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Experimental Instalation 500 set

Started by Doug Rose, July 31, 2014, 06:14:37 PM

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Doug Rose

Wow! $202.50 for 53 500 Set. with a replacement handset and cord....Doug

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161375263834
Kidphone

WEBellSystemChristian

I saw that 500 when it was just listed. The seller looked like they've really done their homework! They must have spent hours researching that set, with the paragraphs of information in the description!
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

WesternElectricBen

Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on July 31, 2014, 07:32:23 PM
I saw that 500 when it was just listed. The seller looked like they've really done their homework! They must have spent hours researching that set, with the paragraphs of information in the description!

Yeah, their eBay handle is ''we-co,'' most likely Western Electric Company.

Ben

poplar1

Seller stated:

Our phone features 2 very unusual vermillion notices on the bottom. This telephone apparently was part of a trial program through Bell Labs testing and familiarizing "preferred customers" with this new style telephone and the option to call someone with trouble regarding this phone.

Notices on phone:

Experimental Installation
Use, Preference Research
Bell Telephone Labs.
Murray Hill, NJ


and:

Report Trouble To
S.E. Michaels
Ext. 3080


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[emphasis added]

Perhaps Paul F. can comment on this. I don't see that "preference research" necessarily refers to a group of "preferred customers." I also don't see any non-standard parts.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

JorgeAmely

It is a nice set. But I have to wonder if the experimental part in it is long gone. Preference Research seems to imply something akin to "human factors", like a shorter or longer cord, better electrical characteristics, or a feature the Bell Labs attempted to field test before going into mass production.
Jorge

HarrySmith

I was curious about it also, experimental? I think the sellers interpretation of the markings was off base and I do not see anything unusual or different about it.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

paul-f

I agree with Jorge.

ISTR reading several articles in employee publications about human factors studies that were carried on within the BTL Murray Hill facility.  These typically involved a small number of participants.  If I can find any of them and there's interesting info, I'll post a follow-up note.

From memory, one specifically referred to an employee who snuck into offices in the night and shortened handset cords about an inch at a time to see if and when the user complained.  Of course, the sets used for this test probably weren't marked in any way.

It is possible that the change to be tested was something very minor, such as a change in the font, spacing or size of letters in the dial number plate.  It's also possible that this set was part of a control group in the study, so was in reality a standard production set that was marked for the study so that the user would think there may be something nonstandard that was being tested.

If done, internal tests on new features were completed before field trials were planned with real customers.  The field trial sets in the 50s - 70s were typically marked with model numbers beginning with F-.

We should give some more thought to what might have been tested in early 1953 that might have been introduced into production later in the year or in 1954.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

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