Automatic Electric 1A - Red with Gold Trim

[wds]

inside of the phone is perfect.  Even the back of the dial and the handset rings seem to be gold plated.  The label on the bottom plate says L-2(or maybe 7)-40534-1

[unbeldi]

I think this set calls for a golden cradle, no doubt.   These sets had either everything in chrome or all in gold trim.

[Russ Kirk]

Could it be as simple as just stripping and gold plating the old cradle?

If so, what type of gold, 14k or 10k?

[unbeldi]

Could it be as simple as just stripping and gold plating the old cradle?

If so, what type of gold, 14k or 10k?

I do not think that the cradles were made from bakelite, the reason that these color phones have a metallic cradle was because they couldn't make plastic cradles with these ears that wouldn't break of quickly, as can be seen in this example and many others.  Seems like most of these that come up on eBay have broken cradles.   Those that are intact, fetch large sums.   So, spending some money on the right cradle, might bring much higher payback later.
Chrome finish was shiny, but the gold finish was satin.  The gold looks very rich, so I suspect is pure (24K).

[AE_Collector]

If you can only locate a chrome cradle, chromed bands and fingerwheel are easy to get since even the black banded handsets can easily be chromed. The gold hardware could be swapped onto a black AE34 or 35 which of course doesnt need the gold cradle.

Even otherwise black AE 34, 35, 40 & 50 sets could be ordered with gold trim as well as much more common chrome trim. Black bakelite sets aren't seen in gold trim very often but they did exist and look great IMHO. Sort of like ordering a black Princess or Trimline I guess, available but not often chosen.

Terry

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Could it be as simple as just stripping and gold plating the old cradle?

Nope. The current cradle has a broken ear.

The repros aren't that expensive, and they look pretty good!

[wds]

To give everyone an update on the phone, I sold it to a collector.  He already has the correct gold plated cradle that he will put on the phone to make it completely original.  I'm sure it will be a real beauty when he is done with it.  I had mixed emotions about selling it, but I'm sure this 1A will be much happier around other colored 1A's!  I asked the buyer to send e a picture of the phone after he has restored it.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

To give everyone an update on the phone, I sold it to a collector.  He already has the correct gold plated cradle that he will put on the phone to make it completely original.  I'm sure it will be a real beauty when he is done with it.  I had mixed emotions about selling it, but I'm sure this 1A will be much happier around other colored 1A's!  I asked the buyer to send e a picture of the phone after he has restored it.

How much did you end up selling it for, if I might ask?

[stub]

wds,
        I noticed your phone has the wire wound resistor on the diagram and phone base ( AE 11 A ) but it has the wrong receiver. Here's a pic of the right receiver.  stub

[wds]

I sold it for $5,500.  I wasn't sure if I should sell it or not.  keep it vs. $5500....  Property tax bill came last week, so I decided to sell. 

[wds]

Hi Stub - are you sure it's the wrong receiver?  It does have the gold plating so I would assume it's original.  Your receiver does look older than mine.

[AE_Collector]

Seems more likely that the wrong diagram is on the base plate or even more likely that the wrong base plate c/w diagram was put on the phone at some point in time.

Terry

[stub]

wds,
        The receiver that is supposed to be on it is the induction coil-receiver. You can see the wire wound resistor on the phone base # 8. Early on Catalogs (1929 to 1939 )show the resistor to be on all the induction-coil receivers, then in 1940 the resistor disappears. I've talked to Mr. Meyer about it. The old receiver (D-281582 ) uses the resistor (205 ohms) . Then in 1940 the receiver changed to (D-282251) and the resistance was wound non-inductively inside the receiver to 200 ohms. If there aren't numbers on the receiver, they look identical, the only to tell was to ohm out pin 2 to 3 on the receiver . Pin 2 to 3 = 45 ohms used the resistor and the receiver pin 2 to 3 =245 ohms did not. After talking to Mr Meyer I checked all of mine and found out I have 2 of each. That's about all I can get out of the AE Catalogs that I have. You can look in "Old-Time Telephones" 2nd Edition,by Mr. Meyer , pg 141 and find the values of these receivers.  Hope this helps,   stub
           

[unbeldi]

It seems to me, that both types of circuits already existed in 1929. You didn't have to wait till 1940 for the circuit with a three-winding induction coil.  It seems that this was the difference between the 1A and 11A circuits.
It also seem to me that the diagram on the base is in agreement with the wiring in terms of the resistor. Is that not a wire-wound resistor on the right side mostly hidden by the inside cordage as indicated by the arrow in this picture?

The aspect that remains to be addressed then, it seems, is about the construction of the receiver. When was the design changed from a straight magnet to the U-shaped version?  Whether one or the other has a single winding or two, seems unrelated to the shape of the unit.

It is true that the 1929 catalogs show different construction for each, but was this the case later? It seems that the efficiency of the u-shaped magnet would have been recognized and implemented in both eventually.

OTOH, since the cradle is not original on this phone, could it be that someone collected pieces to make a complete phone?  A No.11A base, a No.1A handset?...  cradle still missing?   Well... not anymore, I suppose, the phone finally found its last missing piece.

[unbeldi]

To illustrate the issue, from the 1929 catalogs: