page_title: Model 102 telephone
hierarchical_section_title: Model 102 telephone
caption_attribution_description: English: Western Electric 202 Telephone made in 1931, refurbished in 2011. It has the E1 handset with a spit cup and cloth covered handset cord.
context_page_description: The model 102 telephone was a version of Western Electric's first widely distributed telephone set that featured the transmitter and receiver in a common handset. Although this type designation was not used before ca. 1930, predecessor types were produced starting approximately in 1927 with the A handset mounting, and the B handset mounting in 1928. Earlier telephones by Western Electric had been of the candlestick type which featured a transmitter fixed to the base, and a receiver held by the user to the ear. The design of the A handset mounting was inherited from the candlestick desk stands, while the B-type was slightly reshaped. Although the B handset mounting was produced until 1932, Western Electric introduced a newly designed models, the D handset mounting in 1930, which had an oval foot print to improve physical stability during dialing.
  The model 102 telephone was the version of the D handset mounting with the traditional sidetone circuit. It consisted of the handset mounting typically placed on the desk top and a physically separate desk set box or subscriber set. This box was typically mounted on a wall near the phone or on the side of a desk.
context_section_description: The model 102 telephone was a version of Western Electric's first widely distributed telephone set that featured the transmitter and receiver in a common handset. Although this type designation was not used before ca. 1930, predecessor types were produced starting approximately in 1927 with the A handset mounting, and the B handset mounting in 1928.  Earlier telephones by Western Electric had been of the candlestick type which featured a transmitter fixed to the base, and a receiver held by the user to the ear. The design of the A handset mounting was inherited from the candlestick desk stands, while the B-type was slightly reshaped. Although the B handset mounting was produced until 1932, Western Electric introduced a newly designed models, the D handset mounting in 1930, which had an oval foot print to improve physical stability during dialing.
  The model 102 telephone was the version of the D handset mounting with the traditional sidetone circuit. It consisted of the handset mounting typically placed on the desk top and a physically separate desk set box or subscriber set. This box was typically mounted on a wall near the phone or on the side of a desk. The desk set contained only the dial, a handset cradle with hook switch, and the handset positioned in the cradle, while the subscriber set contained the ringer and the electrical components to interface the unit with the telephone network.
  The 102 telephone was plagued by problems with excessive sidetone, resulting in a poor experience for users hearing their own voice very loudly, and in extreme cases in early versions also unstable feedback from the receiver into the transmitter. This sometimes caused users to lower their voices to the point where the other party found them difficult to hear. This problem was resolved with a new anti-sidetone circuit for the D1 telephone which became known as the 202 hand telephone.
caption: Western Electric D1 telephone, which was also designated as the 102 Hand Telephone with a sidetone electric circuit.
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