Stromberg Carlson 1243 ringer will not work. New to forum.

[patpeery]

I am new to the forum.  I bought an old SC1243 and have disassembled it and it is very nice.  I am restoring it.  I have everything working properly except the ringer.    It is stamped 61A  348 on the bottom.  I am able to make it ring by having the red wire hooked in its spot on block at 3, and the black wire to L2.  However, when it rings once it immediately sounds like a fax machine and hangs up.

From what I have read, there might be a way to put an inline capacitor on it?  Or do I need to buy one from oldphoneworks that works on a 20hz frequency?  Or is there a way that I am wiring it that is not correct? 

Input is appreciated thank you.

[Wallphone]

Hi Patpeery and welcome to the Forum. According to a chart that I have for a 1543, the "A" means straight line ringer. Go here and look up some of the diagrams for your phone so you can get familiar with it. > http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=266&Itemid=2 < The second one for the 1243 is a text that tells how to convert it. I don't know if that will help you or not, but take a look and see if those answers any of your questions.

[patpeery]

Thanks for the link. Everything works just dandy, except the ringer.  I can solder a capacitor inline if that would make the ringer operate?  Can anyone tell me the size of capacitor and the location to put it in?  Thanks!

[dsk]

Looking at this diagram:  http://tinyurl.com/65x6oon It should be 2 0.5 microfarad capacitors there already shunted to form a 1 microF.  The ringer circuit is marked with yellow here, the capacitors are marked with a blue ring, and 2 important straps (shorts) are marked with red.

dsk

[patpeery]

Looking at this diagram:  http://tinyurl.com/65x6oon It should be 2 0.5 microfarad capacitors there already shunted to form a 1 microF.  The ringer circuit is marked with yellow here, the capacitors are marked with a blue ring, and 2 important straps (shorts) are marked with red.

dsk

I re wired it exactly as above with the jumpers.  It rings one time and then stops.  My cell phone that I dial into my home phone with disconnects and says busy.  Same problem as when I connect the black to L2 alone.

[dsk]

Then we have to try some different things.
1 Try to remove the lower strap.
2 If it not works, move the ringer wire to the upper terminal were you removed the strap.
By the way,is it a regular line, or a VOIP line?
If it is via VOIP, some ATA's may dislike the coils in the ringers, and I'm not sure how to solve that. (yet) Probably by replacing the upper strap with a 3.3 kiloohms resistor, that's just a guess.

Good luck!

dsk

[AE_Collector]

It rings one time and then stops.  My cell phone that I dial into my home phone with disconnects and says busy. 

This is "Ring Trip". The ringing voltage is passing through the ringer and false tripping the line as though you had answered and then immediately hung up. Ringer quits ringing, caller usually hears a bit of a click and the ndead air.

Sounds like a lack of capacitor in the ringer circuit to me or a shorted capacitor?

Terry

[patpeery]

It rings one time and then stops.  My cell phone that I dial into my home phone with disconnects and says busy.  

This is "Ring Trip". The ringing voltage is passing through the ringer and false tripping the line as though you had answered and then immediately hung up. Ringer quits ringing, caller usually hears a bit of a click and the ndead air.

Sounds like a lack of capacitor in the ringer circuit to me or a shorted capacitor?

Terry

Terry,  You are absolutely correct on the shorted capacitor.  I took the diagram above and wired per dsk's diagram and it did not work, therefore I went to Radio Shack and got a 1mf capacitor and wired it in (jumpered it) between G and L2.  Did not even have to solder it.  It now rings and works like a charm!

The Radio Shack Capacitor is a Tantalum Capacitor 1.0mF part #272-1434.

Thanks so much to all of you for your help!!!!

[HarrySmith]

This place is great
I love it when we get together and find a simple solution to a phone problem
Welcome Pat! I feel it is my duty to warn you about Phoneitis. These old phones tend to multiply very quickly and the urge to get another color or another model can be overwhelming. Be careful

[Phonesrfun]

Hopefully the tantalum capacitor has a voltage rating high enough for the ringing current.  Normally, the ringing capacitor should be rated at 250 volts.  If it is a low voltage cap, then it could short out over time.  The lower the voltage, the sooner the fizzle will happen.

If it shorts, then you will be back it tripping early after one ring, or perhaps just looking as if it is "off-hook" to the central office.

[patpeery]

Hopefully the tantalum capacitor has a voltage rating high enough for the ringing current.  Normally, the ringing capacitor should be rated at 250 volts.  If it is a low voltage cap, then it could short out over time.  The lower the voltage, the sooner the fizzle will happen.

If it shorts, then you will be back it tripping early after one ring, or perhaps just looking as if it is "off-hook" to the central office.

Bill,  Since the Tantalum one I installed is rated at 35V, should I go to Radio Shack and replace it with this one?:  Capacitor part # 272-1055

Thanks!

[Phonesrfun]

I would get Radio Shack part # 272-105 1.0mF, 250 volt metal Film capacitor $1.59

The tantalum at 35 volts is just too low of a voltage, and I have personally found tantalums to be kind of sticklers for voltages and not taking too much abuse.

The ringing current of 75 to 90 volts AC is just too much for that capacitor.  The phone company standard for ringing caps is generally 250 volts, which is a little over kill, but you can't normally find anything in-between anyway.  The Metal Film cap @ 250 volts is going to be physically larger than the 35 volt tantalum, but not too large.

[patpeery]

I would get Radio Shack part # 272-105 1.0mF, 250 volt metal Film capacitor $1.59

The tantalum at 35 volts is just too low of a voltage, and I have personally found tantalums to be kind of sticklers for voltages and not taking too much abuse.

The ringing current of 75 to 90 volts AC is just too much for that capacitor.  The phone company standard for ringing caps is generally 250 volts, which is a little over kill, but you can't normally find anything in-between anyway.  The Metal Film cap @ 250 volts is going to be physically larger than the 35 volt tantalum, but not too large.

Thank you Bill,  I will change it out pronto!  I appreciate your assistance.

[dsk]

Nice to see you solved it.

dsk

[patpeery]

Nice to see you solved it.

dsk

Thanks!  This teamwork thing works pretty well!