Siemens & Halske W38 telephone

A standard German Post Office (Reichspost) design, this updated version of the W36 was imported before the war by firms who offered Siemens PAX systems.  The case and handset are made of Bakelite.  This design was made for the Reichspost by most German manufacturers but only the Siemens product was used in Britain.  The digits 38 in the designation W38 refers to the year of introduction, 1938.  Superseded by the W48.

Colours:
Black.

Users:
PAX systems only in the UK, also PABX's and the public network elsewhere.

Variants:
There was a corresponding wall telephone.

Desk set	Wall set

 For more information on Siemens telephones go to www.fernsprecher.de

Click here for the Ost wiring diagram

Click here for the West wiring diagram

How to wire a W38 to work on the UK plug and Socket system

1. Remove the original line cord.
2. Connect white of the new line cord to terminal b.
3. Connect red of the new line cord to terminal a.
4. On one tag of the capacitor locate the white wire - disconnect and insulate this wire.
5. Locate on the other tag of the capacitor a wire and a component which is a resistor - disconnect just this wire and connect to one end of a 3.3k resistor.
6. The other end of the resistor connects back to the capacitor terminal, where the wire was removed.
7. Connect the blue of the new line cord to the same tag of the capacitor where the new resistor is connected.  This tag is becoming a little crowded so it may be better to connect a piece of wire to the tag and then connect the other end to the blue of the line cord and the resistor.

These phones are not approved and should not be connected to any public network

Last revised: November 27, 2022

FM2