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Signal Corps Metal 302 Great Shape

Started by Doug Rose, July 20, 2015, 08:53:08 PM

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Doug Rose

I have been collecting telephones for over 35 years, I have picked up the standard metal 302s equipped with an AE dial and a Signal Corps insignia on the bottom, but never found this before!

Looks almost brand new, came with no line cord and a bad handset cord. Janet found it Sunday at a Flea Market, it was pretty dirty but I could tell it was a winner. This had to be made for Signal Corps  as the metal shell has for screw holes. Check out the WE condenser. A Kellogg dial. S-Corps on bottom.

I came home and went into the basement after dinner. Sorry for the bad lighting of the pictures, this is really cool. Fungus in yellow vermilion on the S-Corps F1 like handset. It is immaculate inside and is a fully functional phone.

There is always a phone just around the corner, just have to be vigilant!!...Doug
Kidphone

Jack Ryan

Nice find Doug.

Would that be the original dial? I'm no expert on Signal Corps telephones but I would expect a TA-45 treated for MFP like the phone itself.

Jack

HarrySmith

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Doug Rose

Jack...I have no idea, this is how it was found. I did have some NOS Signal Corps dials a while back, that I thought were AE, but had two extra terminals. Line cord was cut and the and the handset cord was broken as it entered the handset. The insulation was shot so it could not be saved.

I am looking for any info that anyone has one this set. Was it made, or just assembled by Signal Corps  and the parts were made by WE, like the base, metal shell and the Handset? Obviously the metal shell was a great undertaking with the 4 screws. I wonder if this was the same time frame that WE made a run of metal shells that came out in early '46 with the ccc stamp....thanks...Doug
Kidphone

unbeldi

#4
The Kellogg No. 15 dial didn't exist when this phone was built.  The 15-D is a copy of the AE 51 dial.  1950s. I haven't seen it listed as one of the dials the S.C. used.  It seems to me that even the Kellogg 925-based TA-102 used an AE dial, but that was well before the No. 15 dial.

Was that Kellogg number card already on the dial?  If so, it may indicate that someone installed the dial from another source.

The TP-6-A was a moisture-proofed and fungi-proofed telephone, as found. The S.C. manual states that the parts were not interchangeable with those of the TP-6.  The TP-6 is shown having only two mounting screws, while the TP-6-A has four.  They also show the TP-6-A having a Connecticut Tel. toaster housing, but that was probably just one example of that model.

unbeldi

#5
Quote from: Doug Rose on July 21, 2015, 06:28:54 AM
I wonder if this was the same time frame that WE made a run of metal shells that came out in early '46 with the ccc stamp....thanks...Doug

I don't believe Western Electric manufactured any 302 metal shells anymore in 1946. Those that do show up with the concentric Ccc stamps were sourced from another vendor. Stromberg-Carlson did the same, I have seen SC-1240 metal housings with the same stamp.


rdelius

I think the tp6 sets were based on the civilian ones and the tp6a sets had interchangeable parts such as ind coils and base plates This base plate is the same pattern as the North and the Connecticut.
These sealed tighter to keep bugs etc out esp with the grommets on the cords.

Jack Ryan

Quote from: Doug Rose on July 21, 2015, 06:28:54 AM
Was it made, or just assembled by Signal Corps  and the parts were made by WE, like the base, metal shell and the Handset?

Again, I'm no expert on the Signal Corps but why would they make or assemble telephones? I would have thought they would put out a tender for complete telephones and the winner would supply them.

It appears that some were refurbished (MFP re-applied etc) but I would have thought that would be outsourced as well.

Jack

rdelius

MFP instructions were in the manuals .If a set was repaired and the MFP coating was damaged, it would have to be touched up or re processed.I think the sets might not have been treated at the factory unless specified.The military was not in the business of building telephones or other items but they might have has refurbishing assy lines.Lots of equipment was sent to Tobyhanna PA  and totally torn down and rebuilt or updated with improvements.Parts might have been  interchanged when this was done

19and41

That is a nice looking phone for that vintage.  It may have been surplused out direct or disbursed to federal or state inventories.  I've been to a few disbursments with the local government potentates when they obtain DoD surplus materiel.  Other times, the stuff goes on to the spot bid sales.  That unit probably never saw use in the military, based on it's nice appearance.
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