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Western Electric Home Interphone Restoration

Started by 5415551212, March 07, 2021, 11:39:05 PM

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Babybearjs

because the unit has a 588 key assembly inside it. the 2 outer keys are blanks. the unit is only a 3 line phone.
John

5415551212

Thats interesting I never herd of a 3 line key assembly.

Babybearjs

thats because they were disconyined in the 1950's... the 544's didn't last long because the 564's had convertable buttons and you can make a 3 line key set by disabling the latching mechanism on 3 of the 5 buttons.... so the 544's were not very useful.... just cute... Had WE and the bell system taken the idea and merged it with the home interphone system, then we could have had a home version of the 1A1 system that was out at the time.... forward 70 years, and I have one! (though it is a 1A1 system) its fun taking old telephone technology and being able to use it around the home.... but.... having the 588 key assembly makes thing differently fun.... being able to make phones that were discontinued way before I was born and even using them in a touch tone format... very nice... taking something old and making it new again! so if phil McCarter and other can have a CO in their home, why can't I have a office phone system in mine? keeping the history alive! thats what phones collecting can be all about....
John

Key2871

Some ITT sets used three line keys for their service. I bought a few from phoneco years ago, I bought under the impression they were five line with hold. They were not. I don't have the practices in front of me for the set numbers or the keys they used. Look under Kellogg ITT and you would most likely find them.
KEN

Babybearjs

yeah, I also had messed with the 576 phones.... back in the early 2000's, I had my home wired for 3 line service... 1 working line and the imanual intercom...  I had AE 87A's then... had just discovered the ITT phones back then and the Stromberg-carlson 3 line phones.... was just starting to get into the 1A1 system I have today....
John

5415551212

To make interphone speakers and mics work with a 1A2 setup you would need 3 more pairs, a speaker pair, a mic pair, and a DC / pushbutton pair.
It would be fun to make a custom interphone 'line card' for a 1A2 system, I have been studying the interphone controller and plan to make a modern circuit board to replace it.

I know nothing about 1A1.

Babybearjs

you should study it... interesting stuff....
John