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Help needed with my wood phone. can't tell model, and need some parts

Started by RB, August 17, 2017, 03:28:35 PM

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RB

I have been searching, and cannot match my phone with the ones listed here. No surprise. So I will try to describe with words and pics, what I have and need.
I believe it to be a grabaphone, 2 box. type 12-lc
code # 18096
4 bar gen,
120 ohm ringer with I believe 80287 on label.
It is supposed to have a # 50 transmitter, and a #50A Receiver.
There is I believe, letters TRT  RT stamped on the bottom edge of the box, just inside the door.
Now, before you shout me down, for not saying all this right, I have been looking around the net, and this info is as complete as I can get by myself.
So, now I need your help.
It was given to me broken, not complete or working. I have glued the handset back together, and spliced in half of a new cord.
It is missing the xmitter and the cap. I would like to identify it correctly, and of course, get it working. I think I am at least close???
Thanks for your help, and correction.
Rod

Alex G. Bell

Quote from: RB on August 17, 2017, 03:28:35 PM
I have been searching, and cannot match my phone with the ones listed here. No surprise. So I will try to describe with words and pics, what I have and need.
I believe it to be a grabaphone, 2 box. type 12-lc
code # 18096
4 bar gen,
120 ohm ringer with I believe 80287 on label.
It is supposed to have a # 50 transmitter, and a #50A Receiver.
There is I believe, letters TRT  RT stamped on the bottom edge of the box, just inside the door.
Now, before you shout me down, for not saying all this right, I have been looking around the net, and this info is as complete as I can get by myself.
So, now I need your help.
It was given to me broken, not complete or working. I have glued the handset back together, and spliced in half of a new cord.
It is missing the xmitter and the cap. I would like to identify it correctly, and of course, get it working. I think I am at least close???
Thanks for your help, and correction.
Rod
Probably 1200 rather than 120 ohms.

The markings along the bottom edge, which are not legible in your photos, might identify the 6 screw terminals on the strip in the middle of the box.  "R" could refer to receiver leads and "T" to transmitter leads.

RB

Thanks Alex. the ringer prob is 1200, sounds more like my other phones...paper is smudged from so many attempts to identify the parts.
The letters on the box are very hard to read, they look like they had white paint in them at one time???
is there a way to clean or make them legible again? Does it even matter?
And concerning the handset, is a #50 transmitter a standard? is there an alternative that would fit if I cannot locate a 50?
I am guessing this is a later model??? based on the separate hand set? maybe that's why I cannot match it to the pics I have seen? not sure there.
Would like to get this working, and need a little more wisdom, as I don't know what to look for. This is the only one I have.
Thanks again.

Alex G. Bell

Quote from: RB on August 17, 2017, 04:21:36 PM
Thanks Alex. the ringer prob is 1200, sounds more like my other phones...paper is smudged from so many attempts to identify the parts.
The letters on the box are very hard to read, they look like they had white paint in them at one time???
is there a way to clean or make them legible again? Does it even matter?
And concerning the handset, is a #50 transmitter a standard? is there an alternative that would fit if I cannot locate a 50?
I am guessing this is a later model??? based on the separate hand set? maybe that's why I cannot match it to the pics I have seen? not sure there.
Would like to get this working, and need a little more wisdom, as I don't know what to look for. This is the only one I have.
Thanks again.
You're welcome.  Sorry but I don't know anything beyond what I said.

HarrySmith

I cannot identify your phone either but a few comments. The phillips head screws and the wiring retainers are definetly not original, both more recent additions. The handset could be original, it has the correct switchhook for it. I would try wiping a damp cloth across all the edges of the box, I can barely see something on the lower edge. Also wipe down the back, there may be something there. The wet wood should bring out anything stamped in the wood. One more question, where did it come from?
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

rdelius

The backboard and battery box and possibly the front door with ringer appear to be from belgium .120 Ohms would be not unuauual in Belgium (BTMC) series wired magnito sets.The metal handset parts remind me of the handset used on some ww1 field sets or the Bell export sets used in Norway

RB

Thank you HarrySmith, and rdelius for your replys.
This phone was a gift from a teacher friend.
She had it in her classroom for a long time. Then, over a summer break...it got broken. and she did not want it anymore.
So, it came to me. I will try to find out its history.
The ringer is a 120 OHM. and a frequency ringer. I verified that. plus, it is on the schematic.
I thought I was missing a digit or something. but no. 120 is correct.
I will try the damp cloth on the wood, maybe something will pop up.
rdelius, are there any web sights I could look through to get some more info on this phone?
Thanks again for the info. this is interesting. hope I can get it to work again!

TelePlay

Could you take a close up picture of the schematic on the door an post it? It's a bit out of focus in the images uploaded.

A question for the experts. How does a frequency ringer work with a magneto system?

RB

TelePlay, I will try to take a better foto this weekend, cam not too gud at closeups.
A question for the experts. How does a frequency ringer work with a magneto system? No idea,thats wut I am here for.
My research indicates it is a freq ringer at 120 ohms. That cud be wrong. blame the internet lol. baffles me too! still needing more info on this one!

TelePlay

Can you take a  photo of the ringer from the top and bottom, showing the both coils at once (from the top and bottom - not from the side), so we can see how it's put together?

Thanks.

RB

A little update on the Ringer.
I was able to ring the bells when I tied a generator across the lugs. and it sounds good.
I went through the schematic, and compaired it to the actual wiring, and guess what??? it seems different.
Here is the info I got about freq ringers. I believe I got it here??? mine sure looks like the kind in the pic.

Some ringer identification tips..

AE straight line ringers will usually have SL on the label, if present, and a bias spring near the clapper. The clapper will be permanently affixed to the stem without a setscrew. The clapper will also be on the small side and at the very tip of the stem. Some early ones looked like a hammer or a capsule shape. The SL ringer's clapper will move freely with little effort in a pivoting motion between the bells and I remember them being much nicer to the ears than any of the frequency ringers, which were harsh.

AE frequency ringers will usually have the frequency listed on the label, as in ~33 or ~66 and their clapper mechanisms will be stiffer. Some will have thicker clappers that look like brass cylinders and other metal pieces are attached to tune the ringer for that frequency. They almost always have setscrews in the clapper so it can be adjusted for the frequency. They don't have bias springs.

Two pictures I got from another thread and annotated are posted below FYI. The first shows the difference between the armature of a straight line ringer and a frequency ringer.

The second shows a bias spring--a hallmark of a straight line ringer.

Straight line ringers in AE40s and 50s didn't have an adjustment wheel, like the AE80s did. As Terry said, you stand a very good chance of finding a frequency ringer inside an AE40. It was simply because back then about half the people using an independent Telco had party lines. We didn't have a private line until about 1988, when the phone company did away with party lines.

This first pic is from that topic.
I am drawing the schematic posted inside the box, as well as the actual wiring of this phone, and will post when done.

Here is some info printed on the coil. it is all i can read. it has 6 lugs.

PS 26398

565 w316 018 BECKS
521 360 018 BECKS
143 590 016 BECKS

I get readings of 580 OHMS, and 5 OHMS
The more I mess with this one, the more it ACTS like any other phone, just has different resistance readings, and I can not figure out the terminal strip yet.

TelePlay

Frequency ringers have the large plate on a reed at the bottom and a large adjustable length clapper between the gongs.

Straight Line ringers have a pivot attached to the clapper wire and a small fixed hammer between the gongs.

In this image, it show 30 Hz on the left, SL on the right.

Images of your ringer like these would show what you have.

RB

thanks, John, for the pics.
I need to remove the ringer and look for info written on it...or, just accept that it is NOT a freq ringer, just another version of a SL ringer...with considerably low resistance.
Here is a hand written copy of the orig schematic glued inside the door.
I will post a correct wiring schematic when I finish mapping it out. slow goin tryin to read through the coil! lol.

RB

Here are pics of the Ringer.
One thing I noticed about this ringer, It does not have the tiny disks welded to the plate that limit the travel of the plate form side to side.
Most all other ringers I have contain the disks, and the plate will only move far enuf to strike one of the gongs.
This is an interesting phone. I believe it to be a SERIAL sub's set, based on my "limited' research.
The hook switch disables the mag and bell when off hook.
My BRIDGING phones, "in their generic form', do not.