One of my 2565's has the word "Operator" encircling the 0. All the rest have "OPER" just above it. Is it likely that someone swapped out the touchpad at some point, or were there certain years when this was done? The keyset is a 2565HK, dated 5/71, and is fully modular.

Thanks
Matt

There is/was another differentiation among dial pads. Pads that had the alphbet were called 'METRO' dial pads, and I have no idea what the ones that didn't were called. Standard? Rural?
I'll bet Ed knows! John C.

Not to interrupt the hijacking, Matt, but the answer is convoluted.

The first pads had the word OPERATOR. Next, it was changed to OPER for no apparent reason, other than WE lunacy.

Canadian pads have no word there, because the Canadian requirement for bi-lingual labelling would mean that both the words OPERATOR and TELEPHONIST would be required. So, no word is easier than both words.

WE (and clone) 7- and 9-type rotary dials also originally had OPERATOR and later had OPER. Real early ones had the OPERATOR under the zero, and later ones had the word over the zero.

Sorry, but I beg to differ on that point. I believe that there is no such requirement for telephone equipment. Even now, one can buy a telephone that is totally in English.

That IS 1 reason why I sell & maintain Nortel equipment as the Norstar line has bilingual prompts and French buttons available for the phones. Other manufacturers do not.

As well, just prior to my leaving Bell in '96, while at a union meeting there was one %#&*@ that stood up and wanted the union to pressure Bell to pressure Nortel to make the CO tech manuals in French. Even at THAT time things weren't near as bad as now.

The bilingual requirement that you refer to would be for food products and the such, which is a Canadian law. Bell Canada as well as Nortel have Federal charters and do not have to abide by most of Quebec's language law, or any other law for that matter, if they choose not to.

I've got an old 302 sitting next to me and it says operator on the dial...

Then, that must mean this phone was rebuilt at some point, yes? I don't know what year modular phones came out, but I'd thought it was well after '71, and that the prototypes started with the trimline.

Would it be a true statement if I said it's basicaly a strange hybrid of a pre '71 touchhpad, '71 guts (probably), and a post '71 case and receiver?

Matt:

WECO abandoned "Operator" in favor of "OPER" around 1973. This was also the same time when they were developing modular connections. The first modular hardware that I encountered was in mid 1974 in NJ Bell territory.

Yes, if you have the old-style dial with modular connections, then the set was refurbished at some point. Remember that their refurbishing consisted of huge operations, where all of the parts were taken apart in one area, tested in another, then reassembled with new plastics. It was not uncommon to see several different date codes within one set due to the recirculation of parts. In general, the painted "new" date code or adhesive label on the bottom of the set determined when it was last refurbished. There was not a lot of re-dating individual components unless they received a factory modification during the refurbishing process.

Can you explain why there is no "word" on the zero button on NT phones from the 1970's?

Thanks All!

Arthur, let me take a guess at it as I didn't work for Nortel.

I did however work for Bell and was lucky enough to have several French Canadians work with me. As in any group of people there would be "zingers" back & forth.

One day, one of them asked me why on light switches the words were "On" & "Off". He went on to say that it wasn't in French as they "Knew" when the light was on.

From that analogy, I'd have to say that Nortel figured that Canadians knew that "0" would get you the operator. :shrug:

Sure - that's the easy bit. How do they know if it's off?

If they change the bulb and it's still doesn't light, then they try the switch!
C'mon, I could have said they stick their finger in the socket, then try the switch. John C.

ROFL