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My baby won't ring!

Started by Dewdrop, February 21, 2010, 05:55:11 PM

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Dewdrop

Hi all,

This is a recent eBay purchase. It doesn't ring. I have a feeling it's not suppose to ring, but would like for you guys and gals to let me know your opinion. Is this an original phone or a combination? It will receive and send calls, but the dial is very slow. If you can tell me how to correct that or where to look for the information on the forum that would be great.

The caps have a date in green stamped 6-59. I could only capture the receiver cap date in a photo.

Your input is appreciated,
Debbie
Debbie

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Dewdrop on February 21, 2010, 05:55:11 PM
Hi all,

This is a recent eBay purchase. It doesn't ring. I have a feeling it's not suppose to ring, but would like for you guys and gals to let me know your opinion. Is this an original phone or a combination? It will receive and send calls, but the dial is very slow. If you can tell me how to correct that or where to look for the information on the forum that would be great.

The caps have a date in green stamped 6-59. I could only capture the receiver cap date in a photo.

Your input is appreciated,
Debbie

591's were sold without a ringer and dial. These sets were marketed for the Independants.
It was up to the buyer and which dials/ringers they used, if any.

Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Dewdrop

Here's another photo showing the gongs of the phone. Is this a ringer?

Debbie
Debbie

LarryInMichigan

Debbie,

That looks like a frequency ringer to me.  I am sure that you can get a C4A ringer to replace that one if you want the phone to ring.

Larry

Phonesrfun

Debbie:

That is definitely a frequency ringer, designed to only ring at a specific ringing frequency.  This was used so that party line subscribers would only hear their phone ring when the phone company sent that one specific frequency down the line.  Since party lines are a thing of the past, no domestic phone company that I know of supports frequency ringers anymore, and the ringers, themselves are, unfortunately, worthless.

The good news is that these ringers were all the same size and dimensions, but with slightly different outward looks.  Like Larry has said, all you need to do is get a standard "straight line" C4 ringer and take the frequency ringer out and drop the straight line ringer in.  No other modifications are necessary, other than hooking up the four wires.

-Bill
-Bill G

dsk

Quote from: Phonesrfun on February 21, 2010, 07:31:37 PM
Debbie:

That is definitely a frequency ringer, designed to only ring at a specific ringing frequency.  This was used so that party line subscribers would only hear their phone ring when the phone company sent that one specific frequency down the line.  Since party lines are a thing of the past, no domestic phone company that I know of supports frequency ringers anymore, and the ringers, themselves are, unfortunately, worthless.

The good news is that these ringers were all the same size and dimensions, but with slightly different outward looks.  Like Larry has said, all you need to do is get a standard "straight line" C4 ringer and take the frequency ringer out and drop the straight line ringer in.  No other modifications are necessary, other than hooking up the four wires.

-Bill

I may be a bullhead :), and since i have no experiencewith these, i am absolutely sure about this:
It would be possible to tune it to at least give a buzz or weak ringing signal.  Since it is worthless, it is not much to loose by trying to mend it.  I would start with making the clapper move easy, e.g. by removing a spring, or just loosing whatever hols it, then I would try to slide the adjustable weight on the clapper arm to it gives a maximum movement when ringing, er even try to remove it. When that's working, an mechanical adjustment of the bells should be the next.

If you have the time, why not give it a try.

dsk

Dewdrop

Thanks Jim, Larry and Bill.

I'll look at some of my other 500 phones to possibly rob the ringer.

dsk
After work today I'll look again at the ringer for any possible adjustments I can make before robbing a ringer from another phone.

Debbie
Debbie