Bakelite 300 series (UK) - Dial stuck and need some conversion help...

[viper]

Hi all, my name is Neil, i'm from the UK, living in a place called Redditch, which is just outside Birmingham, West Midlands and have just bought a Bakelite 332 (unconverted) phone for restoration.

Now please do bear with me, i'm a complete novice and this is my first phone, i'm not an electrician but have done a lot of research since the phone arrived late last week and came across this site, which is a fantastic resource! I'm really really impressed.

Now since the phone arrived, i've had two problems with it.

1)The type 12 dial has completely seized! I've stripped it down, gave it a clean and oiled the cogs. The governor will spin freely until its attached to the rest of the cogs, then it seizes again. I've taken out the governor, oiled both sides, loosened the screw that adjusts the speed etc and its still sticking.

I have paid for a replacement but i'd like to fix this one if its possible.

Here's a piccy of the dial:


2) The other problem i'm having is with the conversion wiring. I've followed this guide here, and followed it exactly so looks identical to piccy on blog. The problem is that it will ring, but no dial tone and won't pickup calls.

http://antiquephones.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00Z&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00Z&max-results=1

anyway, this is how my phone looks at the minute.



I've still to change the cord to a braided one instead of curly, i'm missing a foot underneath and i've got a cable grommet coming too.

[NorthernMan]

Hello Neil, i have found to make these dials move freely they have to be cleaned first. Over the years the oil and dust combine to make a sludge like substance all over the internal parts. I spray in a product called LPS1 a greaseless lubricant. Then wipe them down and then a small bit of oil is applied. The LPS1 can says its for precision components and delicate mechanisms and does not attract dust and displaces water to dry out electrical/electronic communication equipment. I am sure the local retailer would have similiar products for sale.

[viper]

Great advice, i'll try that this week and see how I get on. As i'll have a spare dial coming i'm more comfortable about pulling this one apart a bit more.

[viper]

I seem to have fixed the lack of dial tone by moving the red line cord from T9 to T13. I can now pickup calls too.

The only thing i've noticed is that when the handset is replaced, it doesn't disconnect the call. Is this typical? (When I called from my mobile, then disconnected from the mobile I got the standard BT call ended tone on the 332, when I replaced the handset and then picked it up, the call did then reset back to the dial tone)

I am getting a little acoustic shock but only when the handset is picked up / replaced so will probably fit a rectifier.

I'm still awaiting my replacement (original - not reproduction)  dial and I think the carbon granule transmitter has gone as its not responding, so have ordered a Transmitter No. 21A - electronic type.

All in all it's going well so far. I'm so pleased that I now have a dial tone which was a major concern.

[viper]

After a little research my telephone is an ATM L.11560 (similar to the GPO 332 - that may explain why the wiring was a little different)

[gpo706]

I read your post and had nothing to offer, as it tallied up with my 332 rewires.

If you whistle down the original TX and it crackles like bacon being fried, its shot so replace, as you have already ordered, some on here swear by banging the TX a few times to get the carbon granules re-set.

Weird about the switch of cords, it sounds like a non-domestic set, also the serial number obviously isn't a standard GPO made set.

Oops, found it _

http://www.britishtelephones.com/atm/l11560.htm

Sounds like quite a rare make.

[viper]

I read your post and had nothing to offer, as it tallied up with my 332 rewires.

If you whistle down the original TX and it crackles like bacon being fried, its shot so replace, as you have already ordered, some on here swear by banging the TX a few times to get the carbon granules re-set.

Weird about the switch of cords, it sounds like a non-domestic set, also the serial number obviously isn't a standard GPO made set.

Oops, found it _

http://www.britishtelephones.com/atm/l11560.htm

Sounds like quite a rare make.

The mic doesn't seem to work at all in the handset... it's completely dead but definitely worth giving the granules a bash, will try that now...

I'm having a great adventure with this telephone, I've just cleaned the bells and the sound improvement is fantastic. I have a feeling that the phone has been kept in a garage for a number of years, there's lots of mould and mildew and even spots of rust inside so i'm in the process of cleaning it right through.

I have a feeling I may be buying another soon 

 

[viper]

Well this gets stranger and stranger...

My dial arrived today so I fitted to the phone, only my wiring diagram i'd drawn before removing the old one has been thrown out by the other half... gutted :-(

Luckily I found a diagram online and replaced the dial... picked up the receiver and no dial tone. My heart sank.

Then I realised that i'd wired the dial back to front... so started again picked up the receiver and hurray!! Dial tone. I then proceeded to dial my mobile phone. Nothing.. after each turn of the dial it went back to the tone.

So I scratched my head... had a cigarette.

Then i realised i'd switched the line cord last week during the conversion to get a dial tone  to T13.

I scratched my head, again.

Then I decided to move the cord from T13 back to T9... Picked up the receiver ... I had tone...YEY!! Dialled my mobile again.. waited, waited, waited, then from across the room my screen lit up and my mobile started whistling at me with the words HOME on the screen.

I answered the mobile and spoke into the handset of the bakelite, listening with my mobile...

SUCCESS!! I could hear my voice through the mobile... I nearly cried with joy. (and thats with the old carbon graphite mic)


This has been such a brilliant little adventure... I've loved every minute. Only thing left to do now is to replace the connection cords between the dial and phone (badly corroded), the feet and the blanking plate.


There's a little crackle on the line but going to research that now... unless anyone has any suggestions?

[Doug Rose]

Before you go to far, replace the corroded wires you were planning to replace. They could be the cause of your static. Most of the time, static is caused by the cord losing insulation or damage to them....welcome to the forum....Doug

[gpo706]

If in doubt a cig and a stiff drink do wonders I always find, or sleep on it (not the phone, obviously...)

[viper]

Thanks guys! The static is being caused by those old cables so i'll probably have to wait until after Christmas now until the replacement arrives...

I'm just so pleased that the wreck of a phone that arrived last week, with the dial hanging out and wrapped in a little bubble wrap and a black rubbish bag has turned into a little gem.

Now its working i'm planning on adjusting the bells as the bell arm (or what ever you call it) seems to struggle, it may be that the magnets need cleaning a little.

[gpo706]

Viper, its nice when a project comes together...

The bells are asymmetric so slightly off circular, a tweak of the retaining screws and a swivel slightly of one or other bell slightens or greatens the gap between them and the clapper, its a built in design feature to adjust the ringing volume.

As for the ringer, it may have accumulated metal swarf on the contacts, just lightly brush this out with an art brush.

Nice project, keep us updated.

[viper]

Thanks GPO706! I'll try that tonight, great tip!
N