Ring a ding, ding? W.E. 202

[gobler]

Hello Loungers, I have a question about the Western Electic 202 telephone. Were ringer boxes the only way to have them ring or did some have a ringer in the phone?

:cheers1:
Jeff

[The Wingnut]

Pretty sure the ringer was built into most of them...ringer boxes are common today if you see them in use because they get gutted and updated with modern internals. This leaves no room for the original ringer, so a box is the only choice.

[DanielJones]

My dad used to work for Western Electric. He may have one of those around the home somewhere. Next time I'm over there I see if I can scare up the answer for you.

Cheers!

Dan

[The Wingnut]

They're worth quite a bit in good shape, around $200. Crazy. People used to throw them out!

[DanielJones]

I know my dad has a bunch of phones from back in the day. Even has a pay phone that takes just a dime. Go figure.

Cheers!

Dan

[Tony in Tarzana]

Nobody answered this one, so I'll take a crack at it. The 202 did not have an internal ringer, they were made for use with wall-mounted "subsets." Some people install "Mini-networks" in the bases of 202s so they don't need a subset, but there's no room for a ringer unless it's a tiny electronic one, which IMHO defeats the purpose of having an old phone. The 302 of 1937 was the first Western Electric phone to have all its workings inside.

[Baggers]

Glad you jumped in on this one, Tony. The base of the 202 was just too small to fit any sort of period ringer, especially the dual bell kind that provides that wonderful sound!

My ringer box is mounted on the wall just above the baseboard, right behind the table on which the phone is situated.

Cheers!

[MK]

If your dad has a 202....especially if it has the older style receiver.....I would love to have one. I have been wanting one for years but not willing to pay silly prices.