Ivory Soft Plastic AE80

[LarryInMichigan]

I bought this phone: ebay link on ebay a couple of weeks ago, and it just arrived today.  The seller was affected by the storm and had trouble shipping for several days.  Despite my instructions, the handset was packed in the cradle, but the phone seems to have survived.

The phone appears to be in mostly decent condition, but the rubber cords are very stiff and brittle.  Does anyone know a way to soften rubber cords?  The ringer is a frequency ringer, but I am not sure what the frequency is.  It has a yellow sticker on it with with pen writing.  The ringer model number printed on the sticker is: "D-530139-A", and next to it was written: "45-65 -".  I am guessing that the whole thing is the ringer model number and that the ringer is 65 Hz.  The capacitor if .7 MFD.

I already have soft plastic AE80s in black, yellow, aqua blue, turquoise, and pink.  This ivory expands the collection.  I don't recall ever seeing an ivory soft plastic AE80 before.  Are they rare?

Larry

[LarryInMichigan]

I have been soaking the cords in an Oxiclean solution, and it looks like the handset cord is a loss.  There is considerable discoloration which is not washing off, but worse, any stressing or bending the cord causes the rubber to crack.  Does anyone here know where I can get a replacement cord which looks close to the original?  I am considering trying an ivory Trimline cord from OPW.  It will obviously need modifications on the ends, but it is fairly fat, so it might look more appropriate.

Larry

[AE_Collector]

I don't think that ivory is a hard one to find. Your "Classic Ivory" AE 80 is a very early one with the painted or dyed black rubber cord. I don't know what can be done to soften it. I have a couple that have hardened to the point where they are crumbling.

I don't recognize the ringer number at all. Maybe Stub has more info.

Terry

[AE_Collector]

You could go with a vinyl ivory coil cord as these same phones would soon convert to vinyl cords.

Terry

[LarryInMichigan]

Where can I find an AE style vinyl handset cord?

Larry

[AE_Collector]

I will check my box of spare cords tomorrow. Ideally it should be a 3 conductor cord with two spades on the green conductor, one for the transmitter and then the conductor carried on through the handle to the receiver. Then after awhile they went to 4 conductors putting the green and black together on the same screw at the network.

Terry

[stub]

Larry
Terry   AE 1957 Cat., pg. 9 for this phone -
                                      N-82 = Desk set, full color, without hooklatch
                                           2 = Koiled cord ( standard on full color phones) 3 wire on the N and 4 on the NB and up
       N-82213   ASA             13= Classic Ivory Color
                                            A= Dial with 1-0 numberplate
                                           SA= Straight line ringer with adj. wheel

I haven't run across the D-530139-A ringer number yet.   stub

[LarryInMichigan]

Thank you for your help.  This handset cord actually has red, white, and black conductors where white is common and black goes to the transmitter.  There was a "Koiled Kord" label on one end.  Interestingly, the line cord also has red, white, and black.

Larry

[AE_Collector]

I think that the red white black line cord colors are normal for at least some of the rubber cords. Not sure about the handset cords but if one is then likely the other would be as well. I'll check my dark blue and jade green 80 sets that are similar vintage.

Terry

<edit>
I checked my Colonial (Dark) Blue AE80 and my Jade Green AE80. These are both very old soft plastic sets with painted rubber coiled handset cords. The blue cord is cracked and the green one is crumbling. They both have white-black-red conductors. Neither phone has a st cord but the oldest black 80's with black rubber line cords had the same color conductors so these likely did as well.

Terry

[AE_Collector]

I will check my box of spare cords tomorrow. Ideally it should be a 3 conductor cord with two spades on the green conductor, one for the transmitter and then the conductor carried on through the handle to the receiver.

I hate trying to sort through Gardenia White, Classic Ivory, Antique White, Warm White (NECo color) etc etc cords. I checked to see what I had for Larry. Nothing in a 3 conductor with double spades on the handset end. In conventional 4 conductor I have lots of White and what I think are a couple of Antique White. The problem is that Classic Ivory is darker than Antique White and almost for certain the Ivory AE80 telephone has darkened over the years so an Antique White cord just looks too light. I have a soft plastic AE 80 and none of these spare cords really look right along side it.

I think of all the new handset and base cords that I could have probably grabbed years ago when the colored sets were slowly doscontinued. I got some but wish I had been in the right place at the right time a bit more often.

Terry

[LarryInMichigan]

Terry,

Thank you for looking.  I have reassembled the phone with the original cord for now.  It doesn't stretch very far, and I don't want to stretch it too much for fear of breaking it, but it works for now.  The ivory color is about the same as the WE 500 ivory.  It is almost a shade of tan.  I am thinking of buying one of these: http://www.oldphoneworks.com/cord-curly-trimline-ivory-6-extended.html, but I am concerned that it is too white.  At least it will be fatter, more like the original.

Larry

[AE_Collector]

I keep the old rubber cords on my phones and try not to touch them! I wish something could be done though. They have both started to desintigrate in the last two or three years so it makes me think it is something in the environment here at my house! They are rrely touched.

I just checked to see what I have for Styleline Hnadlset cords (same as Trimline old 5 conductor big plug cords) and once again, I have only one spare. I have about ten in Avocado!

Terry

[LarryInMichigan]

There sky is actually clear here in Michigan today, so I took some pictures of the phone.

Larry

[david@london]

very nice larry - you've cleaned it up really well.

i'm very tempted by these ae80s, esp a soft plastic turquoise or forget-me-not blue. what are the dates of soft plastic on these ? i see they have a date on the base but don't know anything about them. slightly off-putting to hear that the cords tend to disintegrate.

am not buying anymore phones though. er.........definitely, i think.

[LarryInMichigan]

David,

Thank you.  I don't think that AE put dates anywhere but on the base, and some AE80s don't seem to have one there either.  This phone was apparently made in Sep 1957, and I believe that AE switched to ABS plastic around mind 1959 like WE did. 

I have had an offer of an NOS replacement cord for $18, and i plan to look into it.


Larry