Fixing my old phone

[skinnychik]

I have a Western Electric 500 series phone that only rings when it's in the mood, I guess. I love the way it sounds so I turned off the ringer to my touch-tone phone, but I've had to turn it back on as I've noticed the old rotary phone doesn't always ring...though sometimes it will chime in on the 3rd or 4th ring. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Hmmm... I'd take the cover off and check the connections between the ringer and the network. (the rectangular silver box with all the wires going to it)

How is the ringer setting? One of the gongs is mounted on a little swivel that moves it closer or farther away from the clapper. Farther away is louder.

I dunno, otherwise. My 500 style ringers either work (most of them) or they don't work at all. (just one)

 

[Pilgrim]

Chances are that the internal contacts are dirty. I'd polish them with a pencil reaser if they are accessible, or use some spray-on tuner cleaner from Radio Shack if they can't be reached easily. I'm not familiar with their design, so I can't give you specifics on what to look for - but any metal contacts can probably benefit from cleaning / de-oxidation.

And telephones have significant voltage running through them. UNPLUG it before messing around internally.

Incidentally, for those who use older electronics - the best contact cleaners I know of are made by Caig Laboratories. DeOxit is an excellent contact deoxidizer, and Caig ProGold is a great contact preservative. These are NOT cheap, but they're excellent and it only takes a drop per contact.

 

[skinnychik]

I've played with the ringer setting, it doesn't seem to matter where I set it...it still rings SOMETIMES...often after the other phone has rung a couple times.

Perhaps it does need cleaning. If there's corrosion that would explain why sometimes it makes the connections and sometimes it doesn't. I'll see if it helps at all.

Tony, yours may be wired for the party-line thing. If it never rings at all there you can check the schematics at http://www.bellsystemmemorial.com/telephones.html#Does your Western Electric 500 telephone not ring

 

[Rosie]

I've noticed this too but, it just started like a few days ago. My phone only rings when it wants and normally after a few rings. I'll check in on it like you guys suggest but, I don't want to break it or disconnect anything.

 

[FedoraGent]

Okay...so up pops one of my hobbies...

So, I have many different hobbies/skills. One of them just happens to be restoring antique telephones, radios, phonographs and typewriters. So a couple of things about the phones, such as the Western Electric 202, 302, 50x and such...

These phones were more than often wired for party-line mode, which meant that the phone listened for a unique voltage for ringing, which is of course different than the standard. Because a neighborhood could be rewired off of party line service or a phone could be taken from a party line location to a single line location they were made for it to be easy for the phone man to switch it between modes.

This was usually done by configuring the phone for one of these modes. Now that we don't have old fashioned party lines...the voltages don't change unless for priority ringing. But alas that hasn't quite caught on here in the States and I figure that it probably won't. If you guys are having trouble with your phone, I have some schematics and have fixed quite a few of these issues. I need to know what model you guys have and such. This will be alittle bit harder now that the phone is not physically in front of me, but then again pictures are worth a thousand words.

Let me know how I can help, I love doing this stuff.

Jon

 

[skinnychik]

Well, mine's a 500 series.

Not that I want to wish ill on anybody else, but I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one with this problem. I've talked to a few people about it who've just looked at me like, "Yeah, it's a fifty-year-old phone. What to you expect? Get a new phone."

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Tony, yours may be wired for the party-line thing. If it never rings at all there you can check the schematics at http://www.bellsystemmemorial.com/telephones.html#Does your Western Electric 500 telephone not ring

Thanks, but I already own their CD-ROM/DVD compilation. No, my one WE 500 that doesn't ring probably has a problem inside the network. That's one out of, let me see... 5 500s, including one absolutely cherry 1955 in Ivory.

"It's an old phone." My 1999 Panasonic cordless is probably starting to die. My 1938 WE 302 works like a champ.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

The frequency ringers were usually found in non-Bell System phones. They were tuned to different frequencies (the standard ring voltage is 90VAC 20Hz) so only one party on a party line would ring.

I wonder if your local telephone company's ring voltage is screwy? Have you tried a different old phone?

WE 500s are cheap on eBay, I've usually paid more for the shipping than for the phone.

 

[Rosie]

Well, mine's a 500 series.

Not that I want to wish ill on anybody else, but I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one with this problem. I've talked to a few people about it who've just looked at me like, "Yeah, it's a fifty-year-old phone. What to you expect? Get a new phone."

I've been told this how many times?

Well, mine is a WE 500 series too. Do I have to open it? I'm pretty squeamish when in comes to electronics. Especially 50 year old electronics.

 

[FedoraGent]

I've been told this how many times?

Well, mine is a WE 500 series too. Do I have to open it? I'm pretty squeamish when in comes to electronics. Especially 50 year old electronics.

Oh it's EASY. When you're ready, lemme know. There' s a PERFECT picture of how to switch the wires and all you need is a flathead screwdriver.

Jon

 

[FedoraGent]

So cheap..and so common...

The frequency ringers were usually found in non-Bell System phones. They were tuned to different frequencies (the standard ring voltage is 90VAC 20Hz) so only one party on a party line would ring.

I wonder if your local telephone company's ring voltage is screwy? Have you tried a different old phone?

WE 500s are cheap on eBay, I've usually paid more for the shipping than for the phone.

I have two in the garage gathering dust. If someone wants one, please let me know. Both are restored, clean and ready to go. Special FL price... 5.00 or less. These things come to me all the time like wandering orphans.

Jon

 

[Brad Bowers]

I have two in the garage gathering dust. If someone wants one, please let me know. Both are restored, clean and ready to go. Special FL price... 5.00 or less. These things come to me all the time like wandering orphans.

Jon

Now if you had a WE 302 at that price, I'd take you up on it!

Brad

 

[FedoraGent]

Now if you had a WE 302 at that price, I'd take you up on it!

Brad

I don't, but I know a cat that does. I myself am actually looking for a WE 202 complete with bell box.

Jon

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Ma Bell didn't sell phones, they leased 'em. They wanted to collect that fee, month in, month out. They did not want to replace the phones or send people out to fix them if they could help it. So, they built 'em like battleships so they would work and work practically forever with minimal service, and they were made so that if they did need service, they were very easy to fix.

The 500 series is particularly easy because there are no moving parts in the cover. Unscrew the two screws on the bottom and the cover lifts off, and the guts of it are remarkably simple.

 

[FedoraGent]

Ma Bell didn't sell phones, they leased 'em. They wanted to collect that fee, month in, month out. They did not want to replace the phones or send people out to fix them if they could help it. So, they built 'em like battleships so they would work and work practically forever with minimal service, and they were made so that if they did need service, they were very easy to fix.

The 500 series is particularly easy because there are no moving parts in the cover. Unscrew the two screws on the bottom and the cover lifts off, and the guts of it are remarkably simple.

They are made amazingly simple and well. I have my parent's original 500 from when my mom and sister's first came to the United States. It's downstairs in the kitchen. For the benefit of the dog and her heart, I've turned off the ringer. Ma Bell definitely didn't sell them. I have some original bills from my grandparents from I think somewhere around '52 and there indeed was the charge.

Jon

 

[skinnychik]

I have two in the garage gathering dust. If someone wants one, please let me know. Both are restored, clean and ready to go. Special FL price... 5.00 or less. These things come to me all the time like wandering orphans.

Jon

ooh ooh ooh...pick me!!
I want one! PM me the details.

 

[FedoraGent]

ooh ooh ooh...pick me!!
I want one! PM me the details.

I'm travelling right now, but when I get back I'll go ahead and do that.

Jon

 

[Rosie]

For the last few days, mine has been ringing consistently. Not sure what happened but if I need help, I'll be sure to ask again. Thanks Fedora Gent and thanks Skinnychik for bringing this up, it would have totally slipped my mind.

 

[Rosie]

I was wondering if anyone knows of a place where I can get an old phone fixed. I have an Ericsson Ruen or Rijen

and the dialing is off, if I dial 5, it dials 4. Also I've noticed that if I am speaking on it for more than ten or so minutes, it may click me off. If anyone has had an older phone fixed or knows where I can get one fixed, please let me know. Thanks!