500 sets won't ring ?

[LoveOldPhones]

Something odd....  I had my phones in a temperature controlled storage unit... packed away nicely.... now I have some out and plugged in.

some ring on incoming calls and others won't.  these phones ALL worked fine when I packed them up 3 years ago....  I don't understand  why some ring and others won't.  I have them hooked up for incoming calls only till I get the dial gizmo. ( which I hope works).

PLUS.... I tested these phones on a single line.... not where i have more than one phone hooked up on the line because I know that they all won't ring like that.....   but one phone on one line.   some are ringing.... some aren't.

what could have happened in storage that would cause some of these phones NOT to ring ?  while others work just as they did before ?
like I said.... well packed and temperature controlled environment.

any help here please?  I am so disappointed.  lol  I love having them all over the house.

thanks

[Jim Stettler]

I think the problem is probably the line vs the phone. You probably had a copper POTS (analog line)  line 3 years ago, Now your phone line is probably a (digital)  VOIP line.

  I think the overall best solution for using multiple  old phones on modern lines  is to use a panasonic KSU like a 308 or 616.  The bonus with the KSU is that you can set-up an intercom system as well.  The extensions each  support 4 ringers, so you can hook up to 64 ringers on a 616 unit.

JMO,
Jim S.

[LoveOldPhones]

I think the problem is probably the line vs the phone. You probably had a copper POTS (analog line)  line 3 years ago, Now your phone line is probably a (digital)  VOIP line.

  I think the overall best solution for using multiple  old phones on modern lines  is to use a panasonic KSU like a 308 or 616.  The bonus with the KSU is that you can set-up an intercom system as well.  The extensions each  support 4 ringers, so you can hook up to 64 ringers on a 616 unit.

JMO,
Jim S.

If thats the case... why do some 500 sets ring and others don't ?  and yes.... it was land line.... but.... I also used magic jack with them too.  Now its a just magic jack line but... like I said...  some ring and some don't.  so if it was the line.... wouldn't they ALL not ring ?

[jsowers]

It could be one of two (or both) things...

First, check to make sure the ringer is wired for a two-wire phone line (not using ground). If the black ringer wire is on G, move it to L1. See this topic for pictures and do what's recommended under Teleplay's post...

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13499.msg141124#msg141124

Second, if it still isn't ringing, check the bias spring and move it the opposite direction. See Dennis' post for the location and setting of that.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2905.0

Good luck with your phones. You will likely need what Jim recommended, a Panasonic phone system, if you have a house full of analog phones.

[LoveOldPhones]

It could be one of two (or both) things...

First, check to make sure the ringer is wired for a two-wire phone line (not using ground). If the black ringer wire is on G, move it to L1. See this topic for pictures and do what's recommended under Teleplay's post...

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13499.msg141124#msg141124

Second, if it still isn't ringing, check the bias spring and move it the opposite direction. See Dennis' post for the location and setting of that.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2905.0

Good luck with your phones. You will likely need what Jim recommended, a Panasonic phone system, if you have a house full of analog phones.

OK thanks I'll have a look.... but I don't understand what would be different now.... they were all working fine.

[jsowers]

OK thanks I'll have a look.... but I don't understand what would be different now.... they were all working fine.

It's possible your POTS line had the yellow and green wires hooked together somewhere. Also with the bias spring, it's possible that your current way of ringing the phone isn't as strong as the POTS line and some ringers will require more or less bias than they did before. You can also look at a phone that's working and see what's different than the ones that don't work.

[Victor Laszlo]

Have you measured the line current/voltage, and ringing voltage? Can you take the phones to a place that has a known-working landline, and try them, one at a time? Would you let us know the results of these tests?

[LoveOldPhones]

Have you measured the line current/voltage, and ringing voltage? Can you take the phones to a place that has a known-working landline, and try them, one at a time? Would you let us know the results of these tests?

thats a good idea to try a land line somewhere.  I'll look into it and see if i can find someone that has a landline.
and no... I have not measured any current.  I am not a technical person.  lol
I'm just a girl that likes old telephones... i wouldn't even have any idea about how to measure this or that.

when my dad was alive.... he worked on all my old phones so they always rang.
now... I don't know who to take them to.... i have been looking for someone to sort them out.

like i said.... they worked fine before..... it was a real landline I had..... AND.... they also worked on magic jack as well.... I ALSO had that 3 years ago in my old place.  I just can't figure why they would not work now.... in my new place.
especially since one one of them DOES work FINE like it did !

it seems to me that if they all worked before.... they should all work again.... ESPECIALLY  since some of them DO WORK NOW !
why would some work and some don't  when they ALL worked fine before .

i will find a landline and test them all out.

thanks for the suggestion.

[Phonesrfun]

Open each of the phones that no longer work and make sure they are wired properly for proper ringing.  There is a black wire that comes from the ringer that is probably wired alone to a terminal labeled G which is in between terminals L1 and L2, which is where the green and red line cord wires are connected.  If there is a black ringer wire connected to that middle terminal "G", move it to L1 where the green line cord wire is usually connected.


Like Jsowers said in an earlier post, the wiring in your house was probably done to compensate for this oddity of how phones used to be wired in days gone by.  Your last post said that what changed was that you moved.  That pretty well points to the house wiring as the thing that changed and caused your phones not to ring.


Check it out, and see if the wiring inside the phone is not the issue.


Remember that in days gone by, phones were made to accommodate party-line ringing between one side of the line and ground.  Private lines were designed to ring only between the two line wires, L1 and L2.  In order to make phones somewhat "universal", they used the little trick of wiring the inside of the phone the way they did.  Your old home was likely wired to accommodate that. 


More modern house wiring does not bridge the line with the ground wire.  You likely moved to a place with different wiring that is set up for strictly private line ringing.

[LoveOldPhones]

Open each of the phones that no longer work and make sure they are wired properly for proper ringing.  There is a black wire that comes from the ringer that is probably wired alone to a terminal labeled G which is in between terminals L1 and L2, which is where the green and red line cord wires are connected.  If there is a black ringer wire connected to that middle terminal "G", move it to L1 where the green line cord wire is usually connected.


Like Jsowers said in an earlier post, the wiring in your house was probably done to compensate for this oddity of how phones used to be wired in days gone by.  Your last post said that what changed was that you moved.  That pretty well points to the house wiring as the thing that changed and caused your phones not to ring.


Check it out, and see if the wiring inside the phone is not the issue.


Remember that in days gone by, phones were made to accommodate party-line ringing between one side of the line and ground.  Private lines were designed to ring only between the two line wires, L1 and L2.  In order to make phones somewhat "universal", they used the little trick of wiring the inside of the phone the way they did.  Your old home was likely wired to accommodate that. 


More modern house wiring does not bridge the line with the ground wire.  You likely moved to a place with different wiring that is set up for strictly private line ringing.

I am using magic jack now.... and I did use it some before as well.... and they worked on it too....  they worked before.... for some reason.... some don't ring now.  can't imagine why some work now and some don't.   how can it be a question of wiring if some worked then and now.... and some don't.
they ALL use to work fine.  they were stored well.... why would this happen simply because of time spent in storage.

[poplar1]

How many are connected at once to the Magic Jack? Does the MJ spec sheet show the REN (Ringer Equivalence Number) output.?
Each 500 telephone = 1.0 REN

If you are trying them one at a time, with only one phone connected, and that one phone won't ring, I would check the biasing spring on the ringer.

I don't know why storage would affect them.

[LoveOldPhones]

How many are connected at once to the Magic Jack? Does the MJ spec sheet show the REN (Ringer Equivalence Number) output.?
Each 500 telephone = 1.0 REN

If you are trying them one at a time, with only one phone connected, and that one phone won't ring, I would check the biasing spring on the ringer.

I don't know why storage would affect them.

I just saw your post....  only one phone at a time are connected.
and yes... I don't know why storage would affect them.

thanks for your suggestions