First off, is anyone familiar with that model of phone? If so, I have a couple questions about it. There was something rattling around in it, so i opened it up and this little piece fell out(see pics) I'm pretty sure it connects to the ringer volume switch.I dont know exactly how or where it goes, and was wandering if someone may be able to tell me? Also, when its used at the same time as another phone(as in picking the phone up to join a conversation) it seems to loose power, and i still can hear but the mic doesnt seem to pick up my voice. What would cause that? Ive had this phone for many years, and i like it, but bc of that issue it sees use every once in a great while. I know its not my phone service or other phones, as i have no problem doing this when i pick up my 554 or 500.
Yes, that is part of a ringer volume adjustment linkage but since the telephone was not manufactured by Western Electric/AT&T I am not sure how much of its internal design is shared with legacy instruments.
Northwestern Bell and other RBOC's slapped the Bell name on cheap, off-shore knock-offs that they commissioned for consumer sales once they were no longer permitted to lease/rent them to their subscribers.
I am sure that very little documentation exist for them since they were considered to be throw-away sets.
Photos of the inside may reveal if yours is an exception to the rule.
I think those are basically just known as Trimline or Trimstyle phones, especially if they're later post-breakup phones... ???
Quote from: twocvbloke on August 29, 2012, 06:41:06 AM
I think those are basically just known as Trimline or Trimstyle phones, especially if they're later post-breakup phones... ???
Trimline is/was a pre-divestiture registered trademark of Western Electric and trimstyle is a descriptive term for the clones that followed.
Ah, I've not ventured into these types of phones, I know I can get one under the Dialatron brand, but, they don't really catch my eye, not even the originals.... :D
Ok, now i need to know how to fix it.. I dont think its a "knock-off" as the handset has some weight to it. Also it would be nice to have some idea as to why it looses power. Roughly about how old would you guys think it is?
These phones began to appear after divestiture 1/1/84 (the breakup of AT&T). The baby Bells were not allowed to manufacture phones but they were allowed to label phones made by others as "NWBell", "BellSouth", "PacTel", "SWBell (Freedom Phone)", etc. There were for a while even some genuine Western Electric/AT&T Technologies sets with the NWB logo. They soon ditched the real WE sets for these cheaper imports.
I don't think weight should determine its being a knock-off or not. I do think buyers mistakenly think that the weight=quality. I once opened a retail phone from Taiwan and found that the weight in the handset was from genuine fishing weights!
Here are pics of the inside of the handset, and inside of the base of the phone. Looks like a good quality made phone. On the inside of the handset cover it says property of USWEST.
Makes you wonder if they were still leasing phones since it says property of US West.
Ive had it probably 10-12 years. Its a good phone besides the problems i listed.
The photos show the use of consumer-grade pc-boards and components, definetely not the quality of trim-style telephones manufactured by Western Electric, Stromberg Carlson, ITT, Automatic Electric, etc. In short, it is a knock-off.
That said, back to your original problem. If no one on this forum is able to assist you, I would suggest contacting Unical Enterprises, the importer of Northwestern Bell telephones and products. They are located in California. Below is a bit of history of US West and Unical:
Until 1990, US West was a holding company with three Bell Operating Companies: Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph (or Mountain Bell, based in Denver, Colorado); Northwestern Bell, based in Omaha, Nebraska; and Pacific Northwest Bell, based in Seattle, Washington. In 1988, the three companies began doing business under the US West Communications name. On January 1, 1991, Northwestern Bell and Pacific Northwest Bell were legally merged into Mountain Bell which was renamed US West Communications, Inc.
Northwestern Bell Phones is able to operate effectively due to its vertical integration. It maintains R&D facilities in Korea and Taiwan, production facilities in China and marketing sales facilities in California.
It starts with Research & Design facilities in USA,China and Korea, where experienced network, software, electro-technical, acoustical and RF engineers work together to invent many new products, concepts and technologies for use in the wide assortment of products marketed by Northwestern Bell Phones.
Its production facilities in China and beyond are first-rate, well equipped and have gained various international accreditation for quality and dependability. Northwestern Bell Phones currently over 3,000 people in production facilities in Shanghai, Xiamen and Shenzhen, equipped with the newest manufacturing equipment. In all of its plants, ICT Testing (In-circuit testing), SMT (Surface Mount Technology), AI ( Auto Insertion ) and Automatic soldering machines have been installed as a requirement for Northwestern Bell Phones brand eligibility.
Northwestern Bell Phones' facility in Xiamen, China boasts 24 production lines with a daily production capacity of 50,000 telephones. It produces corded and cordless telephones for Northwestern Bell Phones' customers in 40 countries.
Our facility in Shanghai, China specializes in the production of various cordless technologies, such as 900MHz and 2.4GHz. This facility is equipped with the most-modern manufacturing and test equipment to produce efficiently and effectively. Its daily production capacity is 12,000 cordless telephones.
Northwestern Bell Phones' marketing facilities are all located in California. It houses various sales and marketing departments, as well as warehousing, shipping and handling a large amount of daily transactions, whether in the USA or for its Export markets. Fully computerized and automated logistics warrants trouble-free and accurate business transactions.
Quality Assurance
All Northwestern Bell Phones products are manufactured according to strict BELL quality standards to ensure quality, dependability and durability. To enforce these quality standards to be applied on each and every shipment, Northwestern Bell Phones employs a dozen of external QC inspectors who checks and verifies the checking of each and every shipment according to the quality norms as specified by BELL IP Holdings. In this way, Northwestern Bell Phones can assure the end-user of optimal product satisfaction.
If i cant fix the ringer adjustment or figure out why it looses power, no big deal, i just thought someone could possibly help me on here. I'm not going to pitch the phone just bc its not working the best or bc its a knock off.. i'll just use it as is, and was going to put it on my work bench in the basement, that way i dont have to bring a cordless down there or come up to answer the phone.
Obviously it has worked well for you until recently and you are well satisfied with it so hopefully someone has one of these models and will be able to take some photos that show how to re-integrate the part.
Actually, the ringer looks as if it is of decent quality, much better than latter versions. Perhaps it has the same footprint as a standard min-ringer and you could swap it out.
I don't know about the ringer volume switch, but as for losing power to the transmitter/mic, I would reflow every solder joint on the PCBs (starting with the ones that seem relevant to the transmitter/mic), and check continuity on all the wires with a meter while wiggling them.
However, the way you described the problem (i.e., it only happens when you pick up while someone is already on a call on another extension), is strange. Does anyone know if anything is happening differently on a phone system, electrically speaking, in such a situation?
Quote from: MaximRecoil on August 30, 2012, 08:28:24 AMDoes anyone know if anything is happening differently on a phone system, electrically speaking, in such a situation?
Thinking about it, I have the same issue with my BT Viscount phones, if used on something that doesn't provide enough juice (e.g. my linesman phones), it loses power, being electronic and requiring a specific voltage range to operate properly.... ???
It could be that the line this phone is being used on isn't supplying enough power to run said phone and another at the same time, so the question is, what sort of line is it? As in, a traditional copper pair or a VOIP thing with an ATA where the line comes in? If the latter, maybe it's not the phone at fault, but the ATA not behaving properly... ???
I have time warner. Like i said previously, i can pick up my 500 or 554 while someone else is on the phone, and it stays normal. So i dont think its my phone line. I was thinking at one time it could be a bad cord between the handset and base, but i cant remember if i ever swapped it for another another one.
Quote from: benkeys on August 30, 2012, 02:59:21 PM
I have time warner. Like i said previously, i can pick up my 500 or 554 while someone else is on the phone, and it stays normal. So i dont think its my phone line.
Your 500-series phones may be more forgiving of a low voltage/current situation. I'd try it on someone else's phone line (preferably someone who has POTS) and see if it still does it.
I haven't a clue how Time Warner operates, being in the UK, where we're backwards enough to still use copper pair lines for most telephone services... :D
The question is, when you use the phone in question, is using another phone causing the power on the line to drop enough to render the phone inoperative? Two ways to try it are use another, different line (e.g. a friend's or family member's line), or measure voltages with a multimeter and observe any voltage drop...
The problem with some providers over there in the US is they use ATAs connected to a DSL line, so you essentially have VOIP service, but some of the ATA devices can't handle older phones (ringing or just plain powering the thing), so it's questioned as to whether you have one of these or not...
I realize that this is an "old" topic, but given that we're all here to talk about "old" hardware, I don't see a problem with responding to it.
I was actually going through my own inventory of various household goods... converting it all to an organized ledger, with photos, scanned or PDF format documents, literature, whatever... and I was making an effort to get "online" assets to whatever extent was possible. That's what led me here, to this forum.
I own this very phone. It's been in continuous use, for me, since 1987.
Now, don't get me wrong. I have a fancy, modern cell phone, and not one but TWO Panasonic Dect 6.0 wireless phone sets (for a total of twelve handsets plus two base stations). But I keep two conventional, wired phones... which, at least in theory, work even if the main power goes out. (In reality, today, they work for a while, because the telecom modem outside my house has battery backup power, but still...)
One is an AT&T white plastic "unpowered" speakerphone... yeah, it does speakerphone from nothing but the phone line's power. This resides in my bedroom, next to my headboard, and so I can receive a call at anytime, day or night, even if my main power fails.
But then, I have this one. It's on a wall mount near the center of my house. I can't recall the last time I SPOKE on it, I have to admit, but I absolutely LOVE the real metal bell ringer. I can sleep right through the electronic chime tones my digital phones produce, but this thing will wake the dead!
My copy is a grey plastic one, but is otherwise identical to the one the original poster here put up.
What more can I contribute? Well... I can provide some high-res photos of the actual original packaging. These tell you just about EVERYTHING you'd really want to know about this phone.
It's a "Genuine Bell" Favorite PLUS phone, branded "BELL Phones, by Northwestern Bell Phones." It is model number 52811.
It has a 10 number memory, is tone/pulse switchable, and desk/wall mountable. Mine is grey. It came with a 2-year warranty.
It has a "Genuine BELL ringer" which "provides the quality sound customers expect from BELL Phones products." (That's the ringer which has kept it alive for so long for me, too.)
It has "last number redial," with backlit keypad pushbuttons.
It's fully modular, and Bell mentions it came with both 10-foot and 14-foot line cords, plus a 5-inch line cord for wall-bracket mounting.
It specifically mentions that it is "hearing aid compatible," for whatever that's worth.
Oh, and on the bottom, in fine print, it states that "Northwestern Bell Phones is a division of US WEST Enterprises, Inc. Copyright 1987."
I don't have the physical paper manual anymore... not sure when that disappeared, but it was a long time ago!... but it's very, very straightforward to use.
I can't recall whether you had to hit the memory number, then store, then dial the number to be stored, or do it in the other sequence... but that's the only "open question" here. I actually think you had to hit "store," then dial the number, then hit "store" again, then hit the "memory location" (1-9) to save a number. I haven't used that in a very, very long time.
Apart from that, the "cancel" button can cancel out a "saving" operation, but is also essentially like your "flash" button... a quick tap of the hook.
To dial a saved number, it's easier... hit "mem" and then the location (1-9).
Redial simply redials the last number you dialed directly. As I recall, it didn't redial the last "memory dial" you used, but I could be mistaken about that.
"Hold" is also pretty straightforward... it put the call on mute, but didn't disconnect it. It didn't allow you to hear the other end, either, so it's not EXACTLY like modern "mute" functionality, but it served the same purpose. If I was on a call, and someone in my house wanted my attention, I could put the person on the phone "on hold" while dealing with that, then come back. Alternatively, I later on used that to put a call on hold, then go pick up one of my wireless handsets, then would go back and hand this one up (hanging up cancels "hold," of course.)
The little switch is "tone/pulse dialing."
There's a removable plaque on the handset which you can replace with a little clear tab if you want your own phone number on the handset.
There's also a plastic "window" on the base, over a location where you can put a little card with your ten saved numbers written on it. The phone came with ten little cards. I only ever used one... because I didn't record the NUMBERS, but rather the identity of who was in that space (so memory 1 was always "Ambulance," memory 2 was "fire department," memory 3 was "police," then the remaining six were "Mom," "Karen" (my sister) and so on. So, I never used the other cards, and still have nine of them intact inside this box!
Anyway, I just wanted to share my information relating to this phone. If ANYONE is really interested in this phone... I hope you enjoy the information!
Welcome to the forum. Very cool you still have the same phone working. These days most do not even have a landline, never mind an original phone!
It says on the box that it was made in Korea. That's interesting. For an Asian-made phone rebranded with a US name from 1987 I would have expected Taiwan. I bet it was made by GoldStar (now known as LG, and now one of the top 10 biggest electronics companies in the world). I know they made knockoffs of the WE 2500 back then, such as this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/255051471352
Thanks, guys...
Yeah, the majority of electronics made in Korea would be either Samsung or "Lucky Goldstar" (aka "LG"). While a few other players have come and gone over the years, these two manufacturers pretty much dominate the Korean electronics-manufacturing market.
I know that a lot of folks have totally foresworn their wired phones in favor of cell phones, but I find both to be useful. I'm still not convinced that perpetual wired-transmission in data-burst format is all that greata of an idea right next to your temple, though of course we all use that pretty much exclusively these days.
But for me, I really like "picking up the phone" and hearing that dial-tone. Whether "picking up" means pressing the button on a Dect6 wireless handset, or literally picking this up off its base.
Yeah, I own a cell phone... Samsung Galaxy S10. I use it a lot, but mainly as a tablet, and still prefer, especially when at home, to use a wired phone. Early on in the "cell phone transition," I actually carried a Razr V3 as a phone and an Archos internet media tablet (no phone functionality) for "tablet-y" use.
Right now, at my desk in my home office, I have a Panasonic Dect6 handset right next to my monitor, but the classic Bell phone is still on the wall jack at the most central point in my kitchen. And, to this day, when the phone rings, even with this handset right next to me, I mainly hear the Bell in the kitchen ringing! :)
At least these sets were built almost as good as WE. Better than the last sets made .More like ITT. At least all the parts will interchange with WE ITT and SC . have seen them with different brands and assembled in other countries such as India.I use them at my radio station transmitter sites.I do not like the later sets