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Help! I can't hear!

Started by superdodds, December 29, 2009, 03:35:14 PM

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superdodds

Hello friends, I'm newly registered here and looking for some insight into what might possibly keep me from hearing any voice through my handset on a model 554 purchased 2 or 3 years ago on eBay.  This has been a great phone and as I'm sure everybody here already knows, this sounds better than any phone I have in my house! 

Upon opening the phone up, it appears to be from October of 1963 - I'm guessing - there's a stamp on the inside of the phone that reads:

A/B
554
10-63

I've had no trouble with this phone and was even surprised to find that with switching to Time Warner digital phone service, this phone has continued to work properly with it's rotary dial.  Last week I received a call and all was working properly.  Within 15 minutes I received another call and couldn't hear anything through my handset.  They called back and I answered the call on another phone in the house and the caller let me know they could hear me before on the 554 -- but I wasn't able to hear them.  I've popped the cover on the phone, and switched out handsets, cables, etc between the phones and troubleshot to where I thought it might be a problem in the handset.  As I've recently realized, it most likely doesn't have as much to do with the handset as it does something in the phone.  I'm not sure at what point the wiring may have changed or if there's just a different pin-out on my daughter's cheap phone, but when I plug in her handset to the 554 phone, I can hear the voice on the other line, but now they can't hear me speak!  It appears that something inside the phone is not functioning properly but I have relatively little knowledge of the inner workings of this phone.  I have downloaded the schematics and I am an IT Admin so I do have some experience in troubleshooting electronic devices -- but this is slightly different.  I have no doubt that I can repair this phone, but don't know where I might start or where I might look for any type of replacement parts for this phone. 

Any help out there?

Chris Dodds
San Antonio, TX

Phonesrfun

Chris:

First of all, welcome to the forum.

Although your 554 is a 1963 phone, it sounds like your 554 has a modular handset as opposed to a hardwired handset and cord.  If it is a modular handset, a later module may very well not transmit but be able to "hear" since the later handsets quit using the carbon microphone some time ago and went to an electret mic instead.  The pinouts are probably the same, although I don't know that for sure.  The fact that you were able to hear on the other handset would point to it being wired the same, and that the circuitry inside the phone is good.

Again, I am assuming your handset is modular, so can you clarify that?  Check the connections and check the receiver element inside the handset to see if the wiring has somehow come loose.  Not likely, but never say never.

-Bill Geurts

-Bill G

superdodds

Yes, the handset is modular as opposed to being hard-wired into the phone.  Keep in mind, the interesting thing is with my handset now on the 554, I cannot hear - but people can hear me speak so I know the mic works.  When I plug in another cheaper handset to the body of the 554, I can hear -- but nobody can hear me speak, which makes me think there's a difference in pin-out between the two phones.  When I plug in the 554 handset to the cheaper phone, I still can't hear, but people can hear me speak through the phone -- however there's a great deal of buzz, almost like an electrical buzz of some sort.  Does anybody know where I might find a replacement speaker for hearing on a handset to go with my 554?

Phonesrfun

Hi:

What you are looking for is a U1 receiver element.  They are really very plentiful although you won't find them at any retail store.  They are really not called a "speaker" as such, but I know what you mean. 

Oldphoneworks.com will have them, or you can probably go to the goodwill or other thrift store and find a junker 500 to rob one out of.  Did you check the wires going to the receiver element to make sure they are not broken?  It could also be a faulty jack in the handset where the cord snaps in.  If you have an ohm meter you can check it out outside the handset, or even any size battery like a AAA, AA, C, D, or 9 volt battery and a couple small lengths of wire if you want some help in guiding you through that.

-Bill Geurts
-Bill G

superdodds

Hey Bill -

Thanks so much for your prompt responses.  I'll look for a receiver element in the places you mentioned.  What's making this more difficult is that I'm troubleshooting using a different phone that I really probably shouldn't be using.  I opened up the handset and using a AA battery, i ran wires across to the two terminals on the receiver and was able to hear static as I moved those wires around.  (The phone was unplugged from the unit, of course!) This was a hint my dad had told me about.  I'll dig out my Ohm meter and see what i can come up with.  I just can't yet tell if it's my handset, or something in the phone itself.  The wires all appear to be healthy and in good shape -- that's not to say that something might not be messed up in some way.  Will keep trying and post back here when I figure something else out....

- Chris

Phonesrfun

Chris:

Sorry for the late response.  If you are able to hear static or clicking in the receiver with a battery and wires, then you will definitely hear voices.  Not in the psychotic sense, but you know what I mean.  This is making me wonder if it is the plug at the base of the handset, or something.  From experience, receiver elements don't usually go out unless something drastic happens, like taking a hit from a bolt of lightning.  The more susceptible causes are the cord or the connections to the cord, either at the base of the handset or at the phone.

In the process of swapping things out, did you try another handset cord?

-Bill
-Bill G