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Conversions at the Western Electric Repair Shops

Started by poplar1, May 04, 2016, 12:58:24 PM

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poplar1

The term "Conversion" may be used to describe changing one type phone or apparatus to another.

When the Bell installer/repairman removed a phone from service, it was sent back to Western Electric. WE used a process they called "pre-analysation",  where they determined whether the equipment should be remanufactured, mined for usable parts, or sold for scrap. Sometimes, the apparatus was "converted" to another model, whether to update the appearance (5302G) or the performance (151-AL). Or maybe just because they needed subsets more than obsolete wall phones (533A converted to 634A).

Some conversions were also done in the field, for example, there was a kit available to convert a 534A subset (sidetone) to a 634A (anti-sidetone) without even having to remove it from the wall.

Graham Bell's father-in-law, an early investor, had the idea to lease rather than sell the Bell receivers and transmitters, a policy that remained for 100 years.  Since repairs were not charged to the subscriber, there was an economic incentive to manufacture the most reliable equipment possible.

The unique economics of AT&T as a regulated monopoly could be part of the reason that Western Electric recycled, reused and repurposed before it was popular.

With the possible exception of 5302Gs, "conversions" are shunned by many collectors as being little better than "Frankenphones" or Junior Achievement lamps. I collect neither lamps nor Frankenphones, but I see conversions -- if they were done in the WE repair shops -- as worthy collectibles.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

poplar1

#1
Examples:

293A converted to dial using a 37A adaptor

20-AL, 50-AL, or 51-AL converted to 151-AL

533-A subset, 553-A wall set, or 653-A wall set converted to 634-A subset

302G converted to 5302G

500D converted to 2500DM

554B converted to 2554BMPGC

Magneto Subsets converted to Common Battery

205 Key Set converted to single line

2A dial converted to 4H (changing finger stop from externally mounted to internally mounted, changing contact springs)

Most common: converting non-modular phones to modular:
500D > 500DM
554B > 554BMP
702B > 702BM
AD1 > AD2 or AD3 (Trimline base)
AC1 > AC1P or AC2P

"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

Pourme

As someone still wet behind the ears in this hobby, that sounds logical and reasonable to me. That is one of the many layers that makes the hobby interesting. It lets me know I have much to learn as I continue.

I'm grateful for the wealth of information in this forum and the many phone whispers that take the time here, to inform!
Benny

Panasonic 308/616 Magicjack service

compubit

Did Ma Bell do the 554B > 2554BMPGC? The tone pad doesn't look like a Western Electric pad (at least to me...).

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

poplar1

#4
Quote from: compubit on May 05, 2016, 09:42:28 PM
Did Ma Bell do the 554B > 2554BMPGC? The tone pad doesn't look like a Western Electric pad (at least to me...).

Jim

Yes, that is a Western Electric 72H3A dial, the one with a chip. Here is the link to the BSP in TCI library:
http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/document-repository/doc_details/9035-501-165-117-i3-sep84-station-dials-72-type-12-button-touch-tone-ocr
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.