TRIMLINE issue

[tommycam]

Hello All,

It's me again. This time I have a trimline question.

It is a Western Electric rotary trimline.  I did the same thing I usually do with my other rotary phones, the red, green and yellow wires were put into the wall box. I put the red into the red area of the box, and the green and yellow into the green area. It usually works. This time, a dial tone came on and the ringer worked. It was able to receive call too.  However, the dial tone was constant and would not dial out.

I was experimenting and put the green wire into the red area of the wall box, and red and yellow in to the green area. The dial tone came on and I was able to dial out, but the ringer did not work.

I opened it up, and there were two wires that were not attached to any terminal, one gray and one gray with red stripes. I am not familiar with these wires.

I'm stumped. I googled but could not find anything specific to this issue. I would appreciate any suggestions and I hope this is the last time I bother you all. Thank you!!!

[andre_janew]

Have you tried putting both the green and yellow wires in the red area on the box?  Perhaps these two wires should be kept together when changing polarity in order to keep from shorting out the ringer.

[poplar1]

Green and yellow from hardwired WE phone normally would go (together) to green wire in the wall jack.
Red would go to red in wall.

Should also work (for rotary phones) if reversed (red from phone to green wall; green and yellow from phone to red wall).
You already figured this out since it rings only when the green and yellow wires from phone are connected together at wall.

If the gray and gray/red wires are ringer wires, they don't need to be connected. Were used only on certain party lines.

Polarity of your hookup (green to green/red to red OR green to red/red to green) should not  affect ability to dial out on a rotary phone , so you may have another issue with the dial. Are the dial contacts opening and closing when the dial returns to normal?

[tommycam]

Thank you guys for the responses.

Andre, I think I did but I will try again in the tomorrow and report back. I'm glad about keeping the green and yellow together. I will for now on.

Poplar1, thank you for explaining the two mystery wires. I'll leave them alone. When you wrote, "Are the dial contacts opening and closing when the dial returns to normal?" I'm not sure what dial contacts are? I'll definitely check once I know what I am looking for.

Thank you again,
Tom

[poplar1]

You have other rotary phones that are working on this line, correct? If so, then proceed:

The "contacts" -- properly "contact springs" -- are on the back of the dial.

You would have to open the handset by first removing the rectangular piece (either a clear window for the phone number, or a colored plastic piece with the "Trimline" badge on it) . Do this with a paper clip placed in the small hole, rather than a screwdriver, which might damage the plastic piece.

Behind the window or Trimline badge, there are two screws that can be loosened in order to remove the back.

[tommycam]

First to Andre, I tried putting the green and yellow wires in the red area but it still did not dial out.

Second, Poplar, I never opened the trimline headset so I'm looking forward to seeing what's inside. I'll check it out and report back tomorrow.

Thank you again for the help!!
Tom

[tommycam]

The screws are above the dial behind the plastic rectangular piece that has Western Electric and Bell System.

There is also a pin hole on the dial like the WE 500 desk phones. Would taking off the dial be beneficial? Or stick with the two screws in the head set?

Thank you,
Tom

[poplar1]

No need to take the finger wheel off.
You did say other rotary phones are working on your line, correct?

[tommycam]

I checked with a Western Electric 500 desk phone and I was able to dial out and receive calls with the ringer.

I'll open the headset and see if I can check the dial.

Again, I really appreciate the help.
Tom

[poplar1]

Without opening the handset try this:
Dial any digit and hold the finger wheel so that it doesn't return.
Now, listen in the receiver while releaing the finger wheel.
Do you hear a series of clicks?

If this is too awkward, you could listen on another phone and dial on the Trimline. Do you hear clicks?

[tommycam]

Poplar,
That sounds like a good idea. I'll try it today.

I did open the headset and I shot some video of the dial from the inside. Here's the link:
http://vid614.photobucket.com/albums/tt223/ebaytommycam/trimlineVIDEO_zpscjs9o3s4.mp4

I'm not sure if it will help.

Thank you again,
Tom

[19and41]

Take care when you have the handset open.  That flexible ribbon circuit is more delicate than it may appear.

[tommycam]

Poplar, yes, I hear the clicks when the dial is released. Is that a good or bad sign?

19and41, thank you for letting me know. I shot the video and then put the top back on.

Thanks,
Tom

[poplar1]

Je donne ma langue au chat. ( I give up).


In the video, it appears that the white plastic piece that goes between the dial contacts is working properly. I couldn't really see if the contacts are opening and closing, but the fact that you hear the clicks makes me think that they are. If you dial a 7, they should open and close 7 times, for example.

What kind of line do you have -- POTS (traditional land line from the phone company), Cable Modem (Comcast etc), VOIP (MagicJack, etc., over the internet). Most of the others won't accept rotary dials, so I'm guessing you have a POTS line? But if you have anything other than a phone company line, the dial speed has to be close to 10 pulses per second (or one second for the dial to return after dialing "0").

If you wind up the Trimline dial and another dial, then release them at the same time, do they both take the same time to return to home position?

[Jack Ryan]

In the original post is this: "The dial tone came on and I was able to dial out, but the ringer did not work."

Surely, the dial pulse contact must be working.

Jack