Payphones

[Ken Layton]

I have posted some good general information about payphones at these two places:

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=81104

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=75466.0


Here are a couple of pictures of an Elcotel "series 5" privately owned payphone with a "smart" circuit board inside. This is in the GTE/Palco/Quadrum case. Notice the coin return bucket is on the right side.

Modern payphones are known as "single slot" types because one slot accepts nickles, dimes, and quarters. Old classic ones are known as "three slot" because there are three seperate slots for each denomination.

[Ken Layton]

To install a payphone on a wall, you mount a special "backboard" (mounting plate for single slot payphones) to the wall first. Then you can hang the phone onto the backboard quickly and easily all by yourself. A payphone weighs 50 pounds!

Payphones use TWO keys operated at the same time to open them.

[knagl]

Ken-

Neat post.  Do you know anything about programming them?  I have a payphone which looks a lot like the one you posted collecting dust in my basement.  I'd love to get it up and running, even just as a standard phone without the coin sensing stuff functioning.

[Ken Layton]

Every payphone programs diferently depending on make/model. Most privately owned payphones have to get programmed either from the phone manufacturer, the phone maker's computer payphone management program (not free, it must be purchased), or a third party payphone programming company. Some phones can be programmed locally at the phone by you, but choices and options are limited as well as time consuming.

The Rate Center handles the four major brands of privately owned payphones. You can either subscribe to their programming service or do a "one-shot" programming. For home use, the one-shot would be ok.

http://www.theratecenter.com/

Some payphone sellers will program the phone for you.

http://www.payphone.com/Elcotel-Series-5XG.html

If you buy a payphone from G-Tel/Payphone.com they will program the phone free. If you did not buy a phone from them they will still program it for you, but at a price of $25.

The above companies program the phone by calling it (you have to tell them the phone number to call) and all the stuff is downloaded to the phone. Generally takes about 5 minutes.

This ebay seller has Elcotel manuals:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Elcotel-Series-3-4-or-5-payphone-Manual_W0QQitemZ280105223261QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item413792845d

[Ken Layton]

More pictures of an Elcotel series 5 payphone.

The "upper housing" contains the keypad, hookswitch, handset, and optional volume control button.

The "lower housing" is the main guts of a payphone.

[Ken Layton]

No. You have a retired telephone company "Western Electric" case and what's called a "dumb" circuit board. Coin operation and collecting/return coins was handled by the telephone company's "coin line" telephone line. Operation of the phone was done by the phone company's central office equipment.

To make the phone operate on coins on ordinary phone lines (like your home phone line) you would need to swap the big circuit board assembly (called a chassis) for a smart board manufactured by one of the private payphone companies such as Elcotel/Quortech. The Elcotel 5501 (a.k.a. "The Olympian" ) circuit board would work along with trading out the keypad assembly for the correct Elcotel "Western Electric" keypad assembly. Then you have the board programmed and you are operating on coins.

Oh yes, I almost forgot. In your picture, the coin relay has been haywired closed by a white wire tie at the top of it. You'll have to snip that wire tie to free up the relay to operate again.

Granted, buying the parts necessary to return this particular phone back into coin operation may cost more than to simply find a working Elcotel payphone on ebay.

[Ron (r273)]

This is not a pay phone but this is one from my Grandmother's grocery store sum 50 years ago.
It hangs in my basement casino. Been looking for a mouth piece for many years but never found
one. It is an American Electric Co. made in Chicago.

Ron

[Ken Layton]

Apparently the Stromberg Carlson is the same part. Mouth piece is here:

http://www.oldphoneman.com/PartsWoodWallPhones.htm

Just scroll most of the way down to "Stromberg" and you'll see it listed.

And here:

http://www.shenandoahrestoration.com/telephone1.html

PL-9903 is the one.

And here:

http://www.phonecoinc.com/category.asp?map=1&hhrl=home&gorl=group&category=Wwp2&group=main

[Ron (r273)]

Apparently the Stromberg Carlson is the same part. Mouth piece is here:

http://www.oldphoneman.com/PartsWoodWallPhones.htm

Just scroll most of the way down to "Stromberg" and you'll see it listed.

And here:

http://www.shenandoahrestoration.com/telephone1.html

PL-9903 is the one.

And here:

http://www.phonecoinc.com/category.asp?map=1&hhrl=home&gorl=group&category=Wwp2&group=main

WOW Ken, to think all these years I didn't ask the right person. I'm sure I can find the right mouth piece as most are
for Western Electric and this one is American Electric. I think both were made in Chicago.

Thanks  K+ to you

Ron

[Ken Layton]

Stromberg Carlson also was made in Chicago.

I know a little about telephones. My dad worked for the Bell companies for nearly 40 years before retiring.

[Neonkiss]

Hi Ken,
Just wanted to jump in here.
My dad also retired form Ma Bell, He figured it was time to leave during the first merger in early 80's

I have a Western Electric in my game room. It rings in and dials out. I use it when the phone is ringing and I can't locate to cordless. 
I got this one from the Swap shop for about $20.00 had almost a $100.00 in change inside.
I picked up the booth in a junk pile at a route vendors place.

[knagl]

I got this one from the Swap shop for about $20.00 had almost a $100.00 in change inside.

NICE!  What a find!  I love the booth, too.  K+ for the pictures.

[reho33]

Try ***.phonelosers.org       (replace the *** with www)  (ADMIN: if links are not allowed, please delete and sorry)

[Jimise]

Great thread! Very informative... 
Since we are on the subject of payphones, I thought I would post a pic of mine 

[Ken Layton]

You're lucky to have found an outdoor booth that still has a working folding door! Most have been removed due to vandalism.

Here are some sources of indoor and outdoor payphone enclosures:

http://www.ienclosure.com/enclosures/enclosures.htm

http://www.enclosuresinc.com/

http://www.redyref.com/index_telephone.php

http://www.pbginc.com/

http://www.payphoneproducts.com/products_enc.shtml

http://www.payphoneproducts.com/products_enc_outdoor.shtml

Panel phone enclosures allow you to recess the phone into the wall:

http://www.payphoneproducts.com/product_enc_panel.shtml

[Ken Layton]

There's a beautiful indoor full sized payphone booth on the olympia, washington craigslist today:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/clt/1468479340.html

Edit:

Here's a nice full sized booth on the Seattle craigslist:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/clt/1469553976.html

[jmkord]

Hello everyone,

I have an Elcotel Series 5 payphone that needs programming.  Right now, it allows free calls anywhere in area code 714.  All other calls are "Invalid Numbers."

Does anyone have information on programming these phones at the local level with a chip programmer?  I was hoping to find some kind of recognizable data in the RATES chip, but no such luck.

I'd be happy if the phone charged 25 cents for each and every call -- anywhere.

Some hobbyist somewhere has most likely figured this out.  If anyone has information, I'd love to hear it!

-John

[TZtech]

May be of interest

http://www.payphone-project.com/gallery/

Ian

[Ken Layton]

Programming that Elcotel can be done by these folks:

http://www.theratecenter.com/

http://www.payphone.com/Elcotel-Series-5XG.html

I believe Payphone.com charges $25 to program your payphone if it was NOT purchased from them. If it was, then programming is free.

[mishmash]

I LOVE the old school pay phones!  They are so hard to find in my country!

[Buzz]

I LOVE the old school pay phones!  They are so hard to find in my country!

  If you would finish filling out you profile we would know what country that is !!

[national]

wow cool post

i have an old bell systems made by western electric guessind 80s ive had it bout 20yrs or so
about 8 yrs ago i moved and it hasnt worked since it was set up to use as ahome phone no coins needed
i tried reversing the cord lines still nothing any help or suggestions
thanks Roger

[Ken Layton]

Western Electric payphone information:

http://www.porticus.org/bell/telephones-payphones-modern.html

This site has the service manuals;

http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=409&Itemid=19

You want the Coin Service Manuals. Be warned they are large files.

[Ken Layton]

Many payphone manuals and other documents are now posted here:

http://www.payphone411.com/manuals.html

[Slots_007]

Programming that Elcotel can be done by these folks:

http://www.theratecenter.com/

http://www.payphone.com/Elcotel-Series-5XG.html

I believe Payphone.com charges $25 to program your payphone if it was NOT purchased from them. If it was, then programming is free.

Just wanted to let those who are curious know, I used that service multiple times and the people are great to work with!

You connect the payphone up and give them the phone number for the line it's on, they have a computer that will call the phone and program it for you.