Extra 500 guts, what to do?

Netdewt · February 11, 2012, 06:11:56 PM

I have extra guts from a rather ugly 80's 500 I bought for parts. Any ideas on what to do with it?

Dennis Markham · February 11, 2012, 08:05:53 PM

Save them, eventually you'll need something.

HarrySmith · February 11, 2012, 08:24:09 PM

Agreed, never throw out phone parts. You will always need tomorrow whatever you threw out yesterday!

twocvbloke · February 11, 2012, 08:30:02 PM

Make a bellset if it has them parts still in place...

Netdewt · February 11, 2012, 08:36:35 PM

What's a bell set?

What I mean is, anything cool I can make with what I have? Or should I just keep for parts.

I believe everything works. I don't plan to throw anything out regardless. The dial is pretty hacked up, otherwise it's not in bad shape. It's an ugly 80s ITT.

twocvbloke · February 11, 2012, 11:12:14 PM

A bellset is basically just a set of bells that rings when your line is rung, I'm sort-of working on making my own bellset, I have the bells, just need a case to put them in and a capacitor, and a line cord too...

You can see an example of an actual 687A bellset here:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=6292.0

Doesn't have anything for communications, such as a Network, as it just serves to ring only, they're handy to have somewhere like a hallway so you can hear throughout the house that the line's ringing when you're away from a phone*...

Over here in the UK, we have many bellsets from the GPO, the longest serving seems to be the Bell 50 series, the 50A, 50C and 50E were just bellsets, whereas the 50B and 50D were Subsets for phones like the 713 pendant phone, the C, D and E versions having 4k Ohm coils on the ringers...

(*which for full-on telephone collectors would be hard to believe!!

)

bingster · February 15, 2012, 11:26:52 PM

You can also use the parts for a full-on subset, with network, to use with a 202, candlestick, etc.

Netdewt · February 19, 2012, 01:06:24 PM

That sounds intriguing. Tell me more about subsets?

twocvbloke · February 19, 2012, 01:23:48 PM

Subsets act as an interface between the line and a compact telephone (small enough that it cannot contain a network or bell(s)), and thesubset unit can be placed at a distance from the actual phone, meaning that like a bellset you can place it somewhere that it can be heard while keeping the phone itself somewhere private...

Netdewt · February 28, 2012, 02:40:34 PM

Nice. So what type of subset would I be looking for? This is a cool idea, I'll do it if I know what to search for and can get something for the right price. It's like the modern cordless base station type phones, but awesome!

twocvbloke · February 28, 2012, 03:01:00 PM

If you have the bells and network from a 500, then you already have a subset in the making, which would be in essence a 685A type subset as they use the same hardware, just wired up differently to how it is in a 500 phone...

Netdewt · February 28, 2012, 03:45:49 PM

Ok then I mean, what kind of phones can go with it? Any 202/candlestick or just certain ones?

twocvbloke · February 28, 2012, 04:34:08 PM

I'm not too sure myself, I've not learned much about the pre-500 telephones myself, but if it has no network components in it as standard, then it would work with a subset...

The only phone I know of that would need a subset is a GPO 713 "pendant" phone, but that's british phones rather than american phones...

(Edited cos the 712 was the field trial for the Trimphone!!)

bingster · February 29, 2012, 09:00:39 PM

Quote from: Netdewt on February 28, 2012, 03:45:49 PM
Ok then I mean, what kind of phones can go with it? Any 202/candlestick or just certain ones?

All 102, 202, and candlestick phones can be used with a subset made from 500-type components. The C- and G-mount hanging handsets can be used with one, too.

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Extra 500 guts, what to do?