Trimline lighted dial

[stosh]

Hi all, I'm new here.

I recently bought a 1970 Trimline phone. The base is marked AD1, the handset 220A. When i received it it wouldn't ring, and the dial wouldn't light. I finally rewired it and it now rings and lights. My question is should the dial light go out with just the hook switch? The flash button will not turn the light off, just the hook switch. Any ideas anyone?

[poplar1]

On the older style Trimline with an incandescent light, the recall button does not disconnect the light. Only the hookswitch interrupts the connection between the transformer and the lamp.

On the newer LED Trimlines (220AL handset for one), the dial light is powered by the phone line. So when you push the recall button the light will go out, and it will also flash to follow the dial pulses when you are dialing a number with a rotary dial.

[stosh]

Thanks! You think I would have figured that out! I thought more rewiring was in order.

[jsowers]

Stosh, welcome to the Forum! You should be proud you were able to figure out the lamp and ringer wiring yourself on that Trimline with all those wires in that base.

Do you have any other phones? As others have said many times, it won't stop at just one. They made many different colors of Trimlines in wall and desk versions. The older ones like your 1970 model with the color-matched large modular cords most people consider the best looking of the lot. Post a picture or two if you have a digital camera.

[stosh]

Jsowers, thanks for the welcome. I have two other Trimlines, both LED's. You're right about not stopping at one phone. I've been collecting three months and already have 11 phones. Six WE 500's, three Trimlines, and two Princesses. I bought a transformer kit so I'm good to go with lighted phones.

I'm really enjoying this new hobby!

[stosh]

I picked up a NOS Trimline recently. The bulb is much brighter than the one I recently got working. Is this new bulb vs old, or some other issue? No biggie, just curious.

[G-Man]

I picked up a NOS Trimline recently. The bulb is much brighter than the one I recently got working. Is this new bulb vs old, or some other issue? No biggie, just curious.

Let's start over...
Below are several excerpts from Bell System Practices that show, prior to led's, several miniature incandescent lamp types were used in Trimline handsets.
The use of different or the wrong lamps in your Trimline handsets can cause them to display various levels of brightness.

2.10 Replaceable Components:
Lamp, 51B or 53B (use 53A for replacement)

Danger: Exercise caution to prevent
the lamp from flying out of the socket in
a dangerous manner.

4.02 To replace a lamp in the 220A (MD),
220AM, 2220B (MD), or 2220BM hand tele-
phone set, remove the cover (Fig. 1). A KS-6320 or-
ange stick can be used to remove the lamp (Fig. 18).
In early production handsets use a 553A tool to re
move the lamp from its vertical position (Fig. 19).

Note: Lamps carried for maintenance rea-
sons should be 53A since both early and current
production handsets accommodate this type.

[stosh]

Thanks for posting the Bell System info. I'll scrounge up a new bulb and try it.