History n the early 1950s, the Model 500 came about as a replacement for the Western Electric 302. It quickly became the new workhorse of telephone systems across Canada and US. The 500 was manufactured in many colors over the years but originally in black, brown, white, beige, blue, green, pink, and yellow. The pink 500s that we offer come from many different manufacturers including Western Electric, Northern Electric, Stromberg Carlson, Kellogg, among others. All of these phones are based on a common design, and are visually and functionally equivalent. The Restoration Process Dial – The dial has been fully disassembled, cleaned, lubricated and timed to ensure years of trouble free service. We have also added a brand-new plastic fingerwheel, die cut dial card and acetate. Cords – The phone has been outfitted with brand new vinyl handset cords that may be either hardwired to the handset and phone, or may have a modular plug on each end to connect to corresponding jacks on the handset and phone. The line cord has a modular connection to facilitate a connection to your wall jack. (Note - the cord type shown in the photo may be different that the type that you receive) Shell & Handset – The shell has been painstakingly put through a multi-step restoration process which includes sanding with 400, 800, 1000, 2000 grit. This ensures that there are no scratches, dents or dings. The shell is then either buffed to a high gloss sheen, or professionally painted using a very durable and scratch resistant paint that will hold up for years. This is the same process the phone companies used to refurbish their own telephones. Base – The base is completely stripped of all its components and sandblasted clean. It is then sealed with a clear coat to resist rust. The components are then cleaned, tested and reinstalled. Connection - Choose from either a modular handset connection that allows the handset to be removed from the telephone, or a hardwired handset connection, (Note - the modular handset connection also has the benefit of a modular line cord connection to the phone) Do you currently have any rotary phones? If the answer is no, it is always a good idea to call your local phone company and check if they still support “pulse” dialing. If they do, you are all set to go. If they do not, your phone will not be able to place calls without a converter. We have internal converters for this type of setup available for $79.95 (installed during assembly) - Dials * and # from your rotary phone to access computerized services. - Use legacy equipment on tone-only lines.- Compatible with VOIP services. - Provides last number redial functionality. - Adds 7 programmable speed dial locations As an alternative, we provide an option to use this phone as an extension of your cell phone. The XLink Bluetooth gateway will allow you to make and receive calls using a vintage rotary dial through a Bluetooth connection to your cell phone. The phone goes through extensive testing before to ensure it is in perfect working condition prior to shipping.
