really Old Phone Question

[macphoneguy]

did bell ever make a "500" set with No dial ? I have a set that has 500MM, on the bottom of the set, but just a empty faceplate where the rotory dial would be, any External web site, that would list that lind of Info ?

 

[KE407122]

Northern Electric/Western Electric/Northern Telecom and so on...Stromberg...AT&T.

Usually used as a ringdown or courtesy phone. There was still a standard rotary network board that could accomdate a rotary dial mechanism... I think there were only two wires to connect. Black/Red for the make/break. You make me feel old...

http://www.retro-rotary-phones.com

(images)

http://www.telephonetribute.com/signal_and_circuit_conditions.htm

(images, schematics and links)

KE407122
'Who is this guy named Lo Cel and why does he keep paging me?'

 

[SYQUEST]

Most of the WESTERN ELECTRIC rotary dial sets were available as "manual" - no dial. The sets had a dial blank in its place. In the case of the 500 series they used a dual model code, if you notice the original stamping 500C/D or 500A/B or 500L/M, etc. So a current manual 500 set would be coded 500C. The dial blank code was 95B or 95C was the last version made, and was used on all 500 series sets, desk or wall or key. They also made matching colors of course. When a set was equipped as "manual" the [W] or (S-W) hookswitch lead is moved from network terminal F to RR.

Hope that helps.

....JIM....

 

[SNSSMIS]

We have same ring down sets in fire stations to dispatch - lol

 

[ISDNman]

There is also a 2500 version of this. It doesn't have a Touch Tone keypad

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TIP: If you ask a better question, you will get a better reply. Be specific so we can help!

 

[SYQUEST]

That is true, but none of those were made by Western Electric. In the Bell System, they would just use the correct set for the application needed.

....JIM....

 

[GordonKapesMZ4]

Some non Telecom advanced grocery retailers still use these phones as intercom and paging phones....I can recall an Indianapolis area Marsh Supermarket I was recently in 2 months ago, in Fishers Indiana that was using these type of phones for their paging system. For Marsh being the first store to use the UPC code, they really haven't advanced their telecom in their stores since the 1970's, except for 1 store that has a Norstar system.

I also used to see these ring down intercoms at Dominick's and Jewel stores in Chicagoland....and as recently as 2 or 3 years ago they were being used with separate 1A2 key systems for the in store communications at Dominick's. Safeway finally upgraded Dominick's with BCM H323 IP systems to replace these.

Jewel and Osco used these up until the early 90's, and they actually had a branded Jewel symbol on some phones and others in the Osco section had an Osco logo. These were replaced around 1990 with Aiphone intercoms....and then the Big Whammy was in 1995, all of separate intercom systems were ripped out and equipped with new Norstar systems (now BCM) and intercom/paging/external trunks are all on one system. A good move in my book. As cool as those ring down phones looked, the sound quality from digital phone system paging systems and intercoms sounds much better over the stores speaker systems!

 

[hopper123]

Kinda late I know but, did not the MM mean a one line phone used behind a key system that had a-lead control. Therefore when answered it would take it off hold and light the light.

 

[SNSSMIS]

A Lead is still very helpful when using those type of phones for paging in noisy areas. A lead can mute the speakers in the imdeiate area to reduce feedback.

 

[SYQUEST]

Yes, the 500MM/2500MM sets were modular equipped with a 623D6 modular jack, and the set was wired for A lead control. The second M in the model number indicates the set is modular. The 3rd pair was sometimes used for the ringer as a common audible, when the set was connected to a separately mounted key strip, like the 6040, 6050 or 6051.

....JIM....

 

[Delster]

Several uses for these. Courtesy phones etc and also NDC (non dial connect) extensions. NDC is often used in places like airports where a customer can call for a porter etc by simply picking up the handset and it auto dials for them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
umm,it IS supposed to do that, right??

 

[hdingman]

I thought he had a question about an "Old" phone.

If it doesn't have a crank on the side, it's not "old."

As everyone said, yes dialless phones were often made for courtesy phone use. Years ago, our local grocery store had two of them side-by-side. Each called one of the two competing taxi companies. (And as you probably can guess, one of them was yellow, the other was black with a white cord and handset...)

 

[Crowtalks]

We always had trouble getting the Automatic Electric version (old General Telephone guy) of the 500 (AE 40) and 2500 (AE 80) courtesy phones so we would just rewire the standard to defeat the dial or keypad.

Who remembers the triple slot payphones? As a long distance operator for a couple of years we had to count the coin drops according to the tone...one or two dings or a dong.

NCSS NCTS NCTE

 

[Dexman]

I have a vauge memories of seeing 3 slot payphones. Of course Elcotel's single slots are the ones that most people are familiar with.

I "FEATURE 00

 

[Mugsiensedgwick]

I started out at SW Bell collecting money out of those 3 sloters.
I've got a million stories about them.
Not many payphones at all anymore.

 

[PBXTech]

when i started at Lucent, my first field service manager used to be a 'nickel chaser' in Rhode Island way back when. his boss would give him a heads up by using a certain phrase telling him he would probably find a loaded coin box somewhere.

 

[Mugsiensedgwick]

Does "loaded coin box" mean marked money?

 

[PBXTech]

as it was told to me, it meant that it was excessively loaded with coins more than it normally would be.

 

[Crowtalks]

Yeah, if the coin collector missed stops on their route then busy phones could fill up the box and chute clogging the hopper and preventing the relay from tripping. Sometimes it was a real chore getting these boxes from the coin safe in the bottom of the phone because of the stuck coins and tight fit.

Occasionally, we would have supervisors watch for full boxes and seed the broken phones with marked coins waiting to see how much you turned in in the overflow envelope

NCSS NCTS NCTE

 

[Mugsiensedgwick]

During the first week of college in the dorms all the phones in the dorms and frats would be full.
Also during wheat harvest here in Kansas the full boxes would follow the harvest crews.
Lots of fun.
I collected and later was a supervisor. It was a very serious thing to have a nickel missiing if it was marked.
Later during the strike around 1992 or so, I had to work collecting those phones again. Ran short of personal money and broke opened an overflow money to pay for a toll road on the way home. Told the security supervisor about it and he didn't think it was funny. good times