Western Electric 302 Sluggish Ringer

[TelePlay]

John, when the bias spring was in the middle as opposed to weak, the vibrations were even worse. So that would only make it worse.

Having the clapper looser definitely helped.

Is the grommet black or silver? There's one rubbery thing on one side, but a black thing that also feels rubbery on the other...

This is a ringer mount WITHOUT rubber grommets that just fell apart from age



This is a ringer mount WITH rubber grommets (the 3 black things around the rivet heads)



Your ringer mount my have 4 rivets rather than 3 as show in the above images (older 302s had a 4 rivet mounting set up).

You would have to hold the base sideways and shine a bright light between the brass mount and the black base to inspect the grommets (or take the ringer out of the mount by backing out the screw so it just recedes into the mount and using a small screwdriver to pry the ringer frame up out of the mount is it does not just lift out. Installation is just the reverse - put the ringer in the mount and turn the screw in to secure the frame to the mount).

These are replacement grommets (#1, #2 & #4) vs original WE grommets (#3 and #5) top and bottom.

[Alex G. Bell]

Rather than continuing to thrash around looking for an ill-defined  problem I suggest that B-S make an MP3 or WAV  (yes! digital!) recording of the ringer operating and post it somewhere for CRPF people to listen to so that others can judge what's actually going on with the ringer.

[TelePlay]

Rather than continuing to thrash around looking for an ill-defined  problem I suggest that B-S make an MP3 or WAV  (yes! digital!) recording of the ringer operating and post it somewhere for CRPF people to listen to so that others can judge what's actually going on with the ringer.

That's a great idea.

And, if an mp3 or wav or avi can be recorded, it would have to first be zipped and that zip folder then be attached to a reply, uploaded. The forum software allows zip uploads but not audio files, directly (same for xls spread sheets).

Allowed files are only "doc, gif, jpg, jpeg, mpg, pdf, png, txt, zip, tiff & tif" so any other file would have to be encased in a zip folder.

[bellsystem]

Even better, I'll take a video. What's the size limit for file uploads?

[Alex G. Bell]

Even better, I'll take a video. What's the size limit for file uploads?

No, a video is not better.  Unless you can do time lapse videos at 1/20th real time speed the only thing that matters is the sound.  The rest is just 99% wasted bandwidth.

[TelePlay]

No, a video is not better.  Unless you can do time lapse videos at 1/20th real time speed the only thing that matters is the sound.  The rest is just 99% wasted bandwidth.

I wholeheartedly and totally agree, audio is better. Video is best uploaded to a platform created for them - YouTube.

[bellsystem]

My computer can record audio using a microphone connected to it, but the computer is downstairs and the 302 is upstairs.

My camera can only record video, not just audio. Is there anything wrong with recording a video, bandwidth aside?

[TelePlay]

How about recording with your camera, transfer that file to your PC, play the video with your PC audio recording software running, save that file as an mp3 file, zip that file and upload the zipped audio file to the forum?

[Alex G. Bell]

How about recording with your camera, transfer that file to your PC, play the video with your PC audio recording software running, save that file as an mp3 file, zip that file and upload the zipped audio file to the forum?

I've stripped audio off videos to analyze DTMF digits audible in a video file.  I think I used Audacity.  Did it directly in the cyber domain, not by playing back and looping an audio output from the video player to an audio input of the audio recorder.

[bellsystem]

Okay, here is an audio file of the ringer,

The first time is with the case closed. The second time is with the case open, but because I need to keep my fingers on the switchhook to force it into an on-hook status, I used a pulse dial pushbutton phone. The second time it rings, in the audio, the gongs themselves sound a little bit different, but that isn't it.

The vibrations are after the ringing and you have to really strain to hear it, even with max volume.

[Victor Laszlo]

Are there other ringers or ringer equivalents on the line at the same time of your test?  A good start at a collection of test equipment is a steady generator supply, fed through a momentary pushbutton.  This allows testing ringers without the necessity of setting up a test call.  Another useful tool is an E1B or E1C external ringer. That can be used to "test the test equipment" to ensure that the generator source is working. A neon indicator is also useful attached to the source, to remind you that it's turned on and ready to shock you.

I'm sure that you can easily find and extend the generator buss in the KSU. That would give you a source.

[bellsystem]

These are all private lines connected to a PBX. The PBX is my ringing source. And none of my other stations have any problems. The vibrating is coming from inside the phone, likely because of something loose or rattling somewhere upon movement.

[TelePlay]

Okay, here is an audio file of the ringer,

The first time is with the case closed. The second time is with the case open, but because I need to keep my fingers on the switchhook to force it into an on-hook status, I used a pulse dial pushbutton phone. The second time it rings, in the audio, the gongs themselves sound a little bit different, but that isn't it.

The vibrations are after the ringing and you have to really strain to hear it, even with max volume.

That is no where near what a 302 ringer should sound like. I can't tell if the gongs are too close together or too far apart. Sound like one is too close and the other too far away.

What I hear is no ringing and no final sustain, the tail off after the ringer stops. What I do hear can be fixed by loosening the gong screws and rotating them toward or away from the clapper. You can tape the hook switch buttons down so it stays off hook with the cover removed and adjust the bells while the ringer is working to get the correct sound. A B1A ringer should be a clear ringing of two brass bells with different frequencies. What you have is not a rattle, it a poorly adjusted ringer.

Get a large handled screw driver with a blade that perfectly fits the slotted screws width and length (a little wide is fine) and put a little torque on the handle to break them loose. Re-position the gongs and tighten tighten down the screws. Simple as that.

[Ktownphoneco]

If you haven't already checked, make sure the induction coil is firmly mounted and without movement, and do the same with the condenser.    If, as Teleplay has suggested, make sure the ringer mounting bracket is still securely held in place by the rubber grommets and flat head rivets.    Also make sure all 4 feet are tightly attached at each corner of the set's base.
In addition, something I've encountered before with "B" series ringers : (1) make sure that the ringer mounting bracket is fully securing the ringer frame.  (See copy of one of your pictures).     If there is "ANY" movement, up, down, or sideways, remove the ringer from it's mounting bracket, and using your thumbs, press against the lower clamp on the ringer mounting bracket, and move it inward slightly, and re-install the ringer.     You should encounter a fair amount of stiffness caused by the lower clamp on the ringer mounting bracket as you re-install the ringer.    You also shouldn't be able to easily lift the ringer out of it's mounting frame once the clamping screw is loosened.     You should have to hold onto the base and encounter some effort to remove the ringer from the brass mounting bracket.      Once in place, re-tighten the clamping screw to hold the ringer firmly in place.
(2)  the other issue I've run into on a number of occasions, is that the 2 machine screws that fasten the 2 electromagnetic ringer coils have loosened over time.     Make certain the the coils are tightly fastened to the ringer's frame.    If the 2 machine screws need re-tightening, you will have to remove the 2 brass gongs in order to get at the screws with a screw driver.   

Jeff Lamb
   

[bellsystem]

After messing around with this 302 for about ten minutes, I have determined that the vibrations are coming from the gong clapper,

If I touch it, the vibrations stop immediately. As soon as I let go, they start again.

Even banging the table will cause the clapper to start vibrating.

So no wonder when the phone rings, there's a lot of vibrating!!

Any ideas?