500 Not ringing.. can you see why?

[Karen]

Can you take a quick look and see why this phone isnt ringing?

I can feel the vibration when its supposed to be ringing, but no ring!

[twocvbloke]

Looks like the bar under the clapper arm is bent over too far, bend it back a little bit at a time to allow the clapper arm to move...

[Dennis Markham]

Karen, look at the photos in this thread.  Check out the "bias tension spring" that is between the gongs on your phone.  Move it according to the photos I posted here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2905.0

See if that makes a difference.

[Karen]

I did try moving the bias tension spring but it made no difference. 

hmmm....

[DavePEI]

Normally the red would go to L1, and the Green to L2. Black and yellow aren't used on a non party line system. I can't even see the green from the line cord. It appears to be cut off.

I magnified the photo, and with it magnified, it does look as though the green does go to L2 where it should go. Old age=bad eyes.

Just an aside, it isn't a great idea to stow unused wires on the ground. If you are in a house with red/green used for some extensions, and black/yellow to others, it will short out that side of the line when the phone is plugged in. It is always best to tape off the unused lines.

Speaking of that, does anyone know where you can buy some of those little plastic insulators which slide on spade terminals to insulate them when stowed?

Still on the bias/gong kick... To my poor eyes, it looks as though the gong has been bent at some point to the point where it is forcing the gong to press against the left hand bell harder than it would normally. This bend appears to have happened about 1/2 inch back from the gong itself. This could be causing the problem you are having. If you take a small screwdriver and press it gently on the left hand side of the gong, and it wants to ring better, you may end up having to put a slight bend in it to the right, so that it is closer to centering, or at least pressing less against the left hand bell. Don't go wild, just a slight bend.This is in the heavy steel wire which holds the gong, not the bias spring. Use a couple of needle nose pliers to make the bend.

Dave

[Karen]

Dave-   
It is on the G. I always stick it there to cut down the static.  BUT, I always test it before I put it there.  It wasnt ringing before.

[dsk]

What source of ringing current supply do you have? You can feel the vibrations, and I just guess the clapper are moving easily when you try to move it.

I have tried several telephones at job, but the PABX cant get my 500, or 2500 telephones ringing. Other telephones rings, but sometimes not very strong.

At home on my Panasonic 616, or at the ordinary line, or by an inductor from a field telephone it rings strongly on all frequencies tested  (16-25Hz)

dsk

[poplar1]

Looks like the bar under the clapper arm is bent over too far, bend it back a little bit at a time to allow the clapper arm to move...

Karen, I agree that this is the problem. This is the dull gray rod that is mounted below and on the same piece of metal as the copper colored rod holding the clapper. Its purpose is to limit movement of the clapper. On a functioning ringer, when you turn the wheel on the bottom of the phone to loud, there are 4 positions (5 if you modify for off position) of loudness and each louder position allows this gray rod to travel further, thus allowing the clapper to move further.

What happens is that "perfect storm" when the phone is dropped because the gray rod is just long enough to get stuck inside the edge of the gong. When the ringer is set on loud (as yours apparently is), then there should be about 1/8 inch between the end of the gray rod and the edge of the brass gong.

It may dislodge just by rotating the volume control a few times. Otherwise, you may have to take a screwdriver and remove the gong and force it out. In any case, it is doing what it was designed to do (restrict movement of the clapper), but just not AS designed to do.

I agree that this is not logical because the rod is not supposed to be long enough to reach inside the gong. In that case, it may be that the end of the rod is just bent too far toward the 54A gong (the one it is lodged inside of). In this case, the end of the rod once dislodged just needs to be bent a little toward the middle, or about 1/16 inch to the right of the copper piece that holds the end of the bias spring.

[poplar1]

I have tried several telephones at job, but the PABX cant get my 500, or 2500 telephones ringing. Other telephones rings, but sometimes not very strong.


dsk
[/quote]

Dsk, does the PABX use 90-130 Volts AC and 20-30 Hertz? Did you try moving the bias spring to low?

[Doug Rose]

Dave...I have never had a problem getting a 500 to ring at work as we have analog ports that are now basically used for courtesy phones as Fax machines have gone Right Fax and no oe uses a modem anymore. We had an Alcatel PCX that was really great that I could dial out rotary no issues, no programming.  We now have an Avaya 5.2 and my rotary days are gone, but they ring LOUD. ...Doug

[dsk]

I have tried several telephones at job, but the PABX cant get my 500, or 2500 telephones ringing. Other telephones rings, but sometimes not very strong.


dsk

Dsk, does the PABX use 90-130 Volts AC and 20-30 Hertz? Did you try moving the bias spring to low?
[/quote]
I haven't measured, but it is stated to be 25Hz at 70V.
A 1000 ohms ringer in series with 1uF cap rings. The 2500 with 1uF extra and bias spring as weak as possible rings weak, and gives loud pling when going on/off hook. It rings clearly an an ATA.

dsk