Stromberg-Carlson

[Dennis Markham]

I could be wrong (and often am)...but that clapper sure looks like one that would be on a "frequency" ringer.  They were weighted.  Dan, if yours looks like that one too the condition you describe would support the fact that it may be a frequency ringer.  Frequency ringers were tuned to a certain "frequency" which was a certain rating.  In order for the ringer to work today it must be 20cycles or less.  (There are electrical guys on this forum that know more about this than I do) .  On the bottom of your phone, does it have a rating for cycles.  Often some phones will say 20 cycles, or 48 cycles, or 35 cycles.  It may also read Hz...like 20Hz.

If it IS a frequency ringer, it ain't gonna ring.  There is a modification that can be made to an AE ringer on an old AE40 but I know of nothing that can be done with these.  I have a hand full of them that collect dust because they can't work.  They will "jiggle" a bit but won't swing enough to hit the gong.  Sometimes you can move the gongs closer to the clapper so that it will strike them, but it will be a "tinkle". 

All of this is just a guess based upon the look of that heavy clapper.

I don't generally have anything that new so I'm only guessing.  I didn't even think they made frequency ringers into the 70's but maybe some small phone companies (which would have had Stromberg Carlson) had them.  The Bell System used only Western Electric phones.  General Telephone (now Verizon) used Automatic Electric which often had frequency ringers as they were in rural areas with party lines.

Dennis

[PSGreg]

Hi Dennis,
                       The ringer's not the problem.  I can't really get the phone to do much of anything.  No talky- no hear.  I'm trying to figure out where I begin to remedy that problem.
Best,
        Greg

[PSGreg]

Greg, yours looks like my ITT that I am trying to fix, maybe we can kill two phones with one stone here..

Sounds like a good idea to me Dan.

[Dan]

Mine was dead, I substituted a new modular wall plug for the original and got a dial tone. Then I looked at the original hardwired cord and found a tear. I cut the cord at the tear and rewired it and got a dial tone. How does your plugin jack look? Does it have 4 wires coming out of it to the network? Does your network have letters where you plug in the cord, dial and ringer wires (mine says L1, l2, k, R,  g, GR, c, etc.).

I would first see exactly where your wall "Power cord " hooks up. Get  a new one (R11 jack). If your new one only has red , green and maybe yellow, the red should go to L1, green to L2. Connect those wires to the clip and plug it in and see if you get a dial tone.

I would love to know how many wires you have coming off your ringer coil. I have 4. This may help me since two are unconnected.

[bingster]

Wow... that interior is unlike anything I've seen before.  Are the terminals marked with numbers or letters?

[Dennis Markham]

Bingster, doesn't that clapper look like a weighted frequency ringer??  Or was that common on straight line ringers?

[bingster]

I've never seen a clapper like that on a straight line ringer, Dennis.  But not having knowingly seen a frequency ringer, I can't really lend much help with identifying one.

[Dan]

Wow... that interior is unlike anything I've seen before.  Are the terminals marked with numbers or letters?
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mINE IS MARKED WITH LETTERS k, a,L1, L2, a, g, gn, c

[bingster]

Those appear to be standard 500-type markings.  So you should have all the terminals that a standard 500 has, even though they may be in different places, or on parts that look different.  If you use a 500 wiring diagram and follow each wire to make sure they're connected to the terminals marked on the diagram, I imagine that might make a world of difference.

[PSGreg]

bingster,
                    The terminals are marked with the same letters (L1, L2, RR, Etc.) that my older 500 has.  They are just laid out in a completely different configuration.

   What I'm thinking of doing is moving the lime green cover, dial and handset to my older 500 base so it works.  The early 500 has an updated modular style handset and cord anyway.  Would I end up smoking a turd in purgatory for this type of sacrilege?
Best,
         Greg

[bingster]

Heh heh... No, it would give you a working phone with a minimum of work, but I think you could wire it to the correct terminals (wherever they're placed on your phone) and wind up with a working phone that way, too.  Whichever way you do it is fine, though.

[Dan]

I went to my sons room and he had an ITT hardwired like mine. I popped it open and the clapper and tension wire like a good old WE500, except the network was the same as mine. I copied the wiring hookups exactly  and it still didn't ring , so I'm guessing this "frequency thing" is the issue. I'm switching the housing, dial and cords so I can get a working (ringing) orange  phone. Funny how the ringing phone is a 1984, while the orange is a 1976.
I guess a ringing frankenphone is better than a silent original

[PSGreg]

Hey Dan,
                      Do you have a clear picture of the inside wiring of your '76 that you could post?
Thanks,
                Greg

[Dan]

My son has the digital camera, I'll get it up on Mon-thanks

[PSGreg]

Appreciate that!