Help with a wall Uniphone n.2

[Ktownphoneco]

Sorry   ....    I meant to mention the first dials that were used on the Uniphone.    They were made by Northern, but they're a Strowger / A.E. design, and made under some sort of licensing agreeement between the 2 companies.       They were the "N" series dials, and there were a number of improvements over time, and the specific suffix number changed several times, i.e., N9, N10 and so on and so forth.

Jeff Lamb

[LarryInMichigan]

Your transmitter looks similar to a Northern or Western Electric F1 but it looks like it might be thicker and push down on the spring contacts farther.   

I think that the transmitter looks more like a T1 than an F1.  A T1 transmitter will not likely work very well in the handset since it has a much smaller diameter.


Larry

[Babybearjs]

Jeff, Thanks for the history lesson.... its just too bad the uniphone wasn't sold more throughout the states....I hardly ever see them, and when I do.... they are always in Canada.....

[JeanFabricio]

Your transmitter looks similar to a Northern or Western Electric F1 but it looks like it might be thicker and push down on the spring contacts farther.  I see that you have swapped the blue and red wires but you should also swap the spring contacts.  The way yours are, when you put the transmitter in and screw down the cap, they might touch and short the transmitter as well as connecting the receiver to the BK contact.  I have put yours side by side with one that has the contacts positioned correctly.

Hi. I did as the photo and... nothing.

I think that the transmitter looks more like a T1 than an F1.  A T1 transmitter will not likely work very well in the handset since it has a much smaller diameter.
Larry

Larry, the transmiter is smaller than the handset, you are right. But when in position, it stays in place, with the contacts touching the transmister. I rememeber you that the phone was working before the desassembly.


I have a question (although I do not understand anything about the electrical operation of the phone): if the problem are the contacts or the transmiter or the R/BK wires, why I don't hear nothing?
That question makes me think the problem is not in the handset, but in other part BEFORE the handset... am I wrong?

[Jim Stettler]

Your transmitter looks similar to a Northern or Western Electric F1 but it looks like it might be thicker and push down on the spring contacts farther.   

I think that the transmitter looks more like a T1 than an F1.  A T1 transmitter will not likely work very well in the handset since it has a much smaller diameter.


Larry

There are adaptor rings to make T1's into F1's.  WE used them on some F handsets,. The rings  were also made repro.
Jim S.

[NorthernElectric]

I have a question (although I do not understand anything about the electrical operation of the phone): if the problem are the contacts or the transmiter or the R/BK wires, why I don't hear nothing?
That question makes me think the problem is not in the handset, but in other part BEFORE the handset... am I wrong?

The red handset wire is a common wire for both the transmitter and receiver.  The way you had it wired in the photo in you 1st post, the receiver was not connected to the red.  So that was an obvious problem, but not necessarily the only one.

[JeanFabricio]

I have a question (although I do not understand anything about the electrical operation of the phone): if the problem are the contacts or the transmiter or the R/BK wires, why I don't hear nothing?
That question makes me think the problem is not in the handset, but in other part BEFORE the handset... am I wrong?

The red handset wire is a common wire for both the transmitter and receiver.  The way you had it wired in the photo in you 1st post, the receiver was not connected to the red.  So that was an obvious problem, but not necessarily the only one.

NE, I tried both ways, nothing works.
I don't know what to do... I was reviewing all connections...

On my handset, the blue wire is replacing the black wire. That's the only diference.
So I took the diagram and did some notes based in my phone. Please, see the photo attached.

Thanks.

[poplar1]

1--"BK" terminal is not needed since you have the black capacitor wire going directly to BK on the dial.
2--This is the symbol for a capacitor, or "condenser" as it was called at the time. The 2 MF refers to the value of the capacitor in the talking circuit, which has the black and red wires. The capacitor is located underneath the bracket, on the baseplate.
3-- The 1/2 MF capacitor for the ringer has yellow and slate (gray) wires. The slate wire goes to K on the small terminal block, along with the black ringer wire.
4,5--GND is another terminal on the small terminal block. It is not needed except for party lines, where two or more subscribers shared a line. For individual lines, the yellow capacitor wire connects to L2Y, and the red ringer wire connects to L1.
6--Both the talk capacitor (black and red leads) and the ringer capacitor (slate and yellow leads) are contained in the same lead case.
The part number is 195A.
   "Makes last" means that, on the hookswitch, Y and BK contacts close before the GN and W contacts. This is to reduce the pop in the receiver when going off-hook or when hanging up.

[Ktownphoneco]

Jean   ....   If everything is wired according to what Poplar1 has just explained in detail, and which is reiterated in the set's schematic, then I have to go back to the transmitter issue.     Without the adapter rings that Jim S., mentions a few postings back, it's my personal opinion that there's a connection problem between the spring contacts inside the handset's transmitter cavity, and the contact rings on the "T-1" transmitter.

In order to put that issue out of the way once and for all, cut 2 pieces of light gauge wire of an appropriate length, 16 or 18 gauge stranded is fine.     Strip of a couple of inches at one end of each piece of wire, and about a 1/4" inch off the other end of each wire.       
Wrap the stranded copper wire around one of the spring contacts inside the transmitter cavity, and the other piece or wire snugly around the remaining spring contact in the handset.
Plug the telephone into a jack, or however you normally connect it, hold the receiver end of the handset to your ear and touch one wire to the inner contact ring on the "T-1" transmitter, and touch the 2nd wire to the other contact ring of the transmitter and see if you can hear dial tone.
Looking at the picture of the transmitter cavity and the way the contact springs in your handset are arranged, I'm finding it difficult to wrap my head around the fact that a "T-1" transmitter cartridge can be inserted, the transmitter cap screwed on, and everything will function perfectly.   
An F-1 Transmitter is approximately 2-1/8" inches in diameter.    A T-1 is slightly over 1-3/4" inches.     The outer diameter of the outer contact ring on an F-1 is slightly over 1-1/8" inches, while on the T-1, it's slightly over 1" inch.        The space between the inner contact and the outer on an F-1 is 3/16" inches, while on the T-1, it's about 3/32" of an inch.
At some point in the past, someone may have pushed and pulled on the contact springs to get them lined up with the contacts on the back of the T-1 transmitter, but remember and as I recall, you removed everything, then reassembled it.      That can change the entire situation.

That's what I would try.

Jeff Lamb

[JeanFabricio]

Hi.

Some news.
I did a total reassembly according to Poplar1, Ktownphoneco and the diagram.

It rings, but nothing happens on the handset.

So I had an idea: test the NE receptor on another phone, one 1959 Standard Electric (like this:http://mlb-s2-p.mlstatic.com/telefone-antigo-de-disco-standard-electric-anos-5060-910301-MLB20296313387_052015-F.jpg ). The receptors are different, but I connected the NE receptor to the 1959 SE with wires and... I heard a very very low sound, but I heard - so the NE receptor works.

I put the the NE receptor back in place on NE handset.
After I made a call with a wireless phone (the NE is an extension) to my cel phone. When I speak on NE handset, I can hear on cell phone, but when I speak on my cel phone, I can't hear on handset OR the soud is so low that I can't hear it.

I'm waiting my wife to test with her cel phone with her far away from me.
After that test I'll write the results.

[LarryInMichigan]

It is possible that your receiver is weak.  Replacements for the receiver and transmitter elements are not difficult to find nor are they very expensive.  Steve Hilsz sells them: http://phonesurplus.com/elementspage.html.


Larry

[JeanFabricio]

It is possible that your receiver is weak.  Replacements for the receiver and transmitter elements are not difficult to find nor are they very expensive.  Steve Hilsz sells them: http://phonesurplus.com/elementspage.html.
Larry

Thanks, Larry.

[Jim Stettler]

You can try "whacking" the transmitter's edge on a hard surface to break up the carbon granules. There is a good chance this will help the transmitter. Once the transmitter works better  the receiver may have a better response.

JMO,
Jim S.

[Southernphoneman]

Not sure if this was mentioned or not, (if it was admin. or moderator please delete), but you might want to consider the fact that your handset cord may need replacement, even when one looks new they may still be bad, and it doesn';t take much for one to be damaged and you might not notice.

[JeanFabricio]

I'm waiting my wife to test with her cel phone with her far away from me.
After that test I'll write the results.

Tested: FAILURE!
No sound anyway...

Not sure if this was mentioned or not, (if it was admin. or moderator please delete), but you might want to consider the fact that your handset cord may need replacement, even when one looks new they may still be bad, and it doesn';t take much for one to be damaged and you might not notice.

I replaced with a new one: failure!



I completely disassembled the "switch" (? - photo attached) and mounted in the same sequence - can not be wrong about it.


It's a complete mystery to me ... works before and after a completely cleaning and reassembled as it was, just stopped working ...

I'd like to thank you all who tried to help me.