Princess phone info for new member

[ldj1002]

Just got a princess phone model 701B. It came with a 2012B transformer 15-18v. From what I read tit should be 6-8v. Will the one I have work? I have 6 wires from the cord. I have so far found info. for a max of 5 wires. I don't have a ringer.  I want to get a module plug to wire this up. Some instructions will be appreciated. Is the ringer available? If not I will use with out ringer. May use without one anyway depending on cost of ringer. The plastic dialer you put your finger to turn doesn't have anything in the center. My other rotary dial phones has a thingy to snap off to put something there. How do you put something here? I see no indication of where a clip or anything goes.
L.D.

[Dave F]

Welcome to the Forum.

The light in your Princess phone requires a 2012A or 2012C transformer (6-8V).  A 2012B will not work properly, and will probably be ruined if you leave it connected for any length of time.  2012B puts out too much voltage and not enough current (amps) to run the light.

Normally, the transformer connects to the black and white wires in the cord to operate the light.

701B (the earliest of the Princess phones) was not designed for an internal ringer.  You need to use an external ringer, like a E1C.  Fortunately, 2012A/C transformers and E1C ringers show up all the time on eBay, and they are not expensive.  Others on the Forum may have spares available as well.  They might also have adapters which allow you to connect a spade-lead cord to a modular plug.

I'm sure others will chime in with additional useful info.

Dave

[Phonesrfun]

If you are not picky about having the original transformer, a 6-volt power supply, sometimes referrred to as a "wall wart" will work.  Most everyone has a box full of these things from old electronic devices such as answering machines, cordless phones, etc, and Goodwill usually has scads of them too.  With the light bulb in a princess, polarity is not important, and you can use either a 6-volt AC or DC supply.

[Dave F]

If you are not picky about having the original transformer, a 6-volt power supply, sometimes referrred to as a "wall wart" will work.  Most everyone has a box full of these things from old electronic devices such as answering machines, cordless phones, etc, and Goodwill usually has scads of them too.  With the light bulb in a princess, polarity is not important, and you can use either a 6-volt AC or DC supply.

Good point.  As a collector, it would never have occurred to me to use anything other than a genuine Western Electric transformer.  But, absolutely yes, just about any 6-8V wall wart will work fine.

[Phonesrfun]

Also, if the bulb is burned out, which happens from time to time, Radio Shack has a screw-in 6.3volt bulb in a 2-pack for a couple bucks.  Their part number 272-1128, and it says on line that it is available in most stores.

[jsowers]

Your best bet for a modular connection to a Princess is to use a regular 4-conductor wall phone jack. The kind you can stick or screw to the baseboard. It can also serve as a junction for your transformer wire. Snip the yellow and black wires on the jack so you don't introduce 6 volts into your phone wiring, in case you have a second line on the yellow and black pair. If you only have one line, then it should be OK to leave them connected. Hook black and white from your Princess mounting cord to the screws yellow and black used. Then hook green and red to the green and red screws on the jack. Then plug it in with a standard modular phone cord and you should have dial tone.

To insert a number card, use a pushpin or a bent regular paper clip. Insert into the hole near the 9 on the dial and dial it fully clockwise. Push down on the pin or the clip to release the catch and then rotate the dial clockwise some more and it should release the clear fingerwheel. This may take several tries before you get it loose.

Welcome to the Forum, L.D.! Let us know if you have success or if we can help you further.

[ldj1002]

You say
Hook black and white from your Princess mounting cord to the screws yellow and black used. Then hook green and red to the green and red screws on the jack.
Is that the yellow and black on the jack I buy where connect the black and white wires from the phone? Do I also hook the transformer wire there? It will be next week before I get a chance to get a jack, so I'm sure I'll have more questions.
Thanks to you all
L.D.

[Phonesrfun]

Sorry to confuse things, but the diagram for the 701B which can be seen and downloaded here: http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=2933&Itemid=2

calls for the lamp to be connected to black and yellow on the Princess line cord.  Blue can be connected with the black, and the white wire is not used.  Red and green, of course, are the phone line wires.

This assumes that the princess hasn't been rewired inside.

My guess was always that black and white were the lamp too, but I have found that on my 701b, it conformed to the diagram.

JSowers, however gives an excellent narrative on connecting the Princess with a connecting block.

[jsowers]

Bill is correct on those lamp wires. It's usually yellow and black. Sorry for the confusion! I just checked two 701s I have in my office on display and yellow and black are hooked to the lamp circuit. I taped white and blue off. They weren't used.

Yes, you hook the transformer wires to the phone jack to the yellow and black screws along with the yellow and black mounting cord wires.

There's a little night-light switch in the back. It sets it to glow at night until you lift the handset.

If you get an external ringer eventually, you can use that as the junction for the transformer wires and connect a modular mounting cord with spades on the end to the ringer. That's how I have one hooked up that came with its original ringer.