10 Button TRIMLINE won't dial out

[WesternElectricBen]

Hello,

I just got my 10 button trimline from lancaster home and I tested it out. It gives dial tone but it won't dial out, I checked on numerous jacks and I checked the polarity. Green to green and red to red. Is their any other things that might be the issue except the keypad? I don't remember how to get of the lid on the handset...

If someone could tell me the terminals what should be what that would be great or relate me a sketch. Preferably a colored one would be great. In the pictures their is 2 wires caped off but I think that is used for the light function which I might be setting up...

Thanks,
Ben

[LarryInMichigan]

Does it produce tones when you push the buttons?  If not, try swapping the green and red line wires.  Your home phone line may have the polarity wrong as nobody cares about that these days.

Larry

[WesternElectricBen]

Does it produce tones when you push the buttons?  If not, try swapping the green and red line wires.  Your home phone line may have the polarity wrong as nobody cares about that these days.

Larry

Yea, actualy I figured that out. I put the yellow wire where the green wire is in the phone and it dials now. Though the new problem is it doesn't ring and sometimes the volume is really low, I've gotten the volume better at times but I'm not sure how to make it ring...

Ben

[gpo706]

I'm intrigued by the bottom button with Bell logo on it, if you pressed it would it take you to Bell HQ or something?  

[LarryInMichigan]

That button temporarily disconnects the phone from the line to allow one to start a new call.

Larry

[Bill]

Yea, actualy I figured that out. I put the yellow wire where the green wire is in the phone and it dials now. Though the new problem is it doesn't ring and sometimes the volume is really low, I've gotten the volume better at times but I'm not sure how to make it ring...

Ben
[/quote]

Ben -

I am under the impression (and quite willing to accept correction) that the yellow line wire has no function in modern phone hookups. At one time it was ground, but today should be tied off where it won't touch anything. All of the phone functions happen on the incoming red and green wires. Try using just those two.

Note that there also used to be a black wire wire in the incoming set, and it no longer has a function, either. In your Trimline, the yellow and black may be used to bring power to a light around the dial, using a separate transformer plugged into a wall socket, but they probably have no actual phone function.

Bill

[WesternElectricBen]

Yea, actualy I figured that out. I put the yellow wire where the green wire is in the phone and it dials now. Though the new problem is it doesn't ring and sometimes the volume is really low, I've gotten the volume better at times but I'm not sure how to make it ring...

Ben

Ben -

I am under the impression (and quite willing to accept correction) that the yellow line wire has no function in modern phone hookups. At one time it was ground, but today should be tied off where it won't touch anything. All of the phone functions happen on the incoming red and green wires. Try using just those two.

Note that there also used to be a black wire wire in the incoming set, and it no longer has a function, either. In your Trimline, the yellow and black may be used to bring power to a light around the dial, using a separate transformer plugged into a wall socket, but they probably have no actual phone function.

Bill
[/quote]

Yes, your right, but the green cable wasn't working so I just substituted the green for the yellow. Hooking up yellow to green interearnly and in the jack where green goes. Though it still doesn't ring and I'm not sure whats up with it..
Ben

[poplar1]

It probably isn't ringing because the yellow line cord wire was originally for the ringer. As with a non-modular 500, the black ringer wire inside the phone  is connected to the yellow line cord wire. Since your green wire is bad and you substituted the yellow wire, you should now move the black ringer wire to L1 since it is no longer connected to anything.

The old Trimlines and Princess sets have 5 wires---red and green for the talk circuit, red and yellow for the ringer, and black and white for the lamp.

As with hard-wired 500s, for one-party lines, the green and yellow were connected to the same terminal at the wall, to the green station wire in the 42A connecting block. The red connected to the red station wire. The black and white from the phone connected to the other two terminals on the connecting block, then a short wire ran from these two terminals to the transformer plugged into the 120 VAC outlet.

With all WE phones, if you were on a party line, the yellow line cord wire connected to the yellow station wire instead of with the green line cord wire. (The yellow station wire connected to ground at the protector outside or in the basement.) The transformer was still connected as above. This means that one side of the transformer output was grounded. If you were not on a party line, then you did not have to ground the transformer output. In fact, an installer told me that they were instructed to leave the yellow station wires disconnected at the protector unless you had a party line.

[WesternElectricBen]

It probably isn't ringing because the yellow line cord wire was originally for the ringer. As with a non-modular 500, the black ringer wire inside the phone  is connected to the yellow line cord wire. Since your green wire is bad and you substituted the yellow wire, you should now move the black ringer wire to L1 since it is no longer connected to anything.

The old Trimlines and Princess sets have 5 wires---red and green for the talk circuit, red and yellow for the ringer, and black and white for the lamp.

As with hard-wired 500s, for one-party lines, the green and yellow were connected to the same terminal at the wall, to the green station wire in the 42A connecting block. The red connected to the red station wire. The black and white from the phone connected to the other two terminals on the connecting block, then a short wire ran from these two terminals to the transformer plugged into the 120 VAC outlet.

With all WE phones, if you were on a party line, the yellow line cord wire connected to the yellow station wire instead of with the green line cord wire. (The yellow station wire connected to ground at the protector outside or in the basement.) The transformer was still connected as above. This means that one side of the transformer output was grounded. If you were not on a party line, then you did not have to ground the transformer output. In fact, an installer told me that they were instructed to leave the yellow station wires disconnected at the protector unless you had a party line.

So should I bridge the yellow wire to what terminal? Or just restrip the green... but I forgot the termanals...

Thanks,
Ben

[poplar1]

In your picture, black ringer wire appears to be on G with the yellow line cord wire. I thought you had moved this yellow wire to L1 so that the phone would work. That would leave the black ringer wire still on G and not connected to anything. Is this right or did I miss what you were saying?

Also, if you had good dial tone but couldn't dial out, that would indicated that the green and red wires are good. As others have said, if you can't dial out then that *is* usually reversed polarity. Maybe you changed from green and yellow because of the missing spade lug on the wire? If so, it is ok to use the yellow instead, but then you will have to move the black ringer wire.

[WesternElectricBen]

In your picture, black ringer wire appears to be on G with the yellow line cord wire. I thought you had moved this yellow wire to L1 so that the phone would work. That would leave the black ringer wire still on G and not connected to anything. Is this right or did I miss what you were saying?

Also, if you had good dial tone but couldn't dial out, that would indicated that the green and red wires are good. As others have said, if you can't dial out then that *is* usually reversed polarity. Maybe you changed from green and yellow because of the missing spade lug on the wire? If so, it is ok to use the yellow instead, but then you will have to move the black ringer wire.

I checked politary, red red and green green, but now its green yellow because the green part of line cord doesn't work. The black wire is at G going to the ringer, should I connect the black wire to L1?

[WesternElectricBen]

Ok, I wired it up with the black on l1 as well with the green yellow and the other color which I forget.  That works just fine, and I' m ok with the wiring not being right.

Though like I stated earlier the volume is really low, I can hear but low. I got it to have a higher sound for a bit but when I wiggled the jack it wen't quieter again. And every once in a while I hear a buzzing over everything. I assume the jack or the plug is faulty, though I don't think their is a way to really replace either because its a early trimline style plug. Should I just hard wire it in? Or do you have any other solutions that I could try?

Thank you very much!

[poplar1]

Yes, move the black ringer wire from G to L1, just as you do when converting a 500D to modular. Otherwise, the ringer is not connected to anything, right?

You don't need the slate and slate-red wires with this ringer, unlike the C4 ringers in a 500. So leave them insulated and stored.

The polarity doesn't matter for the ringer, just for the older Touch-Tone dials. And just because the green from the phone company should be + and the red -, they can be reversed outside your house. The phone company no longer guarantees polarity.

They used to say "Red ring ridge right" meaning the red wire is the ring side of the line, the ridge in the drop wire conductor, and the right side of the protector. Now they don't care. All modern phones have polarity guards so they will work with the line reversed or not.

[WesternElectricBen]

I'm intrigued by the bottom button with Bell logo on it, if you pressed it would it take you to Bell HQ or something?  

As larry said, its a second hook switch, but its useful use is for when your away from the base you just have to hold that button for a second and it will disconnect the call and then you can dial a new number with out having to go back to the base hookswitch.

[WesternElectricBen]

Yes, move the black ringer wire from G to L1, just as you do when converting a 500D to modular. Otherwise, the ringer is not connected to anything, right?

You don't need the slate and slate-red wires with this ringer, unlike the C4 ringers in a 500. So leave them insulated and stored.

The polarity doesn't matter for the ringer, just for the older Touch-Tone dials. And just because the green from the phone company should be + and the red -, they can be reversed outside your house. The phone company no longer guarantees polarity.

They used to say "Red ring ridge right" meaning the red wire is the ring side of the line, the ridge in the drop wire conductor, and the right side of the protector. Now they don't care. All modern phones have polarity guards so they will work with the line reversed or not.

Yes you were right, it wasn't connected up until I hooked it up to L1.

Yes, I will insulate the wires.

I should figure out a polarity guard system.

Do you have any tips for the volume, no wonder why I don't like moduler phones. I never get this problem with hardwired connections....

Ben