A ringer test was called for, but the 302 first needed new wiring, so I changed out both the line cord and handset cord with reproduction items acquired from oldphones.com. The originals were pretty rough, and the new line cord features a modular jack… high-tech! 
As I expected, the ringer did not ring, nor was there even the slightest quiver from the striker. (”clapper”, I believe, is the proper term) So why wasn’t it working? One often hears about incorrectly wired phones, but given that there appeared to be decades of undisturbed grime inside, I really thought that to be unlikely. Just to make sure, I did some ‘net surfing to find a wiring diagram. Well, one of the first things I discovered is that several variations of the basic Western Electric 302 were produced, resulting in an alarming number of “similar but different” wiring diagrams. I wouldn’t have found this to be a source of great concern if not for the fact that the diagrams didn’t clearly indicate (at least not to my rookie eyes) how to identify the variations. I found nothing that could tell me, with any confidence, which diagram I should place my trust in. Then I had a brainstorm… consult an expert! Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for the 'Repair/Restoration' Category
So here it is, my first “project” phone! Many will recognize this as a Western Electric Model 302, the first W/E telephone to have the ringer contained within the body of the phone itself. (The previous designs, the 102 and 202, required a separate ringer box) The 302 was introduced in 1937 and remained in production until… I don’t recall. It might have been through the early ’50s, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll dedicate myself to doing historical research another time, but one should know that 302s were made with both metal bodies (I think a zinc alloy) and with plastic bodies. The metal bodies were phased out following the outbreak of WWII, replaced by the thermoplastic that would be used from that point onward. This particular phone, dated 10-46, is plastic. Fresh from eBay, it seems complete and the condition is pretty good, although the cords are shot and it presumably doesn’t ring. Job one will be to make it work, followed by cosmetic restoration. Can I turn this neglected classic into a functioning thing of beauty? Stay tuned!
