atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems 1A2 and Comkey Telephones & Systems A couple 4A questions

Just a few things I wanted to ask about:
1) has anyone ever explored a way to activate the quiet/mute function so you can go on mute for a long period without holding the button down? It would be nice to enable mute and leave it on for long meetings. I found the general bsps on the 4A but didn't see anything like that.
2) Am I correct in the assumption that I will never find a set of blue 4A plastics? Any thoughts on having a badly faded tan one repainted blue? I know that's sort of a sacrelidge. Open to opinions.
3) I don't suppose anyone has a few 82B blocks they want to part with? There haven't been any appearing on eBay lately. Thought I would ask if any spares were to be had.

Thanks gentlemen...
Shawn

Hi Shawn,

It was funny to hear your request about the mute, the first time I've seen the question asked on this forum. The solution is to wedge a penny between the on button and metal housing while the mute button is depressed. Don't laugh, I worked in AT&T's HQs for years, and that was the acceptable method.

The 4A did come in blue, and I have only seen once on ebay, and it sold for a very high price, as do green, gray, yellow and red 4As. One of the sellers and 1A2 collectors I know works with an Auto Body shop that does custom paint jobs. They have successfully repainted items to match a given WE color sample. Its a long process with several layering of paints, but you can't tell from the original. Check out ebay seller
garyl1951 completed listings - he has a red Touch a Match that went through this process to die for!

The connecting block you mentioned is also getting scarcer, I set up 3 different searches on ebay to locate one, and it took about 6 months before I found one. And, like you, I could also use one! Western Electric components are getting less and less each year, not counting single line sets.

Yeah I am kicking myself for not bidding on a blue one that was on Ebay a year or so ago with a 2500 set. At the time I didn't have a blue 2565 so I didn't think I would want one. Now I do and I do
Funny you mention your friend... I was actually considering messaging him on Ebay to ask if he could help out or give a recommendation. I have watched his auctions and his work is beautiful.

As for the penny trick thats awesome. I would have never thought of that. Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest. I wouldn't laugh about anything that worked. The lack of permanent mute is what has kept me from using my 4A at my desk for work. I spend a lot of time listening on work calls...

As for the blocks... Yeah I know all of this stuff is harder to find. In about 1994 I worked for a resort and we replaced the Dimension PBX switch with a Definity switch. At the time all retail and admin areas were on 1A2 and that was all ripped out for digital sets. There was literally a mountain of phones, panels, speakerphones, cables, call directors etc in one of the storage garages. I could have probably had whatever I wanted. Shame I didn't rummage through and get some stuff. Hindsight is 20/20 I suppose. At the time that stuff was literally worthless.

Do you have a picture of this 82B block?

History seems to repeat it self; during Divestiture, I was working in AT&T's HQ in Basking Ridge. They had an entire exchange serving HQ, with 2565, Touch a Matics and 4As as the standard office configuration; but after the split up, they started replacing the Centrex and 1A2 equipment with a Definity. Installers were more then happy to leave the station sets with anyone instead of hauling them back to their trucks. Also, employees could order directly from the WE catalog; I wish I had taken advantage of more items then I did, I still miss that golden opportunity every time I look back! Most meetings always included a conference bridge, using a 4A. The penny for mute was the best trick and always used!

You have a slim-to-none chance of finding blue or any of the other "non-promoted" colors.

Re the 4A MUTE feature: The accepted method was to tell a new employee to use a dime. When he was distracted, you replaced the dime with a penny.

This was learned from a previous generation of telephone men who maintained S x S switches like the 701. You told the new guy who worked the day shift to use a quarter to make busy any faulty switches. Then the night guy, who maintained the switches, would replace the quarters with pennies.

I can vouch for the quality of the repaint jobs offered by the TCI / ATCA member. He announces the next color(s) to be done, and then waits until he has a decent-sized batch before he gathers them and gets them painted.

How many 82B adapters do you need? I have a few that I would be willing to sell.

Arthur, what are you looking for the 82b? Any chance you have a 6 button TT card dialer in your inventory?

Arthur, I have been looking for 2 but any is better than none.
Its funny you mention the quarters in the switches. Last fall on a trip to Hawaii I sat next to a lady who had worked for GTE all her life as a switch maintenance person. She said in the 50s and 60s she used a lot of bobby pins and change in her job... But she didn't always have change so the bobby pins were more highly used. She did not however tell me about the exchange program. hahaha


Regarding the other post from Jeff Moss above about what do they look like:

Let me look in the barn, as soon as I can find it, since it's covered in snow, and we expect another foot or so tomorrow.

Thanks Arthur, appreciate your checking! Jim