WECo 5302 - F1 vs G1 Handset

[George Knighton]

Wow.  I have a 5302 on the way and I'm very curious after reading this what combination of parts it's going to have!

[G-Man]

Please remember that the T1 transmitter is only more efficient than the F1 when installed in the specially designed G-type handset.

This is pointed out in the following:

NOTES ON THE DISCUSSIONS AT
     THE CONFERENCE OF
   BELL SYSTEM LECTURERS
May 1949

TRANSMISSION CHARACTERISTICS OF
      THE NEW TELEPHONE SET
           W. C. Jones
     "In order to meet the objective of increased [T1] transmitter
    output, the first thing that we had to do was to build a
    transmitter that has greater modulating efficiency.  The
    present F-type transmitter is so efficient that you couldn't
    increase its efficiency by 5 db without getting into diffi-
    culty from overloading when a person talks loudly.  We
    elected to increase the [T1] transmitter efficiency 2 to 3 db and
    pick up the remaining 2 to 3 db in the handset."

[/i]

This document was scanned by Steve Cichorsky and is available in the TCI Library.

[poplar1]

In any case, a 5302 with a G-1 handset with  T1 and U1 elements did produce too much sidetone in Zone 2 (short loops). This is the phone we had when I was a kid and I still recall the high sidetone.

Our elementary school had three 5302s--two with G-1 in the office and one with F-1 in the cafeteria.

There is an article in a Southern Bell employee magazine c. 1952 showing the conversion from manual to dial in Gainesville, GA. The mayor is shown talking on a 302 not a 500. 302s and 5302s (starting in 1955) were often used in cities and the more expensive 500s in rural areas (Zone 5).

[George Knighton]

Please remember that the T1 transmitter is only more efficient than the F1 when installed in the specially designed G-type handset.

I lucked out with my 5302.  It was in great shape, and it came with a G1 handset with the plastic inserts, an F1 transmitter and HA1 receiver.

The model number stamped on mine seems to be 5302 GRX-3.

Would anybody happen to know what that signifies?

[Greg G.]

Wow.  I have a 5302 on the way and I'm very curious after reading this what combination of parts it's going to have!

Yeah, and now I'm going to be pulling out my 5302s to see what they have.  I've forgotten how many I even have, just two ... I think(?)  This is like when someone mentioned cleaning crud out of the groove on grooved handsets, I had to go through and check all my E1s, F1s, and any other handset with a groove.  Then there's the sniff test for old plastic.

[WesternElectricBen]

They had left over f1's, I think.
Ben

[southernphoneman]

hi, can someone set me straight on something? when they started making the 5302,were they not just using up spare 302 parts and giving it a modern look of a 500? if so maybe they put the f 1 handset on the 5302 as a leftover part. thankyou

[poplar1]

5302s were never made as new phones, just as remanufactured 302s with new-style housings. So they could have F-type handsets or G-type.