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What's the latest date marked 302 you have?

Started by BDM, December 05, 2008, 04:17:39 PM

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BDM

More interesting for me would be knowing the latest date marked 302 you have. We all know when they began, but when did they really end? I can't tell you the latest date marked set I have. I'd need to pull them all apart.
--Brian--

St Clair Shores, MI

benhutcherson

I keep a spreadsheet with the date codes of the parts of every telephone I have, so I can tell you really quickly.

Here are the dates from my newest 302

Base-9-52
Case 9-52
Dial 8-52(6A)
Network III-52
Ringer 9-52

Then, the anomalies on this phone-the transmitter is 12/41, and the receiver is 8/48


I also have another '52 302. Here are the dates on it

Base 1-52
Dial 1-52(5H)
Network I-52
Ringer 52-1
Transmitter 3-39
Receiver 8-46


BDM

Interesting. We all know Ma Bell assembled 302s well into the mid 50s. But, they used previously assembled parts, some with date codes from the 40s. Wonder how late the date codes for 302s really are.
--Brian--

St Clair Shores, MI

Dennis Markham

My oldest 302 (I have several scattered about) has a steel housing.  The base is from IV 38, bells dated 12 '38, and the induction coil is dated IV 38.  The elements are from 48 and 50.  The dial is also a replacement 5H dated I 41.

Dennis

JimH

I have an Ivory 302 from '53, all dates matching.  I think they continued making the colored 302s later than the black, since the full color 500s didn't really come out until '54 or '55.
Jim H.

Sargeguy

I have a 1952-53 dated 302.  The housing and base are from 52 and some of the parts are from early 1953.
Greg Sargeant
Providence, RI
TCI /ATCA #4409

Dan/Panther

My most recent purchase was a matching numbered 8-1949.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

McHeath

There's a guy on e-bay advertising 4 plastic housings for 302s, and he says one of them has a year of 1959.  Would they still have been making replacement parts that late?

Dennis Markham

Something doesn't sound right there.  Paul Fassbender's site says, regarding the model 300 series:

"Thermoplastic shells were made from 1941-1954."

1959 sounds a little late.  Is that the listing where a couple of them are broken?

Dennis

McHeath

Yes, he claims that one of them has no date and two of them have cracks.  That really late date does seem odd eh?

Jim Mc


rp2813

The entire 302 phone itself, I can't say when the last one would have been produced, but the parts were being produced into the 60's.  I have a couple of vintage lineman's butt sets and one of them has an F1 transmitter element dated 1963.
Ralph

bellsystemproperty

Amazingly I haven't gotten myself a 302 yet ;D. My friend found a new one in the gutter when he was a kid, and still has it today. It is in great shape, and he said it fell off the phone truck into the gutter, and he found it walking home from school. At the time that would have been like finding a brand new laptop.