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ITT Model 554 touch tone dialing

Started by mienaichizu, September 17, 2008, 12:57:32 PM

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mienaichizu

Hi guys,

I found this ITT 554 but it has a touch tone dialing, not a rotary one. I found it on a thrift shop in the Philippines and bought it for about 250 pesos (about 5 USD) This is the first time I've seen a Model 554 with a touch tone dialing. I'm new in this field of telephone collecting, is this a rare one? or model 554 also sports a touch tone dialing? Another thing, it has 6 feet of handset cord, a suitable phone for workstations and kitchens. The phone works pretty well but the ringer is not working, the clapper is moving but it can't hit the gongs. I tried to adjust the ringer but the coil assembly magnetizes the clapper so usually the clapper stuck.


Dennis Markham

Hi.  I wouldn't consider this phone to be a "rare" phone.  They are out there.  Early versions of this model, with the touch tone key pad replacing the older rotary dial did not have the # and * keys.  Those so-called "ten button" sets are more "rare" and do generally bring a higher price on the market.

There are a couple of things you can do to try and adjust your ringer.  Assuming that you have not disassembled the ringer (remove the coil from the ringer frame) it should be working OK but may need adjustment.  Of course the key words here are "should be".  Removing the coil from the ringer apparatus can reduce the magnetic power of the ringer thus permanently effecting the ringer.

The first thing I would do is check the bias tension spring.  (Photos below).  The bias tension spring is the thin wire that runs below the clapper.  It sits in a maze-like frame.  See if your spring is on the right side of the maze, exactly as in the photo.  You'd be surprised and the difference that can make.

Secondly, as you look at your gongs--positioned as in the photos below, the left hand gong should be marked 55 and the right hand gong is marked 54.  Again the key word is "should".  There may be some variations on the labeling of the gongs depending when they were made.  Nonetheless the left hand gong has an eccentric circle or the hole placement is off-center.  If you loosen the screw that holds the gong on you will be able to rotate the gong.  You can move the gong away from and toward the clapper while it is at rest.  After repositioning the gong re-tighten the screw.  You do not want the clapper to touch either gong while the ringer is at rest.  Sometimes rotating the left gong away from the clapper will increase the volume.  It is a trial and error thing.

You may get lucky here and just need to move your bias tension spring so the clapper has more flexibility, increasing the travel distance and strength of the ring.

I hope this helps.

mienaichizu

Quote from: Dennis Markham on September 17, 2008, 04:23:07 PM
Hi.  I wouldn't consider this phone to be a "rare" phone.  They are out there.  Early versions of this model, with the touch tone key pad replacing the older rotary dial did not have the # and * keys.  Those so-called "ten button" sets are more "rare" and do generally bring a higher price on the market.

There are a couple of things you can do to try and adjust your ringer.  Assuming that you have not disassembled the ringer (remove the coil from the ringer frame) it should be working OK but may need adjustment.  Of course the key words here are "should be".  Removing the coil from the ringer apparatus can reduce the magnetic power of the ringer thus permanently effecting the ringer.

The first thing I would do is check the bias tension spring.  (Photos below).  The bias tension spring is the thin wire that runs below the clapper.  It sits in a maze-like frame.  See if your spring is on the right side of the maze, exactly as in the photo.  You'd be surprised and the difference that can make.

Secondly, as you look at your gongs--positioned as in the photos below, the left hand gong should be marked 55 and the right hand gong is marked 54.  Again the key word is "should".  There may be some variations on the labeling of the gongs depending when they were made.  Nonetheless the left hand gong has an eccentric circle or the hole placement is off-center.  If you loosen the screw that holds the gong on you will be able to rotate the gong.  You can move the gong away from and toward the clapper while it is at rest.  After repositioning the gong re-tighten the screw.  You do not want the clapper to touch either gong while the ringer is at rest.  Sometimes rotating the left gong away from the clapper will increase the volume.  It is a trial and error thing.

You may get lucky here and just need to move your bias tension spring so the clapper has more flexibility, increasing the travel distance and strength of the ring.

I hope this helps.

wow, really, thanks for the info

McHeath

This phone is still being made in the US by Cortelco:

http://www.cortelco.com/products/3554.php

It no longer has a chrome metal hook, made of Lucite I suppose, but still out there if one wants one.  Cortelco used to be ITT, and I think Canada's Bell company made these phones as well, if memory serves.  I kinda like the look of merging the old 554 with the touch tone dial, but Frillfreephones.com calls them "ugly" so I guess others attitudes may vary.  If I'd seen this phone for 2 bucks it'd a been in the bag.