Help With Dead Telephone

[rp2813]

I just dusted off my early production (1950) Western Electric model 500 phone to use at my desk and when I connected it, I got no dial tone. It's completely dead. I connected up another 500 model using the same line cord and got dial tone. All connections inside are tight. The switch hook appears to be operating properly. This early model has the 425A network and the separate 311 equalizer.

Any suggestions for what might be wrong, troubleshooting steps, or a helpful web site before I start switching out changeable parts with the 500 that worked?

Thanks,

Ralph

 

[toggleswitch1]

Not familiar with the model. But did you tighten the "caps" in the handet that go by the ear and by the mouth?

Not sure about the "speaker" that goes to the ear, but at least with the "microphone" part, electrical contact is made by pressure, and tightness of the "over-cap" counts.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks Steve,
I've been through all of that as the handset needed a good toothpasting. I'm hoping it's not a problem with any of the components that are riveted in place, or the reason this phone was in a thrift store so many years ago when I found it. Dating on all components tends to indicate that this phone was only deployed once around 1950 and never went back to Ma Bell for refurbishing/updating.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Put it on top of the TV next time Ernest Angley is on.

 

[bellalaundry]

Are the red and green

wires from the line cord in the same position as your working set?

Guy

 

[rp2813]

Yes, wires were connected the same on both sets. I pulled the yellow wire off the dead phone to see if it would help (something about ground start or loop start I read somewhere) but it didn't change anything. I also left the dead phone's receiver off the hook and tried another working phone in another room and it gave dial tone rather than the "hang up your phone, stupid!" beeping sound, so I'm wondering if I can rule out the handset and its cord based on that.

 

[rocketeer500]

I don't know if this helps... but

Check the solder connections.

If you used the same line on two different phones and one worked and the other didn't, then it's a power issue, or rather, not receiving any. I'm no expert on this stuff, but I have a couple of Western Electric 301s and both had loose wires to where they were soldered (one phone was very loose and the other phone had a broken wire inside the casing).

Follow the two power leads (red and black or red and green, I forgot which) and see where they enter the phone and what components that could be the culprit.

I'm sure you've already did this, but that's what I'd suggest. Good luck.

 

[rocketeer500]

OOOps!

I meant to say that I have a couple of Western Electric 302s... I guess I had Singer Sewing Machines on the brain.

 

[rp2813]

I checked the soldered connections and they seem fine. Did it with it off the hook also and didn't hear anything at all as I checked each one.

However, I also checked the handset cord's connections at the equalizer and one of the leads to the receiver element creates a good bit of static when I gently move the fork connection back and forth. I'm going to try a different handset and cord and see what happens. I did not think the handset connection/circuitry would impact that of the switch hook but maybe it does.

 

[rp2813]

Continued

. . . from directly above:

I changed out the handset and cord with that of another 500 phone and got dialtone. I think the one bad wire on the handset cord is the problem. I'll start switching out handset components next and will hopefully isolate this problem to one easily replaceable part.

More to come.

 

[rp2813]

It's Fixed!

While changing out the handset cord it looked like the transmitter holder on the bad phone wasn't making contact with the capsule. I nudged the low contact up a bit and made sure there was a good contact with the capsule. Right away I got a staticky noise when I went off hook. Then I played with the suspect wire on the handset cord, repositioned it on its terminal, went off hook and got dialtone loud and clear. It's going to need a new handset cord but at least the problem is cleared for now.

I had faith that none of the components attached to the base of this phone were at fault. It took trying various scenarios and some trial and error without any instruments but true to the form of the 500 series, the integrity of its components was never compromised. Cords can go bad and are easy to replace. The transmitter holder is a mystery but it was an easy fix to the main problem this phone was having.

Thanks for all of your suggestions guys. I need to go make some calls now . . .