E1 Bullet Transmitter With Static

[Larry]

The E1 bullet transmitter on my D1 Western Electric 202 phone has so much static that the party on the other end of a conversation can hardly make out what I'm saying.  I haven't been able to find anything specific about this particular problem on any of the forums. 

I'd just as soon replace the bullet transmitter with a regular transmitter.  Will a transmitter from an F1 work in an E1?

Larry

[unbeldi]

Yes, this is a common, perhaps almost universal affliction of these old devices. Most of them are almost unusable today, at least greatly subpar in performance.  Even in the 1930s they were quickly eradicated with the retrofitted 625A transmitter.  This was an assembly of the same shape as the 395, but it accepted an F1 element.

Here is the BSP:  C35.101 i2 370210 Transmitters;625A

To insert an F1 element the existing unit would have to be machined on a lathe and new springs installed.  WECo did that for a while until they redesigned the unit.  So, the only feasible way is to find an E1 handset that already has the new transmitter, and most do.  They can be easily recognized in pictures by not having the conical structure in the mouth piece.  I don't recall having seen just the transmitter unit for sale, but perhaps I just didn't look well enough.

[Ktownphoneco]

Larry  ....   Take it from someone who's tried on several occasions to repair the "bullet" transmitters, follow "Unbeldi's" advise to the letter.     That transmitter is a nightmare to try and fix.   
I've attached a "PDF" picture file showing the parts that comprise that transmitter.       There's a corrugated diaphragm which you'll quickly notice, upon which rests a dome shaped cap with a small machine screw inserted at the very top, upon which is connected a flat conductor.      That small machine screw does 2 things.     It clamps that flat conductor, and holds the carbon granules inside that small brass dome affair.      The small brass dome is open at the bottom, and it has numerous very, very, very thin rings made of some type of paper, that's thinner than onion paper, placed directly under it.     The paper rings sit on top of the diaphragm, but allow the carbon granules inside the brass dome or button, to sit on top of the diaphragm.    The idea being, that when someone speaks into the transmitter, the diaphragm vibrates accordingly, causing the carbon granules in that small brass dome shaped cap to vibrate.    The primary problem with this type of transmitter, is that over time, the carbon granules leak out of the small brass dome, or button.   As more granules leak out, more static is created.      Once enough carbon leaks out, it won't function at all.

PDF photo file attached.

Jeff Lamb 

[Larry]

Tonight the phone that's been giving me a lot of static when connected through the 295A subset, I connected  it directly to red and green coming from the wall rather than the subset and the dial tone is clear as a bell.  No static whatsoever.  Maybe it's not the bullet transmitter after all.  What other things can cause static on the line when the phone is connected to the 295A subset ?

Larry

[unbeldi]

Tonight the phone that's been giving me a lot of static when connected through the 295A subset, I connected  it directly to red and green coming from the wall rather than the subset and the dial tone is clear as a bell.  No static whatsoever.  Maybe it's not the bullet transmitter after all.  What other things can cause static on the line when the phone is connected to the 295A subset ?

Larry

Are you saying you "hotwired" it, removing the subset?  What did you connect to red and green from the wall?  Did you connect them to the red and green wires of the desk set cord? If you did that, then you are only connecting the receiver to the line and not at all the transmitter, which would again pinpoint the trouble spot in the transmitter or the cord to the transmitter (yellow wire).  For "properly" hotwiring the set you should use the green and yellow conductors, but I hate to use the term properly in that context, as there is nothing proper about it. I would be especially careful about doing so with E1 handsets because the magnetic properties of those old receivers were never as good as the later receivers, and could possibly be weakened even further.

[Larry]

I used the green and red wire from the desk set cord to attach to the green and red from the wall.  So, I guess I was bypassing the transmitter when I heard that nice clear dial tone.  I won't do any more testing like that since I don't won't to ruin the phone.  I'm on a hunt to find a working E1 handset that does not have a bullet transmitter. 

[unbeldi]

I used the green and red wire from the desk set cord to attach to the green and red from the wall.  So, I guess I was bypassing the transmitter when I heard that nice clear dial tone.  I won't do any more testing like that since I don't won't to ruin the phone.  I'm on a hunt to find a working E1 handset that does not have a bullet transmitter.

I checked on eBay last night, and there were some nice looking E1 handsets with the good kind of transmitter available, but they started at $40 or so.  Now, I have bought entire 302 or 202 desk sets with E1 handsets for not more than that!  So, if it were me, would not be in a hurry to make this phone work properly, but keep looking for a while until you find either an E1 or an entire parts phone for the right amount of money that you want to spend.  If you have extra parts you can always sell them and probably get at least half of your money back.

[Larry]

Good advice.  That's what I'll do.

Thanks

[Larry]

Larry  ....   Take it from someone who's tried on several occasions to repair the "bullet" transmitters, follow "Unbeldi's" advise to the letter.     That transmitter is a nightmare to try and fix.   
I've attached a "PDF" picture file showing the parts that comprise that transmitter.       There's a corrugated diaphragm which you'll quickly notice, upon which rests a dome shaped cap with a small machine screw inserted at the very top, upon which is connected a flat conductor.      That small machine screw does 2 things.     It clamps that flat conductor, and holds the carbon granules inside that small brass dome affair.      The small brass dome is open at the bottom, and it has numerous very, very, very thin rings made of some type of paper, that's thinner than onion paper, placed directly under it.     The paper rings sit on top of the diaphragm, but allow the carbon granules inside the brass dome or button, to sit on top of the diaphragm.    The idea being, that when someone speaks into the transmitter, the diaphragm vibrates accordingly, causing the carbon granules in that small brass dome shaped cap to vibrate.    The primary problem with this type of transmitter, is that over time, the carbon granules leak out of the small brass dome, or button.   As more granules leak out, more static is created.      Once enough carbon leaks out, it won't function at all.



I can't separate the bullet transmitter from the spitcup.  So, I won't be repairing the transmitter.

PDF photo file attached.

Jeff Lamb