I have searched the groups already to see if any previous posts could
help me with my problem, but most either point to sites that no longer
exist or contain snarky remarks. So let me start by stating, up front:

1. I am aware of what year it is. It is 2007.
2. I own a cell phone and subscribe to DSL. I also have a satellite
dish. My cars have EFI, not a carburetor. So I am not behind the
times regarding technology.
3. Not that I owe the sarcastic among us an explanation, ibut/i I
am ichoosing/i to augment my touchtone phones with a rotary phone
because iI/i think it's cool. I really don't care what iyou/i
think, so keep your caustic, derisive comments to yourself.

Okay, with those unpleasantries behind us, let's begin!

I just picked up a wall-mounted Western Electric rotary phone. When I
went to plug it in, I discovered that, while there is a jack on the
bottom for the handset cord, there isn't one for the line into the
wall.

There is a rounded opening beside the the jack through which nothing
protrudes, and I cannot discern its purpose. Through it I can see a
portion of the left-hand ringer bell. On the back, there is, one-
third the way down, centered horizontally, an oval opening whose
purpose I also cannot discern. Through it I can see the wires that
leave the dial assembly, and gear teeth related to the dial mechanism
are also visible further back. All the wires here are connected to
things except for two yellow wires which were either cut or are spare.

Now, removing the cover, the phone is laid out thusly: At the top, of
course, is the chrome, metal hang-up bar. Below it is the dial
assembly. Below this, on the left, is a black, rectangular wiring
block marked NET 425B. On its side is stamped "C NET 425B," then a
column of ovals marked, top to bottom, "GN," "B," and "R." Beside
that is a group of markings with "F" and "A" in circles; then "RR" and
"K" in circles; then an oval that says "G" and a circle containing
"L1;" and finally an oval containing "L2." Then, in the middle, it
says "8-58." This is clearly a diagram of the wiring block, though I
have no idea what these letters stand for. Beside the wiring block to
the right is a tape-wrapped electrical coil that almost certainly
powers the ringer. The bells are below these, the low-tone beneath
the wiring block and the high-tone beneath the coil. Stamped on the
inside of the phone's backing plate are the numbers "554BMP," and
there's a white sticker that says "8-75." (Is this a manufacture
date? That'd be cool to know, because it would mean that the phone is
three months older than I am.)

So! I need some kind soul to help me figure out what I'm looking at
here so that I can wire this antique into my home line. There's
nothing fancy with the home wiring; I have a single line with DSL
filters installed. If someone could just tell me how to get a line
out of this phone I'd sure appreciate it.

Do I just splice red and green wires from a phone line into the
switchblock? Both the red and green wires from the handset jack are
screwed into the same place on the wiring block--is that right? Are
those two yellow wires coming from the dial assembly extra, or were
they cut for some reason? Was this thing wired to be a prop phone on
a stage someplace before it came to me?

Thanks in advance.

The phone dates back to a time when all phones were professionally
installed and jacks were not used. Connect the line to the L1 and L2
terminals on the block. This assumes that the phone is still wired
conventionally. For more information see
http://www.porticus.org/bell/pdf/502-521-410.pdf.

These phones were always leased prior to the 1984 Bell System
divestiture. The insides of them were recycled. From your description,
the phone was originally manufactured in August 1958, and was
reconditioned in August 1975. This was in the early days of modular
connectors and the reconditioned phones were being retrofitted with
modular plugs.

On 11 May 2007 19:55:23 -0700, wrote:

I have searched the groups already to see if any previous posts could
help me with my problem, but most either point to sites that no
longer
exist or contain snarky remarks. So let me start by stating, up
front:

1. I am aware of what year it is. It is 2007.
2. I own a cell phone and subscribe to DSL. I also have a satellite
dish. My cars have EFI, not a carburetor. So I am not behind the
times regarding technology.
3. Not that I owe the sarcastic among us an explanation, ibut/i I
am ichoosing/i to augment my touchtone phones with a rotary phone
because iI/i think it's cool. I really don't care what
iyou/i
think, so keep your caustic, derisive comments to yourself.

Okay, with those unpleasantries behind us, let's begin!

I just picked up a wall-mounted Western Electric rotary phone. When
I
went to plug it in, I discovered that, while there is a jack on the
bottom for the handset cord, there isn't one for the line into the
wall.

There is a rounded opening beside the the jack through which nothing
protrudes, and I cannot discern its purpose. Through it I can see a
portion of the left-hand ringer bell. On the back, there is, one-
third the way down, centered horizontally, an oval opening whose
purpose I also cannot discern. Through it I can see the wires that
leave the dial assembly, and gear teeth related to the dial mechanism
are also visible further back. All the wires here are connected to
things except for two yellow wires which were either cut or are
spare.

Now, removing the cover, the phone is laid out thusly: At the top,
of
course, is the chrome, metal hang-up bar. Below it is the dial
assembly. Below this, on the left, is a black, rectangular wiring
block marked NET 425B. On its side is stamped "C NET 425B," then a
column of ovals marked, top to bottom, "GN," "B," and "R." Beside
that is a group of markings with "F" and "A" in circles; then "RR"
and
"K" in circles; then an oval that says "G" and a circle containing
"L1;" and finally an oval containing "L2." Then, in the middle, it
says "8-58." This is clearly a diagram of the wiring block, though I
have no idea what these letters stand for. Beside the wiring block
to
the right is a tape-wrapped electrical coil that almost certainly
powers the ringer. The bells are below these, the low-tone beneath
the wiring block and the high-tone beneath the coil. Stamped on the
inside of the phone's backing plate are the numbers "554BMP," and
there's a white sticker that says "8-75." (Is this a manufacture
date? That'd be cool to know, because it would mean that the phone
is
three months older than I am.)

So! I need some kind soul to help me figure out what I'm looking at
here so that I can wire this antique into my home line. There's
nothing fancy with the home wiring; I have a single line with DSL
filters installed. If someone could just tell me how to get a line
out of this phone I'd sure appreciate it.

Do I just splice red and green wires from a phone line into the
switchblock? Both the red and green wires from the handset jack are
screwed into the same place on the wiring block--is that right? Are
those two yellow wires coming from the dial assembly extra, or were
they cut for some reason? Was this thing wired to be a prop phone on
a stage someplace before it came to me?

Thanks in advance.


You might be able to find some help here via references and links
http://www.porticus.org/bell/telephones.html

Thank you, gentlemen. Looking more closely at the phone, I see that
the screws to the L1 and L2 taps are backed off, so, you're right,
this is clearly where the wires lived when last the phone was used.
Also following what Bob said, I see now that there are other
components labeled from 1958, so the phone is far older than I'd
thought! I have a beige table model around in a box, too--I'll have
to see how old that one is. Probably much newer since it has a
modular jack installed already.

In any event, no rest for the weary, as the classic looks of this
almost-fifty-year-old box will keep it in my service for years to
come. I'm looking forward to hearing the melodic ring of actual bells
instead of the electronic equivalent of today's phones.


sw

On May 11, 11:55 pm, Ross Herbert wrote:
On 11 May 2007 19:55:23 -0700, wrote:







I have searched the groups already to see if any previous posts could
help me with my problem, but most either point to sites that no
longer
exist or contain snarky remarks. So let me start by stating, up
front:

1. I am aware of what year it is. It is 2007.
2. I own a cell phone and subscribe to DSL. I also have a satellite
dish. My cars have EFI, not a carburetor. So I am not behind the
times regarding technology.
3. Not that I owe the sarcastic among us an explanation, ibut/i I
am ichoosing/i to augment my touchtone phones with a rotary phone
because iI/i think it's cool. I really don't care what
iyou/i
think, so keep your caustic, derisive comments to yourself.

Okay, with those unpleasantries behind us, let's begin!

I just picked up a wall-mounted Western Electric rotary phone. When
I
went to plug it in, I discovered that, while there is a jack on the
bottom for the handset cord, there isn't one for the line into the
wall.

There is a rounded opening beside the the jack through which nothing
protrudes, and I cannot discern its purpose. Through it I can see a
portion of the left-hand ringer bell. On the back, there is, one-
third the way down, centered horizontally, an oval opening whose
purpose I also cannot discern. Through it I can see the wires that
leave the dial assembly, and gear teeth related to the dial mechanism
are also visible further back. All the wires here are connected to
things except for two yellow wires which were either cut or are
spare.

Now, removing the cover, the phone is laid out thusly: At the top,
of
course, is the chrome, metal hang-up bar. Below it is the dial
assembly. Below this, on the left, is a black, rectangular wiring
block marked NET 425B. On its side is stamped "C NET 425B," then a
column of ovals marked, top to bottom, "GN," "B," and "R." Beside
that is a group of markings with "F" and "A" in circles; then "RR"
and
"K" in circles; then an oval that says "G" and a circle containing
"L1;" and finally an oval containing "L2." Then, in the middle, it
says "8-58." This is clearly a diagram of the wiring block, though I
have no idea what these letters stand for. Beside the wiring block
to
the right is a tape-wrapped electrical coil that almost certainly
powers the ringer. The bells are below these, the low-tone beneath
the wiring block and the high-tone beneath the coil. Stamped on the
inside of the phone's backing plate are the numbers "554BMP," and
there's a white sticker that says "8-75." (Is this a manufacture
date? That'd be cool to know, because it would mean that the phone
is
three months older than I am.)

So! I need some kind soul to help me figure out what I'm looking at
here so that I can wire this antique into my home line. There's
nothing fancy with the home wiring; I have a single line with DSL
filters installed. If someone could just tell me how to get a line
out of this phone I'd sure appreciate it.

Do I just splice red and green wires from a phone line into the
switchblock? Both the red and green wires from the handset jack are
screwed into the same place on the wiring block--is that right? Are
those two yellow wires coming from the dial assembly extra, or were
they cut for some reason? Was this thing wired to be a prop phone on
a stage someplace before it came to me?

Thanks in advance.

You might be able to find some help here via references and linkshttp://www.porticus.org/bell/telephones.html- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

wrote:

Thank you, gentlemen. Looking more closely at the phone, I see that
the screws to the L1 and L2 taps are backed off, so, you're right,
this is clearly where the wires lived when last the phone was used.
Also following what Bob said, I see now that there are other
components labeled from 1958, so the phone is far older than I'd
thought! I have a beige table model around in a box, too--I'll have
to see how old that one is. Probably much newer since it has a
modular jack installed already.

In any event, no rest for the weary, as the classic looks of this
almost-fifty-year-old box will keep it in my service for years to
come. I'm looking forward to hearing the melodic ring of actual bells
instead of the electronic equivalent of today's phones.


A lot of 500 series type desk phones were converted to modular when
they were sent to a service center, so the modular jack is not a real
indicator of age. Special hand operated notching tools were made to
convert the older cases to the newer configuration, and tooling was
available to covert older handsets to modular. There was a large local
company that rebuilt phones, till they had a fire that destroyed all
their inventory a few years ago. I knew the owner, and several of the
field techs that serviced business phone systems so I was in their shop
quite a few times.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

Update: Installed and working great. Thanks again.

On May 12, 6:13 am, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:
wrote:

Thank you, gentlemen. Looking more closely at the phone, I see that
the screws to the L1 and L2 taps are backed off, so, you're right,
this is clearly where the wires lived when last the phone was used.
Also following what Bob said, I see now that there are other
components labeled from 1958, so the phone is far older than I'd
thought! I have a beige table model around in a box, too--I'll have
to see how old that one is. Probably much newer since it has a
modular jack installed already.

In any event, no rest for the weary, as the classic looks of this
almost-fifty-year-old box will keep it in my service for years to
come. I'm looking forward to hearing the melodic ring of actual bells
instead of the electronic equivalent of today's phones.

A lot of 500 series type desk phones were converted to modular when
they were sent to a service center, so the modular jack is not a real
indicator of age. Special hand operated notching tools were made to
convert the older cases to the newer configuration, and tooling was
available to covert older handsets to modular. There was a large local
company that rebuilt phones, till they had a fire that destroyed all
their inventory a few years ago. I knew the owner, and several of the
field techs that serviced business phone systems so I was in their shop
quite a few times.

--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida