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Odd looking Western Electric F1W Handset

Started by ....., November 09, 2018, 09:34:57 AM

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This WE F1W arrived in the mail this morning from a friend and fellow collector.

I'm not sure what to think of it. Is it homemade or did it come out of Western Electric that way?
The cord has alligator clips on the end. What would it have been used for?

I found a home for it with my other handsets.

LarryInMichigan

I seriously doubt that Western Electric shipped it that way.  My guess is that it was cobbled together by an individual or a small independent telco.  Is the appendage on the back a second receiver connected in parallel with the main receiver?  If so, it may have been used as a test set with the extra receiver intended to provide a quick way to hear if there is a dial tone.

Larry

Dan/Panther

Maybe it's a crude version of a handset some could listen in on.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

HarrySmith

The F1W marking indicates it was made for an independant phone company. Maybe the modification was done by them?
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

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

Jim Stettler

I think it might be a homemade non dial buttset. If you hook the handset over your shoulder you may be able to here using  the added receiver.
Just a guess,
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Ktownphoneco

How about,  .... the first Western Electric "mother-in-law" handset prototype ?   No ?     ;D

Jeff Lamb

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Some close ups of the extra receiver. I tried to get the original receiver cap off but it must be glued as it won't come off.

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Duffy on November 09, 2018, 06:39:22 PM
Some close ups of the extra receiver. I tried to get the original receiver cap off but it must be glued as it won't come off.
Have you tried hooking it up to see if it has 2 receiver elements hooked up?
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

.....

Quote from: Jim Stettler on November 09, 2018, 06:49:48 PM
Have you tried hooking it up to see if it has 2 receiver elements hooked up?
Jim S.


Not yet, but I'll give it a shot later.

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Quote from: Jim Stettler on November 09, 2018, 06:49:48 PM
Have you tried hooking it up to see if it has 2 receiver elements hooked up?
Jim S.

And the answer to the question is yes.

Both receivers work when hooked up tp a 81A tone generator.
With the generator on one set of the three wires both work, when on the other wire only the add on receiver works.