Western Electric 5302 with F handset
Notes
This phone was a hybrid of the WE
302 and the
500, designed to use up excess inventory. When the model 500 was introduced, Western Electric had a large stock of 302 parts, dials, and electronics lying around, so they figured out a way to fit them inside a 500-style case to use them up. 5302s went into service several months after the model 500 was introduced. Originally the 500 was used on longer loops from the central office to improve transmission, while the 5302s were installed on shorter loops. Use of 5302s for new installations lasted only about five years after the launch of the 500, and conversion of 302s to 5302s ceased in the mid 1950s.
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