Vintage 1979 Western Electric / Bell System LC49B Digital Network Buffer Circuit CardOffered here is an original vintage Western Electric / Bell System telecommunications circuit card dating from 1979.
The board is identified directly on the PCB as:
LC49B DIG. NET. BUFR CKT SER 1.2
Part / Assembly No.: 842187841
ISSUE 1
Date marking: JAN DR. 25 1979The “DIG. NET. BUFR CKT” marking appears to designate this as a Digital Network Buffer Circuit card used in vintage Western Electric/Bell System telecommunications equipment.
The card measures approximately 11 inches × 7 inches, with minor additional projection from the original extraction hardware.Notable Components & Construction
This is a heavily populated late-1970s Western Electric circuit card containing a large number of original period components.
Of particular interest are the numerous Western Electric integrated circuits. Visible markings include 41N, 41U, 41BW, 41BP and other WE devices. Many carry 1978 date markings, including WE IV78 and WE III78.
The board also contains a larger Western Electric IC marked 129A WE 179, along with numerous vintage resistors, diodes, capacitors and other discrete components.
Additional components include Western Electric UP337A sealed high-pressure modules and other vintage telecommunications components.
Gold-Plated Contacts & Gold-Lead ICs
This particular board may be especially interesting to collectors of early electronics and buyers interested in precious-metal-bearing vintage electronic components.The card has an unusually extensive connector section with gold-plated edge contacts running across essentially the entire connector edge of the board. Unlike many circuit cards where only selected positions are populated, this board has a very large number of gold-plated contact fingers.
The photographs show the gold contact area clearly and are part of the description.
In addition, numerous Western Electric ICs on the board have clearly visible gold-colored/gold-plated leads. These include many of the black Western Electric 41-series IC packages distributed throughout the card.
Vintage semiconductor packages of this era may also use internal precious-metal-bearing construction, including gold bonding wires, although I have not opened, destructively tested or assayed the ICs on these particular cards.
The visible precious-metal-bearing features therefore include:
Extensive gold-plated card-edge connector fingers
Numerous Western Electric ICs with gold-colored/gold-plated leads
Large population of vintage Western Electric semiconductor packages
Additional internal precious-metal content may be present but has not been assayed or verified
No representation or guarantee is being made regarding the weight, purity, recoverable quantity or monetary value of gold or any other precious metal contained on or within this card.This card may be of interest to Western Electric/Bell System collectors, vintage telecommunications enthusiasts, electronics historians, component collectors, restorers, and precious-metal/electronic recovery collectors.Condition / Important Disclosure
This is approximately 47-year-old vintage telecommunications equipment. The card has not been electrically tested and is being sold UNTESTED / AS-IS, with no guarantee of functionality.PLEASE NOTE: There is an unknown sticky substance/residue on portions of some of these cards. I do not know what the substance is or how it got there. I will try to clean each card as much as reasonably possible prior to shipment. I have found that the residue does come off with isopropyl alcohol, although some residue may remain.
Because these are vintage electronic components, I do not want to use aggressive cleaning methods that could damage original markings, components or finishes.
Normal signs of age and long-term storage should be expected, including dust, discoloration, oxidation/tarnish, scratches, residue and other cosmetic wear.Quantity
This listing is for ONE (1) Western Electric LC49B circuit card. I currently have THREE (3) available.The photographs are representative of the cards available. Individual cards may have minor differences in date codes, component markings, cosmetic condition and the amount of residue present.Please examine all photographs carefully, as the photographs are considered part of the description.Sold untested and as-is for collecting, restoration, display, components, research or precious-metal recovery.