#6 Dial in a 302

[GG]

Yep, we're convergent on that: the #6 sticks out of the housing just a bit and is easy to see the difference.

At first I thought it was kinda' odd but then got used to it: it's very typical of the Western Electric design philosophy where everything is built to last forever and be recycled, and it's a cool variation. 

I think what happened was that 302s were built new with #6 dials in the early to mid 50s, as an outcome of the #7 dial design for the 500 set.  Then over time, many recycled 302s got #6 dials installed if the #5 was unserviceable.  This may have varied from one Bell Operating Company to another. 

One thing I have not seen though (at least not live), is a #6 dial in a 5302, though I've seen pictures of sets that appear to have been built that way.  Seems to me the #5 dials were installed in the 5302s preferentially, and the #6s in the 302s at that point, possibly for reasons having to do with the achievable depth of the dial mounting and extended number ring in the 5302. 

[deedubya3800]

My 5302 (rebuilt 1960) has a #6 dial, clearly stamped on the fingerstop, and it has a mellow grind-like sound to it. I like it. My 302 (1954) has a #5H dial, which has a mellow click-click-click sound. My 354 (1953) has a #6A dial, is not stamped on the fingerstop, and sounds similar to the one on my 5302, but quieter.

[Phonesrfun]

THe #6 and #7 dials were notorious coffee grinders.  I have found that the plastic dust/dirt cover emphasises the grinding noise greatly, as it serves not only as a dust cover, but as an accoustical baffle.

I find this to be very interesting.  In reading over the multitude of publications from 1949 and the early 1950's, the bell engineers take great pride in the accoustical development of the physical properties of the T1 transmitter, the U1 receiver, the G1 handset, right down to strategicly placed holes and vents in the transmitter and receiver housings.  They also placed a cotton ball in the receiver cup to eliminate feedback and the hollow sound.  They baffled the transmitter with the little plastic cup, which is there more for accoustics than it is to have a place for the transmitter element to contact.

The ringer:  The ringer was set to resonate at natural sounding levels and frequencies.  They made it a big deal that the ringer was to sound pleasant.  More pleasant than any other ringer on the planet.

They spent soooo much time, money, research, development, and promotion into making talking on the phone a natural and enjoying experience.  They spent another bundle of resources on the ringer.  Why the heck didn't they put the same kind of effort into the dial?  Perhaps because the dial is only used for a few seconds.  Maybe becaus it was very relialbe and the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" mentality prevailed.   I don't know, but the sound of the #6 dial has grated on people ofr a long time.

[GG]

Re. Phonesrfun:  You have a definite point there: the acoustics of the dial compared to other parts. 

What I notice is that a properly adjusted  (to me anyway) #6 or #7 dial sounds smooth, but some of them have what sounds like a high pitched harmonic that's dissonant and is in the 4kHz - 6kHz range, almost as if it's metal sliding on metal without lubrication. 

There is an adjustment screw on the dial that enables changing the mesh of the gears slightly, but this probably shouldn't be fiddled with other than to take up wear: incorrect adjustment could cause excessive wear which isn't good. 

I'm going to bet that the issue can be solved with lubrication.  Not oil, but grease: a heavier lubricant that sticks to surfaces and also dampens out the sound.  I'll make a project of this and see what happens.  Anyone have an informed suggestion for a type of medium to heavy grease to try?

-G.

[HarrySmith]

I would try white lithium grease, not the aerosol one but the old fashioned paste kind. Made for metal to metal contact and stays put.

[marty]

Hi All;
I know that you are talking about 302's and mine has a 5H dial in it, and my D1 has a #6 dial in it.. And my CandleStick has a 5H dial in it as well..
THANK YOU Marty

[GG]

I think I figured it out. 

#7 dial with aluminum fingerwheel, in a 500 set, has that odd high-pitched harmonic sound.

Same dial, same phone, but any type of plastic fingerwheel:  Guess what?  That high sound is gone, and a low pitched sound is predominant. 

I think "that (high pitched) sound" is the vibration of the aluminum fingerwheel, in response to vibration transmitted from the gear train.  And I think the cure for it will be to put any kind of thin rubber or equivalent spacers between it and the main shaft and center nut.  Try using duct tape cut to fit carefully on the back and front of a metal fingerwheel to insulate it from direct metal to metal contact as far as possible and see (hear) what happens. 

So far this is an untested hypothesis but I'll check it out this weekend. 

[deedubya3800]

I forgot to mention the two OTHER 302s I own! My 1942 ivory 302, of course, has a 5J dial, and I also have a 1949 302 that's not here right now and not officially part of my collection, but I'm sure it's a #5 of some sort because I'm pretty sure it clicks. So yes, out of three 302s I own, none has a #6 dial, though my 354 and 5302 both do.

[Doug Rose]

The #6 dials are a tad smaller across, which is a good thing if you have a snug fitting dial in a thermoplastic 302. If you have a color thermoplastic 302 looking like it might crack, get that 5J dial out and replace it with a 6D....Doug

[bingster]

That's excellent advice, Doug.  I have a 5J locked in place in an ivory 354 that worries me.