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554 doesn't ring

Started by Dianamite, May 26, 2009, 12:58:22 AM

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Dianamite

I'm sure this must be a  really basic question but I haven't been able to sort it out...  I have an orange wall mount phone that I've been waiting 2 years to install...  Finally hooked it up today and it dials out and works fine, but doesn't ring.

The black wire from the ringer is connected to L1.  That's the only thing I could figure out to check.


Diana

benhutcherson

Hello and welcome!

The next thing to check would be the other three ringer wires. As you've said, black should be connected to L1. Also, make sure the red ringer wire is connected to L2. The other ringer wires are slate and slate-red. These should be connected to terminals K and A, respectively(although it technically doesn't matter which is connected to which-this is just how the diagrams specify it to be wired).

To help ensure that you're looking at the correct wires, I'd suggest moving the ringer out of place. It's held in place by a pair of screws, each one to the side of one of the gongs. Loosen these, but do not try to remove them all the way. Then, pull the ringer forward an inch or so, and lift it up. When reinstalling, be sure that the pin at the back of the ringer seats in the rubber bumper, and be sure that the prong from the volume control lever goes into the hole of the volume control wheel.

If the ringer is wired correctly, or if it still doesn't work after correcting the wiring, something else is amiss. If this is the case, please post at least one clear photograph of the inside of the telephone onto here, where someone will often be able to spot any wiring problems. Alternatively, you could be dealing with either a bad ringer or a bad capacitor in the network, either of which is extremely unusual, but not unheard of.

Dan

It also could be the spring tension wire is set ascew
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dianamite


Dennis Markham

Diana, I'm afraid that ringer is a "frequency ringer".  It is very unusual to see one in a Western Electric telephone of that vintage.  Is it a Western Electric?  However it may have been owned by an independent company that used their own ringers for party line ringing.  I'd have to see closer photos to be sure but the large clapper is a dead give-away.  If it's a frequency ringer it's not going to ring.   You're more than likely going to have to get a replacement C4A ringer.  Is there any writing on the ringer itself?  Look for a number and then a Hz designation, like 28Hz or a number with a ~ mark.  What numbers/letters are on the ringer, if any?

Looking back on your initial listing you said it is "orange" so it's probably a Stromberg Carlson telephone??

Dianamite

I don't have the phone with me at the moment... but IIRC it says "Northern Telecom" on the back but the model number is 554 and it looked the same as the Western Electric ones I saw in photos so I thought it might be basically the same phone...  guess not.

I'll have to look at the ringer more closely tonight.  Thanks for your help!

Diana

Dennis Markham

I thought it looked more red in the photos which led me to believe it was a Western Electric.  Northern Electric is the Canadian sister Co.  The phones were very similar.  All you need is a ringer and it should work fine.  They are often available on eBay or perhaps Oldphoneworks.

Dianamite


benhutcherson

The second is correct for your telephone, the first is not.

Dan

You could also bid on an ordinary (beige, white, black) WE554  switch out the shell handset & cord. I made my ITT orange with a frequency ringer ring this way.
"Imagine how weird telephones would look if our ears weren't so close to our mouths." - Steven Wright

Dianamite

I can't find any numbers on  the ringer...  just "STROMBERG CARLSON US PATENT NO 269238"  well and 12WE16.6  both stamped into the metal bracket...  I guess I'll order the new ringer and hope for the best.

Thanks for all the help.

Dennis Markham

If you have your choice, order the one that is not plastic.  Just tell them at Oldphoneworks (if that's where you're ordering it from) that you want a ringer for a 554 (whatever it is...Western Electric, Northern Electric).  The older, heavier ringers (not plastic) are better---in my opinion.