WE 202 Intermittent Ringer Problem

[Bingles]

Hi folks!

I have a WE 202 that has developed an intermittent ringer problem.  It is always hooked up to the phone line (Time Warner Digital Home phone) and has been ringing fine for years.  Now it goes through periods where it will not ring at all -- if I open the ringer box or jostle it, it works fine.  This led me to believe there was a lose connections so I went through and tightened all the connecting screws as best I could.  It will ring fine all day...then just stop.

Last night when I came home from work it wouldn't ring.  I jostled the box a bit and it began ringing... and rang each time I called the number throughout the night to test it.  This morning...dead (phone works, no bells).  I opened up the box to take pictures to see if expert eyes can see something hooked up incorrectly.  When I closed up the box and plugged it in... it rang again.

I think it's messing with me.    Please take a look and see if anything looks wrong to you.  Thanks in advance!

[Dennis Markham]

I'm not an expert and can only venture a guess.  Perhaps the ringing voltage that your phone company supplies has changed.  You might try adjusting the bias spring.  I see that the spring is currently in the center position.  Trying moving it left and/or right and see if that improves the ring so that it will ring each time the number is called.  Could be as simple as that.  If it isn't then the experts may have more information.

The bias tension spring is the thin wire between the ringer coils, under the clapper arm.  It sits in the little "V" shaped slot....in case you didn't know.

~Dennis

[Bingles]

Thank you, Dennis!  I will try that!

[HarrySmith]

I had one that rang fine with the cover off but as soon as I put it together it stopped ringing. Found out one of the wires on the dial contacts had the spade tip turned the wrong way and was hitting the clapper arm.

[Bingles]

I had one that rang fine with the cover off but as soon as I put it together it stopped ringing. Found out one of the wires on the dial contacts had the spade tip turned the wrong way and was hitting the clapper arm.

You might be on to something, Harry!! 

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I've had a problem very similar to this with a 302. Every time I tried testing the ringer with the housing closed and screwed to the base, it wouldn't work, but it worked when I either had the housing open or just had the screws loosened from the base. As it turns out, the bells were rubbing against the side of the housing whenever it was tightened down, and it would dampen the sound. I just needed to turn the bells towards the inside of the base, so they would be as far away from the housing as possible.

[Bingles]

The lid turned out to be the culprit.  Thanks for the suggestions!