Segaloco's Bell System Stuff Thread

[segaloco]

Finally got around to getting all my stuff together and taking some "family photos" of things.  Figured since I had all the stuff out working on a 500 today I might as well snap some pictures before getting it all put back up.  This isn't *everything* but should cover much of the major components and literature I've currently got.  I haven't specifically analyzed any of my hardware for matching dates, maybe someday, but any dates are from a prominent component such as housing or baseplate.  Pardon if any information is inaccurate, please suggest corrections if so, I'm going partially by memory as I didn't want to sit here and open all of this up just to post pictures of it.

150303:

• 302 (12-23-49) - This one has a typical F1 handset and a straight cloth cord between the handset and body.  The dial card holder (and card) are from a Northern Electric equivalent, hence the SaskTel card.  The NE 302 I plucked it from otherwise got a full overhaul (it was ROUGH) and then I donated it to an antique store in town that recently had a window smashed in.  Selfishly, I wanted a dial card holder for a metal finger wheel, so that was my tax for the process.
• 500C/D (4-5-57) - This is my most recent telephone, picked it up not too long ago and decided to add a period-accurate dial and fix the ringer which was not working.  Typical pre-modular 500, terminates in a 4-prong connector, which I prefer as the posts work well for gator clips.  Bakelite era, so it has that nice smell to it like the 302 to its left.
• 2500DM (6-72) - First telephone I got that lead to all of this...picked this baby up just to setup a desk line for my day job and when the bluetooth->RJ11 adapter box thing I got turned out to be utter crap...I stumbled down this wonderful rabbit hole after opening the phone up and trying to get a feel for why things weren't working.  Never got that darn module to work...but compared to where I am now vs. 9 months ago when I bought that 2500DM...yeah I've gotten much more value out of telephones than I ever would have if I had just plugged in that 2500DM and everything worked.  This one has a G6 handset (the one with a built-in receiver amp and control wheel.)  This was refurbished late 82, I assume at least the dial was replaced, but I don't want to remove the refurb sticker to see if it was also modularized at that time.  If it was, the cuts in the housing are *very* clean, but it could also just be a new case...not really sure.  Either way, the refurb sticker is 11-82 and the 35-type DTMF dial is 8-82, as opposed to the 6-72 spotted elsewhere in the phone.

150441:

• 702BM (Beige) and 702B (Black) - The situation with these two is complicated...got the beige one at a local shop some time ago as an experimental subject for the lighting circuit, with the intent I would eventually get another Princess and return it (for free) so they can work it back into their pool.  As evidenced by the larger collection, I prefer black telephones, so when one such black Princess shot across my radar, decided to hop on it.  Unfortunately, upon receipt of the black one, I found that a part of the switch-hook had been royally broken (I'm posting another thread on that whole mess later) and so between the two I clobbered together a completely functional 702B in black.  Well, the beige one was a modular phone and the black one wasn't so, the slots in the body for the cords have the little metal tab for connecting the hook on the cabling cut off, as it appears it was a 702B that was indeed modularized in the field.  The end result is a black 702B handset, body, and cables running into the baseplate from the beige 702BM and then the beige body is on the baseplate that was under the black phone.  I haven't added the modular connectors back yet, so the cord if you look closely is just shoved into the hole for the photo.  More info on that one in a separate thread, just know yes, I did Frankenstein them, making any date stuff relatively meaningless (I checked, neither was pristine matchy matchy before I dug in.). In any case, they're late 60s-early 70s components AFAIK.
  
• Trimline (81?) - Haven't really studied this one too much yet, and I'm not super familiar with the Trimline in general, so can't say much about it other than yep, it's a Trimline, and everything on it checks out.  I think the numbering on the bottom (AD3 81070) implies a year of 81, but I really don't know.  In any case, it's still "Bell System Property" era, has Bell logos on the baseplate and dialcard plate on the handset, and a "Western Electric" plastic dial center (as opposed to the ones with the Bell System logo.)  I'm going to probably familiarize myself with the guts in the next few months, I've got a music performance using a bunch of this stuff I'm preparing for so I'm more focused on that right now.

150715:

• 565HKM (8-72) - Has a refurb sticker, could've been modularized but I'm not sure.  I have a creeping suspicion this set was not always black, as the texturing of the surface looks just ever so slightly different, and is textured differently inside than outside.  Both on the phone itself and on the handset where the logos are the text is less readable, literally looks like it has a few layers of paint over it.  Finally, the interior of the handset is grey, not black.  However, I'm impressed with whoever did the paint, the only other (to my knowledge) painted components I've ever handled were really, really obviously painted over (they were matte finish....).  Last key in the row is non-locking as tends to be the case with 6-button key phones like this.
• 2565HKM (1-75) - This one has been refurbished but the sticker has been removed so can't say when.  The process involved modularization as the text on the baseplate is just 2565HK.  Everything I can date is 1 or 2-75.  I'm in the process of configuring this one as part of a Data Set 103J with the Dataphone 300-baud modem under it.  Thus far this has just entailed installing a RJ11-terminated modular plug with T/R going to RT/RR on the key network block.  Haven't opened the Dataphone itself yet to get a date on it, but these were being deployed in the late 70s.  Unlike the 565HKM I have, the last key on this one locks like the other four clear ones.  Ultimately this one will wind up either back in standard 1A2 configuration or will be married to the Dataphone as a Data Set 103J.
• 624A10M (8-78) - Lots of detail here: http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=27913.0 but in short, this is a special Call Director specifically for 1ESS systems and a such is pretty but relatively useless with 1A2 and other consumer technologies.  It did not come with a spring cord to connect the handset (and the handset came empty...grumble grumble...had to sacrifice the guts of another G handset to it.)  It had some after-market headset switch on it that I removed and has since been rewired.  Only three leads were involved in the attached breakout box and I reconnected them based on the 623-type Call Director, quite close in appearance and design from what I can tell but without a dial.  No 624-type Call Director wiring diagrams have surfaced, so I can't guarantee it is rewired correctly.  It does some "things" when plugged into the KSU, like some lamps will light and I can even get some talk signal on some keys, but I think it's a coincidence.  I'm intending to donate it to the Seattle Connections Museum so they can hopefully use it with a 1ESS eventually.  That is if nobody jumps on my trade offer on the forums here

151218:

• 107A/B Speakers (5-75 and 6-81 respectively) - One 107A and one 107B (A has the white sticker on top.)  I actually use these as computer speakers with a little interface I built.  They're band-limited, but most of the audio that pumps out of them (as opposed to headphones) tends to be lo-fi anyway (old news broadcasts, anime from the 70s, 8 and 16-bit video games) so it works out just fine.  The 107A appears to originally have been beige, but a previous owner painted it black to match the other one (they came as a pair.)  Similarly to the 565HKM, this has a pretty darn good paint job, shiny, smooth, no bubbles.
• 1013A - Typical late-era linemans phone, has the Bell System logo on the grey plate on the dial, which is of a similar type to the dial on Trimline telephones with the moving fingerstop.  Love this thing, great part of my toolkit.  Dunno the year on it, haven't bothered to open it up completely yet, maybe one of these days.
• 1001-E Handset - Early handset, usually used with linemans equipment and railroad stuff from what I've read.  Got this with a Kellogg magneto subset.  Plugs in with a standard 1/4" jack.
• Dual 509W Headset (1918) - Haven't studied this thing too much yet, it was sitting neglected on a bottom shelf at the antique store so decided to snag it since the earpieces are WECo.  Not sure if this was some stock thing or something someone assembled from headset parts (I typically see one ear one mic, not two ear no mic.)  In any case, I've gotten *VERY LOW* audio signal through them but haven't yet figured out precisely what the expected input voltage and line characteristics are.  I haven't studied that very hard yet though, they aren't going anywhere.  The actual assembly of the receivers seems similar to the 1001-style receiver and candlestick receivers, a magnetic plate held taught by the cap.  My eventual plan is to figure out how to use these as standard headphones.  They probably won't suffice for that job, but getting there will be useful knowledge.

151644:

• 551B KSU - 4-line KSU, very much WIP.  When I got it, it had no 118 ringing generator and was connected to a separate metal box with another 66-type connection block in it, wired for what I assume was some sort of intercom service.  All four outside lines were wired together inside of the KSU such that any line key would connect to the same line.  Additionally, nothing resembling buzzers, ringing, or signal lights was working at all.  I've since removed the second box and all the wiring and have attached one single 25-pair cable for line 1.  I'm still very much learning 1A2, so taking it slow.  Included are four 400D-type line cards, various issues.  First plan is just to get all the typical 1A2 stuff working, so buzzers, lamps, all that jazz, and then I might start experimenting with other KTUs.  I don't know how invested I'll get in 1A2 but I am keeping an eye out for one of the larger KSUs with more lines, if I did come across such a unit I'd finish any remaining rewiring on this one and probably put it up for sale here.  No hurry there though, I still have much to learn about this thing.
• 20B2 Power Supply - Run of the mill 20B2, missing a fuse on one of the 10VAC lines.  Not really a problem right now, everything else works, I'll probably nab the necessary fuses at some point.  I need to get some anyway, the KSU's power supply has a few fuses that don't exactly match the BSP, so I'd like to get those back to spec too.  I mostly use this when working on apparatus to have a source of different voltages.  Might get mounted and support a system someday, but right now it's more of a tool than anything else.

152324:

• Bronze Bell System Sign - Complete vanity purchase, I just really wanted a nice sign for my workshop.  I haven't been able to tell yet what it was used for, whether outside a building, behind a secretarial desk, etc. or if the wooden board it is on is its original mounting, but it seems to have been mounted with care, the brushing of the metal lines up between the bell and ring.  Long term if I can get in touch with the CO I walk past all the time and they'd actually be interested, I'd love to donate it to them if they're allowed to put up one of these logos on their building again.  They're currently owned by Lumen, which descends from an RBOC, so they very well may have legal rights to proudly display a Bell logo.
• Kellogg (212B?) - Not Bell System, I know, but the subset box there contains a WECo 22A magneto and had a 1001-E WECo handset attached, so it's part of the way there.  I mainly use it as a ringing source, as it's quite convenient to just tap it in and turn the crank rather than getting the 551 or 20B2 all plugged in and opened up just to tap the ringing circuit.  I'm thinking of maybe upgrading to some WECo subset with a 48A magneto but it's certainly not a priority yet.  Besides, I also want to try my hand at building a magneto myself, so whichever I get to first really.
• 145A1 Test Set - Field test set for technicians working on signal clarity and other matters.  Has test features for determining line length, noise, voltage and resistance, test tones, and some other bits.  I've been using it mainly as a box that has a test tone generator and voltmeter in one box.  It's also just a nice example of WECos more industrial-type hardware designs.
• 139C Test Set - Smaller set that can generate a test tone and a little talk voltage I think.  I'm not sure if it is meant to truly be standard talk level, but I can't say I've read any practices concerning this thing yet.  In any case, the talk mode also doubles as a nice dial tester as there is a little LED that is controlled by the connectivity of the circuit.  You can dial and watch it blink with the dial pulses.  For DTMF, it just appears to blank out when you're pressing a button.  The DTMF situation is difficult though as it doesn't appear to deliver enough voltage for the keypad, I can't get reliable DTMF tones using this to supply talk voltage unlike the talk voltage out of say a 20B2.  I very briefly hear the tone of the button upon pressing it, but it only blips for a fraction of a second.
• 714B Puncher - Simple as, just a typical punchdown block tool.  So small, so simple, yet so helpful.
• KS-14510-L11 - Simpson Electric Co. multi-meter as provided by the Bell System to technicians.  This is the middle of the three primary multi-meters I've seen, the earlier also being Simpson Electric but in black and the later looking much like this one but with slight tweaks to the bezel.  Can't say I know too much about it other than yep, it's a multi-meter, it works.  It is a simple galvanometer and as such needs no power to somewhat operate.  Lucky me, as it contained a horribly exploded D battery when I got it that had decimated the battery contacts.  It will also accept some kind of special 22V battery (I think, it's in a BSP) but the local hardware store didn't seem to carry that kind of battery last I looked.  Either way, cute little multi-meter, has that nice blue and yellow color scheme going on.
• 592A - External ringer, dual bell.  I keep this around as a nice standalone bell for ringer circuit testing.
• Northwest Bell Pouch - The pictured Northwest Bell pouch is what I keep all my wiring tools in, so a couple spools of 2-pair, a few packs of modular spring and wall cords, spade and RJ11 crimpers, wire strippers, and some other odds and ends.

[segaloco]

Second posting with some of the literature from my bookshelf:

152647: These are informative works from throughout the Bell System, demonstrating a breadth of subjects AT&T was concerned with, including TV signal analysis, pole climbing, technical drafting, and software solutions.  The contents of the software folio are scanned on my archive.org page.  That folio is also where I keep my loose BSPs, the few I have.  The pole climbing one is a gift to a friend who actually does climb for a living (arborist, not lines) but if it's not preserved I plan on scanning it before I give it to her.

153303: Other random Bell System publications.  I'm particularly fond of Electricity for the Telephone Man, I've been recommending it to my friends (and actually have that copy lent to my upstairs neighbors right now.). Statistical Quality Control has some great insights on control charting (ugh...).  There's probably some overlap between some of the materials, but I hope whatever library eventually winds up with these when I donate appreciates them being kept together.

153740: Buncha more technical Bell System stuff like BSP sets, some BSTJ issues on ESS stuff, other odds and ends.  There are several things here I intend to scan, including the ESS Stored Program Guide there.  That one is going to be tricky though because it's not a flipbook of single panels.  Rather, each "page" is a set of three cards next to each other that one flips through based on what kind of networking components are in the sending office, receiving office, and involved in the trunk between.  It allows a technician to visualize the complete network between different types of ESS offices and connecting equipment depending on what each of the three components is made up of.  As such, simply scanning each "page" produces a picture that one then needs to cut into three and can pair with any such other image from one of the other two stacks to form a complete network picture.  In other words, think of three flip-decks next to each other that you can flip through independently, but the edges of the drawings are such that you can always stick the three together, no matter which pages they're flipped to, and get a complete image.

154319: Mostly UNIX-oriented stuff along with a couple other WECo things.  The spread of covers there should pretty well reflect the various cover arts encountered in Bell System UNIX releases.  One of my goals with the UNIX stuff has been to document the various cover styles used in actual published media, especially the pre-1983 Bell System stuff.  Having all of this in one photograph is actually quite satisfying as its probably the first time (in a long time, if ever) all of those UNIX covers have been in the same room on the same table.  Oh, also pictured at the top middle is a stack of magazines, only one of which I've scanned thus far.  I've got 6 issues of the Bell Laboratories Record from between 1980-1982 there that will be hitting my scanner sometime in the next year, along with that Test Set binder next to it.  That binder is from around '72 and documents the various test sets that Western Electric produces.  According to the binder, there were other such binders for other product families as well, I hope some of the others surface someday.  It's not as late as I'd like, I'm more interested in things going on at the turn of the '80s, but still good information, I think I've only seen one other such test set catalog and it was much older.