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AE 182 Blue Starlight phone.

Started by shortrackskater, March 23, 2018, 06:34:07 PM

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shortrackskater

This was on eBay for awhile and it just looked too good not to buy! So I snapped it up for the buy it now price of $19.99.
The phone arrived a few days ago. It has some discoloration but it's not too bad. I may try my Novus polishes and see if I can remove some of the damage.
I plugged the phone in, and got dial tone - and was able to make and receive calls. The audio quality is great.
However the light doesn't work! I did fine and OLD thread here discussing the illuminated dial and contact issues which I'll try later tonight or tomorrow. There's a potentiometer on the side of the phone which must be for the light level. It spins a little too easy so I'm thinking that may be the issue as well.
How does this thing light up though, when it does work? Is there some substance, like a fluorescent tube in the plate around the dial?
Mark J.

rdelius

The dial is lit through an elecoluminicent disk.It glows green when lit. Mostly used as a nightlight.They get dimmer with use/age..Check the AC cord and current limiting resistors.Later Starlites have a plastic plug with resistors inside

shortrackskater

Ok I've got from 0 to 112 VAC to the clip leads on the dial, when adjusting the pot.
Mark J.

jsowers

On most of these you have to turn all the room lights off to see the dial glowing, and do it at night and turn the thumbwheel all the way up. It's not as bright as a Princess. Like 1942 DeSoto headlights, it's "out of sight, except at night."

I do have a light blue 182 Starlite that seems to be burned out as well and three in other colors that work great. So any troubleshooting that anyone knows to try would be interesting to see. But I'm thinking the luminescent ring will need replacing and those pieces just aren't available anywhere. You'd have to cannibalize a faded or broken phone to get one. Or maybe Ray Kotke has a jar full of them?  :)
Jonathan

stub

#4
shortrackskater,
                    Most of the time the place that breaks down is where the leads are attached to the luminescent ring ( 2 black wires) itself.  I think I got the right link here to help repair it. Here's diagram of your phone. Hope this helps.                                           stub                                       ( left click on pic to enlarge )
                                         http://tinyurl.com/3u6zczr

           
Kenneth Stubblefield

AE_Collector

#5
Be a little careful as they do operate directly at 120vac. The resistors that eventually were moved to the plug at the wall are in the base of these first generation Starlites. Not easy to find a blue one that even remotely still looks blue now so that is a good find in any event.

I have seen a chart that shows the degradation rate of the panels and in theory by now they should be virtually dead. But presumably they didn't age in storage, just when they have 120 vac applied to them so many will live on for a long time yet.

Terry

shortrackskater

Thanks Stub, AE_Collector and jsowers.
I will give it a try. Believe it or now, I have an ATT friend (who is scared to be on a forum... hey Andy) who just informed me that he has a spare plate. We don't know if it works yet but are going to give it a try. Still... I'm going to do the repair trick for the one that's on the phone if I can do it properly.
Mark J.

stub

 shortrackskater,
                       Remember, the edge of the disk is bare metal that has 120 AC volts on it when plugged up . If I can help just send a PM .  stub
Kenneth Stubblefield

markosjal

#8
A little something I like to do now and then....
Phat Phantom's phreaking phone phettish

AE_Collector

Quote from: markosjal on March 24, 2018, 03:00:26 AM
A little something I like to do now and then....

Bleaching Schenatic Diagrams? :)

Nice job!

Terry

markosjal

#10
I wish there was a Photoshop "Bleach" function!
Phat Phantom's phreaking phone phettish

shortrackskater

#11
Ok I feel like an idiot... how do I remove the dial? I see the screw under the cap but this isn't the typical AE dial.
I see the hole  at number six but I can't seem to move anything using a paperclip.
Mark J.

shortrackskater

The paper clip doesn't seem to hit it. Tried bending it slightly ... just goes straight in. I see the two plates inside.
Mark J.

stub

#13
shortrackskater,
                         Here's the pic . You just push down and it should come loose. I use taxidermy straight pins that the point is ground off of. They are larger than some paper clips. .  stub
Kenneth Stubblefield

AE_Collector

I don't think I've seen that first drawing before Ken. I always have a fight with these because the tab is flat metal that can be pushed side to side but being flat wouldn't lend itself to pushing downwards. Yet, that drawing shows pushing it down and it springs outwards a bit further. I guess it might move down slightly. Have never pictured it working thuscway do should try that. I am always trying to get a pin to the outside of the tab to pry it inwards to the centre of the dial slightly to disengage it from the fingerwheel. Eventually it works but not without a fight. Always found the WE/NE push down tab made a lot more sense!

Terry