Feature Codes.

[Babybearjs]

I was working on one of my phones and I remember that ITT had feature codes associated with there phones. did WE ever do that? I know that AE also had feature codes, of sorts... on a ITT phone the model number reflected the codes... 564-03-MBA-40 (03= color code, M=Metropolitan (Dial) BA=Ringer and 40 was the feature code (buzzer, exclusion, etc.) how did WE do it, was it the 2 letter suffix? (HD, HL) or something else? or did the phone just come that way? I know the 465's had the exclusion switch built in... but when they released the 565's it was an optional item... (why, I still don't understand) yet they included the white lift plunger... but no exclusion switch... what's your insight on this?

[paul-f]

Western Electric used the entire model number to specify features. There are so many that a group decided many years ago to develop the charts that are hosted on my site, because we couldn't remember them all. Perhaps the most complicated is the x500-series:

Prefix: none - rotary, 1 - 10-button TT, 2 - 12 - button TT, 3 - 16-button TT

5xx: xx denotes many features, such as dial/manual, sl/party line, exclusion, long loop, keys, specialty housings, amplifiers, wall mounting, etc.

Suffix: exclusion, dial light, message waiting light, 4-wire circuits, etc.

Unfortunately, the codes grew over decades and there is no master format that applies to all model numbers. We have to go to individual product BSPs to find out what features were relevant. And -- the features changed during a product's lifetime, so we need to consult multiple issues of BSPs to get them all.

[Babybearjs]

Thank you Paul, That Helps. it funny how WE used to own ITT and they never really adopted the feature codes like ITT has... well, that's the way things were....