country and and it took her a while to get the extra packing materials.  She felt bad about the delay and shipped it priority.  Instead of the $24.38 she stated in her ad, she ended up paying $39.30 to ship the phone!  I offered her $20 for the extra materials, the extra shipping cost and the extra effort, but she insisted that if I wanted to pay her additional money, that I should limit it to $10 and consider the rest a gift!

So, thank you to the forum member who kept his eye out for me and took the time to let me know about this opportunity - and to a kind eBay seller!

I have not had much time at all to even look at the phone, but I did open it up and take some photos.  The insides look undisturbed from original to me.

The chrome ring on the receiver end of the handset is broken, so I will be researching  how to fix or where to find a replacement. 

The dial is very slow and needs assistance to return.  (I have had Steve Hilsz repair some dials in the past, but I have heard some folks use the aerosol contact cleaner/lube that places like Radio Shack sell.  I have some of that on hand, should I try that first?) (Dial is stamped "875A" on the back in case that enlightens anyone about anything.)

I hope to put a new line cord on this within the next couple days and see if it works.  (If it doesn't, I will be asking the forum for assistance.)

Any comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Nick
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 22, 2016, 04:42:29 PM
More photos:
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 22, 2016, 04:46:07 PM
More photos:
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 22, 2016, 04:47:13 PM
Wrestling with the photo security error...
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 22, 2016, 04:52:51 PM
Trying again...didn't want to reduce the size of the photo in case there is a detail someone wants to see.  (But it looks as though it came through without much reduction in quality even though the size is smaller.)
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: poplar1 on June 22, 2016, 05:16:32 PM
Straight line ("S.L.") Ringer is a +.

That's a phonecoinc inspection sticker on the back, but it appears they didn't remove any of the original parts.

Seller could have used a large priority flat rate (up to 70 lbs.) box for $18.75 (or $15.85 online), but a seller just told me she doesn't like them because they aren't deep enough (12" x12" x 6").
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: LarryInMichigan on June 22, 2016, 05:22:40 PM
Nick,

Congratulations on getting a real classic.  With a bit of cleaning and polishing, this phone should look really great.  I wouldn't worry too much about the broken chrome ring.  It looks like the break is clean, so I would just apply a few drops of super glue to the inside of the ring one both ends when putting it back over the cap to hold the ring to the cap and nobody will know that it was broken.

Your phone has a SL ringer which is a bonus.  Frequency ringers were very common.  Also, you phone is not missing its plunger.  Many AE50s have lost them.  Your phone is probably an earlier AE50, judging by the cloth, instead of rubber, insulation on the wires inside.

Cleaning an AE dial does not take all that much skill.  If I can do it, anyone can.

The large Priorty Mail boxes are probably not deep enough to to ship one of these safely.  I wouldn't risk it.

Enjoy your new old phone!


Larry
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: oldguy on June 22, 2016, 08:51:13 PM
Very nice phone. Ya, wives can surprise you at times. Mine did when I was at a ladies house buying 3 Phones for $50 (yes I'm cheap). then the lady brought out a beautifully restored AE50 & said she wanted $100. I had brought $60 to buy the 3 phone & had no more cash. My wife said she liked the phone & did I want it. I said yes & told her "but I only have $10 & $100 is a lot of money for a phone". She whipped out 5 20s & gave them to me to buy the phone. I was shocked & thankful. We went home with 4 phones.
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Jack Ryan on June 22, 2016, 08:53:57 PM
Quote from: poplar1 on June 22, 2016, 05:16:32 PM
Seller could have used a large priority flat rate (up to 70 lbs.) box for $18.75 (or $15.85 online), but a seller just told me she doesn't like them because they aren't deep enough (12" x12" x 6").

That is true. People insist on using flat rate boxes but for many phones 5.5" leaves no room for padding.

Nice buy!

Jack
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Jack Ryan on June 22, 2016, 08:57:13 PM
Quote from: LarryInMichigan on June 22, 2016, 05:22:40 PM
Your phone is probably an earlier AE50, judging by the cloth, instead of rubber, insulation on the wires inside.

Yes, also by the ringer. The code on the back should begin with "50".

Jack
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 22, 2016, 09:34:13 PM
Jack, when you say the code on the back should begin with "50", do you mean the code on the back of the phone?

I have attached a photo of the back.
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 22, 2016, 09:37:20 PM
Gary,

That was a pretty good day even before the AE 50 and the surprise by your wife.

Good looking phones.  Now you gotta get that 202 fired up and running.

Nick
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Jack Ryan on June 23, 2016, 02:12:16 AM
Quote from: Nick in Manitou on June 22, 2016, 09:34:13 PM
Jack, when you say the code on the back should begin with "50", do you mean the code on the back of the phone?

I have attached a photo of the back.

The code on yours is difficult to read. See attached for example "50" indicating the original model with larger ringer

Jack
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 23, 2016, 10:12:43 AM
Attached is another photo of the code on the back.  It is faint enough that even looking at it with a magnifying glass doesn't make it clear what it says.

S 1 5600 B0?, or S 1 5800 B0?, or are the last two faint digits even '0's?

Any idea of what these codes mean in their specific locations?


Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: AE_Collector on June 23, 2016, 12:20:45 PM
Looking through my data base of AE phone codes I see the following. I only have 16 AE50's entered in the list. I have 9 L's, 4 PL's, 2 SL's and 1 SZL. The digits following these letters always begin with 50 or 51 and are always 4 digits long except one that is 5 digits which I am guessing is a typo. Then there are always additional numbers/letters following in one or two groups totalling from 2 to 6 letters/digits.

I have seen many poorly stamped codes on AE phones and suspect your 4 digits must begin with 50. On my list the highest number indicated by the third and fourth digits is 14 with most being 00, 01 or 02.

Terry
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 23, 2016, 03:41:47 PM
So, do you expect that what the code was originally (when it was legible) "S L 5000 B0" ?

Any idea of what the codes stood for?
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: AE_Collector on June 23, 2016, 05:11:51 PM
I have no idea what the L, PL, SL etc indicates. Jack mentioned something in reference to the coding and the trim on the phone. Maybe some of this info is contained in these first letters. If he knows something in this area I hope he will share!

I know that once AE got to 80's & 90's the first letter referenced the type of network. They started with N and then NA, NB, NC, ND and some models went to NF.

Looking at AE40's I have 50 records in my Excel sheet. I have a 1 D, 20 L's, 14 N's, 1 PL, 3 PN's, 1 SL, 6 SN's and 1 Y and 3 phones with either no numbering or at least these first letters are missing or completely illegible.

Presumably the 5000 on your 50 represents the first version of the 50 with the older larger ringer as Jack mentioned. What the 5001, 5002 ..... Indicates is unknown to me. Likely small revisions but I don't think anyone has seen anything in writing. These numbers don't necesarily appear to start at 5000 and increment. As Jack mentions the 41 and 51 seems tied to the newer ringer type. Each of these 4 digits could represent a specific feature of the phone. In both the 40 and 41 coded sets in my records the vast majority of the 3rd / 4th digits are 20, 22, 23, 24 & 25 though there are a few others.

The B likely means it originally had a dial blank as opposed to A (numbers only dial) or C (numbers/letters dial). Thus was the numbering convention in later AE sets.

I think that 0 was used to indicate Straight Line Ringer as opposed to a 2 digit number to indicate the ringers frequency if other than a SL ringer. Eventually they switched to using SL to indicate a Straight Line ringer rather than a 0 and continued to use a two digit number if it was a frequency ringer. Still later once into the AE 80's and 90's the SL changed to SA with the A indicating adjustable (volume) which frequency ringers never was as an option.

Terry
Title: Re: Finally got an AE 50
Post by: Nick in Manitou on June 24, 2016, 11:21:43 AM
I took another look at the back of the phone last evening and looking at it with a bright light at a low angle, it looks as though it probably was originally stamped as "S L 5000 B0".

I also had a chance to lube the dial with a little Radio Shack contact cleaner/lube at the friction points and it instantly started to return well.

I connected the phone and it works and rings!

Now to get it cleaned up and figure a way to hang it so that it can function but be easily removable (our house is on the market and I am trying not to add any extra holes in the walls).