Automatic Electric 80 Won't ring

[Dan]

Sure, I have a bunch. Will this make a difference?

[JorgeAmely]

Dan:

Before you ship it out, can you replace the existing mounting cord with another one and try again?

The ringer should work if the clapper moves OK and the resistance of the coils is within specifications. If the magnets are shot, that is another story, but the chance of them being bad is very low.

[Dan]

Ok Jorge, I'll try another wall cord. I'll let you know if it helps with the ringer

[Dan]

Jorge ! We NOW HAVE A RINGING AE80 phone!!  How did you know it was the mounting cord? I thought if you had a dial tone on a mounting cord it worked.

Thanks so much!

[Dennis Markham]

Congratulations Dan!  Congratulations Jorge.  Ah the joy of one of life's simple pleasures........a ringing AE80.     Life is good!

[JorgeAmely]

Dan:

I am glad that the soap opera has come to a conclusion.

How did I know it was the mounting cord? X ray vision, all the way from the left coast.

Do I get a free teeth cleaning?  

[Dan]

Free Dental advice for a lifetime, and a complimentary cleaning if you are in the Cincinnati area!

[Dan]

Yes, Dennis I have come to love the "sweet" higher pitched ring of an AE80 even more than a WE!

[JorgeAmely]

Thank you very much sir, I am honored for the extra mile of service you offer.

[Dan]

So seriously, the wall cord has the red and green (and the yellow not used) and somehow the other wall cord didn't work. Can you explain this to me in layman's terms?

[Dennis Markham]

Ouch, Dan that AE Dagger went right thru my Western Electric heart!  Seriously, I like them all for the differences they give us.

[JorgeAmely]

Dan:

Probably the resistance of the first mounting cord was too high (due to a partial cut in the wire, dirty or oxidized connectors, who knows) thus not allowing the ringing current to go through and make the ringer ring, but not too high to prevent 10 or 20 milli-amps to flow and carry the voice and dial tone signals through.

I can't recall how much current a phone consumes when it rings, but I suspect that most of the ringing voltage was dropped across that defect in the first mounting cord.

That's why I prefer the older style mounting cords with tinsel wire inside. The modern cords use stranded wire and have a service life 50 times shorter than tinsel wire.

[Dan]

I just liked the older cords because they were "period" correct. I had no idea about the superior construction. Another reason to like the oldies!

FYI--Gold crowns on back molars (where esthetics are less of a concern) are the older style of restoration too (done exclusively in the 50's and early 60's) and tend to outlast "porcelain  or ceramic"  modern crowns on the order of twice as long, or 15 -20 years vs 7-9. The reasons are a little tedious and boring......

[JorgeAmely]

If you want to know what tinsel wire is, check out this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinsel_wire

[Dan]

I have tried to connect "regular" wire to a cut tinsel wire, and it's kind of a bear...