News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

1905 Strowger

Started by ....., October 06, 2017, 08:44:36 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

.....

I made a private deal with another member of this forum for 1905 Strowger and it arrived this morning, not bad for being 112 years old.
It will show good in my display cabinet.

There was no cash involved it was a straight trade for something I had that he wanted and he offered me this phone. He mailed the phone to me and I mailed my item to him.  It was a done deal. Great for both of us.  :)

Thanks to the fellow member who I will leave unnamed unless he posts it himself.

dsk

Fantastic! Will this dial work in a regular (tolerant) 10 pps exchange system?
(Or in other words, is it working if you plug it in to the P.O.T.S.  ?  )
dsk

.....

Quote from: dsk on October 06, 2017, 08:53:36 AM
Fantastic! Will this dial work in a regular (tolerant) 10 pps exchange system?
(Or in other words, is it working if you plug it in to the P.O.T.S.  ?  )
dsk

Not without modifications, this is strictly a display phone.

Doug Rose

Doug....super phone! Looks to be in Pristine condition....you done real good!!....other Doug
Kidphone

HarrySmith

WOW! Very nice phone, congrats. It even has the push button that most of them are missing. Now you need a Strowger stick to go with it!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

.....

Quote from: Doug Rose on October 06, 2017, 09:50:19 AM
Doug....super phone! Looks to be in Pristine condition....you done real good!!....other Doug

Thanks other Doug, CDN Doug :)


Quote from: HarrySmith on October 06, 2017, 10:40:37 AM
WOW! Very nice phone, congrats. It even has the push button that most of them are missing. Now you need a Strowger stick to go with it!

Thanks Harry,

The button is a aftermarket repop.

dsk

Quote from: Duffy on October 06, 2017, 09:00:05 AM
Not without modifications, this is strictly a display phone.
Such a relic should not be changed from its original state. Yes it is perfect for display.
dsk

.....

Quote from: dsk on October 06, 2017, 03:13:01 PM
Such a relic should not be changed from its original state. Yes it is perfect for display.
dsk

That is what my wife says about me. LOL :)

stub

 Duffy,
          8) SWEEEEEEET  8) !!!!!! You will have to post more pics when it gets to it's new display case.  stub
Kenneth Stubblefield

HarrySmith

Quote from: Duffy on October 06, 2017, 10:51:18 AM
Thanks other Doug, CDN Doug :)


Thanks Harry,

The button is a aftermarket repop.

Is there anybody with any idea of why all the buttons go missing from these? I don't think I have ever seen one with the original button intact.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

AE_Collector

#10
There is an easy answer to that question Harry. When this phone was first produced you dialled the other party and then pushed the button to manually ring his phone. With improvements to automatic exchanges coming rapidly they soon figured out how to automate the ringing thus the ring button in the phone became redundant. The buttons were likely removed while the phone was still in service.

Large numbers of these phones are found with a 1950ish door bell button screwed onto the front where the old ring button used to be and a transformer added on the inside. These obsolete Strowger phones were bought up years ago and modified as described to allow two (or more?) to be connected together between the house and barn as an intercom. Something to do with pushing the button and the transformer would cause the bells to jingle a little to get the attention of the other end to pick up.

And finally...dsk...., these were a "three wire" system between phone and Exchange so it is either very difficult or likely closer to impossible to make these work on a modern two wire phone line. When AE first went to the smaller "Mercedes like" dials the three wire system still existed but "two wire" systems existed by then as well so they were making both types of dial by then. This was in the early teens I believe.
 
Terry

dsk

Thank you Terry! This is slightly off topic:
I really wonder how these worked, could you point me to some online documents or threads please?
Was the rotary a timed pulse train or ????

dsk

AE_Collector

Uhh..yeah...hmmm. Must be somewhere. Anyone know of any good info on the system online?

This topic heads towards early Strowger phones with quite a bit of good info.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=15624.0

Terry