I didn't know these existed until I found one on the shelf in a local collectibles shop. It is Radio Shack cat #43-175. I looked it up while still at the shop and it can be ordered Amazon Prime for $15.95 shipped. This one was marked $10.00. I asked if it worked they didn't know. I told them I could order one new for $15.00 and offered $5.00 and bought it. I put it in line with my red 202 that has a mini network. I tucked it in a tin toy pay phone and it makes a nice concealed ringer. Not bad for $5. Not really bad for $15.00 new. The ringer is not a buzzer but a bell ring, adjustable with three loudness levels.
Benny
Yes I have used these for years, in fact I use one of these as the ringer in my telephone work shop. Have had good luck with them. At $15, the price is about the same it has been for along time.
Vern
As I said, I didn't know they existed...pretty easy way to add a ringer to any phone.
Hi Pourme,
Early version Princess phones (701B) had no ringers as did the 2 line version of the Princesses. Bell (western electric) would supply (rent) you a nice little external ringer. All one had to do was plug it in any phone jack. They sell on E bay for less than $10. Other companies such as Comdial sold them also. These ringers are mechanical with brass gongs and fully adjustable.
John DeJonge
I didn't know they existed either, until I found this one at a thrift store for a dollar a few months back. It was a little dirty, but for a buck how could I go wrong.
Wonder how much longer they will make them? I would think these are low demand products. Very handy ringers.
Looking at the design of the gong, they look like the ones used in the cheap Rotarepo clone phones, so even if they were to stop making them, you could just get one of these generic bells, a project box, an RJ11 socket and a 0.47uF polypropylene capacitor and there you have such a ringer... :)
Does OP Say REN 2.38 on the label?