Radioshack candlestick phone not ringing

[CajunMan89]

I recently acquired a 70's model candlestick rotary phone from a family member, and it doesn't ring. I'd like to see if someone here could help me diagnose the issue. I'm hoping that it will be a simple fix that I can do myself, since the phone appears to have no other issues.


Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[LarryInMichigan]

Does the phone have modular line cord?  If not, are there red, green, and yellow wires in the phone's line cord?  Try connecting the yellow wire to the green one.

Larry

[TelePlay]

     GLOBAL MODERATOR POST

Let's start with the basics before jumping to solutions based on guesses.

More information is needed about the phone. Can you post a picture of the telephone? That would help members know what you have.

Radio Shack never made a candlestick phone with a subset bell box. They had a small ringer/chirper inside the base of the phone. The phone is most likely is attached to the wall with a modular cord. What LarryInMichigan said is true if the line cord is/was hard wired into the wall.

A picture of the phone and a picture of the base showing the model number information on the base will help members get on the right path to give you the help you need to get it ringing.

Photos will get you help and eliminate irrelevant tangents based on guesses. Thanks . . .

[CajunMan89]

Here it is, also with the schematic and wiring.

[CajunMan89]

I appreciate it!

Correct, it has a bell ringer. This helps a little, but I don't know much about reading diagrams or components. I may just have to try to find someone who can repair it, just to make sure I don't damage it any further. I was hoping it would have been something as simple as a loose connection.

[CajunMan89]

Thank you! As far as I know, our local Radioshack closed, so I'll have to look one up online. Is there any way to test the bell?

[TelePlay]

I can't tell much from the pictures,
I take it it has a bell ringer? I see anti tap on the schematic. What I would try is to replace C1 it's probably like a 45 mfd cap, rated at 150 or perhaps 200 volts.
That cap blocks DC voltage when ring voltage is applied. If that doesn't work, you have to find another bell ringer that would fit.
Do a Google Search for a bell ringer. There are many out there. For under $20.00. You can just plug the ringer into a Jack, then the phone into the ringer.
Hope this helps.

     GLOBAL MODERATOR POST

Really?

Bad advice at best. How about 0.45 mfd (uF)? Just couldn't let this go without comment/correction to prevent serious personal harm to anyone reading and implementing that advice at some time in the future.

[Doug Rose]

This forum needs a NEW global moderator.
This current one is a jerk.
Thanks John, thank God your one in a million.

Kevin....are you volunteering?   Our current GM is certainly not a jerk.  We all have disagreements but try to remain adult. If "one in a million," is doing the GM job for free, you are correct....Doug

[TelePlay]

. . . I think the cap in the phone failed, so now it doesn't ring. So I offered some assistance then John and his tactless way started raving someone was going to electrocute them self's replacing a capacitor. . . .

     GLOBAL MODERATOR POST

To clarify this point for anyone finding this topic in the future, the "help" reply (since deleted by the poster) but captured as a quote in the my reply stated

I can't tell much from the pictures,
I take it it has a bell ringer? I see anti tap on the schematic. What I would try is to replace C1 it's probably like a 45 mfd cap, rated at 150 or perhaps 200 volts.
That cap blocks DC voltage when ring voltage is applied. If that doesn't work, you have to find another bell ringer that would fit.
Do a Google Search for a bell ringer. There are many out there. For under $20.00. You can just plug the ringer into a Jack, then the phone into the ringer.
Hope this helps.

states (in bold) that the suggest capacitor value was to be 45 mF, a very large capacitor. That was "bad advice" in the the correct value would be 0.45 mF, 100 times smaller that that suggested. Ring circuit capacitors can range from 0.45 to 2.5 mF depending on the phone type/era and the ringer being used. Apparently, the decimal point error/typo was missed when when posting and then reading it as quoted in my reply. The correction needed to be posted to correctly state the capacitor value should someone well into the future find this topic and use that figure.

Providing correct/accurate information as help is essential in keeping the educational quality of this forum at its highest.

[CajunMan89]

I decided to get this external ringer:

     https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Telephone-External-Mechanical-Ringer-Box-Brand-New-SKU-20204/122810720236


instead of getting into trouble-shooting the components. This is a very quick fix, and will sound like an old phone!

[Babybearjs]

Oh Brother..... the boys are at it again!