News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

Need Help With A WE 500CD That Won't Make Calls

Started by gands-antiques, March 06, 2012, 04:14:28 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

gands-antiques

I have a WE 500CD that will ring and receive calls but it will not make calls.  I have compared the wiring to the wiring link that Dennis Markham provided last year

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2767.0

and I have also made side by side comparisons with two other working 500s I have and the wiring seems to be correct.

Any suggestions will sure be appreciated.

Thanks,
Gary

twocvbloke

If it's anything like my black WE500, it may be that your dial is not turning at the right speed for the exchange to recognise the pulses, one way to check is to time the dial, just dial a 0 and see how long it takes, if it takes anything more or less than 1 second, it isn't pulsing at the correct 10pps rate for the exchange to realise that someone's trying to make a call... :)

Usually just a strip down and lubrication will bring it back up to speed... :)

There could be other issues of course, but I'm not sure what they would be, but to me if the phone rings and answers, but doesn't dial out and the wiring is correct, then it must be the dial's mechanics at fault... :)

gands-antiques

Thanks for the recommendations...the dial took a little longer than a second when releasing from dialing a O.

I compared it to the speed of a working 500 when released simultaneously and it was only slightly slower.

I sprayed contact cleaner on the dial and network connections of the problem phone and then I applied a drop of oil to the rotating shaft areas of the dial and then I removed the excess.

The phone still rings and receives calls perfectly but it still has a continuous dial tone when I lift the receiver and attempt to dial a number??

twocvbloke

#3
I completely stripped the dial from my two 500s and cleaned them of all traces of old oil & grease (I used lamp oil, works great on lifting grease & oil), and reassembles lubricating (sparingly) the ends of the gears where they sit in the plates, that got them back up to the right speed, it's fiddly, but shouldn't take more than an hour... :)

Instructions here:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=285.0

Only after that did my two break dial tone and dial properly, and BT lines here in the UK are very fussy these days about such things... :D

The other option is to send it away to a forum member for repair and testing, the details are here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=4384.0

gands-antiques

Is spraying the dial shaft contact/end points with contact cleaner not a sufficient cleaning method?

Thanks,
Gary

twocvbloke

Not really, proper cleaning involves, well, cleaning, spraying stuff on just adds more mess to clean off and can cause it to gum up, it's better to pull it apart and scrub off the old stuff and re-lubricate... :)

gands-antiques

Okay, thanks. I'll try cleaning it this way. 

I still think it is a wiring issue because I can push the dial around to make it as fast as my other 500s and it still has a continuous dial tone??

Dennis Markham

If you can show us a photo of the back of your dial, with the dust cover removed, perhaps we can identify a problem there.  The network wiring looks correct.  The issue has to be with your dial (if not your VoIP service).

gands-antiques

Dennis,

Please let me know if this picture is clear enough or if you need another picture of the dial or a picture of another area of the phone.

Thank you,
Gary

gands-antiques

I'm adding s couple of pictures of the connections at the wall.  I don't know if this could be a problem.
---------
The black wire on the network was previously moved to the L2 position and I tried connecting and disconnecting the yellow wire to terminal G but it still doesn't dial out.

I moved the black wire back back to the G terminal and connected and disconnected the yellow line to terminal G but it still won't dial out.

I moved the black wire back to the L2 terminal.  I still get only a constant dial tone...

Everything I have read about the yellow wire says it doesn't need to be connected but it was connected when I originally accessed the inside of the phone.  It doesn't seem to make a difference if it is connected or not.   

stub

#10
gands-antiques ,
                       I don't know the name of the parts but the floating part of the pluse cam won't go into the 2nd set of contacts. In the pic is the floating plastic part..You will have to adjust the 1st contact tab open just a little to let that part rotate into the 2nd contacts and stop on the 1st contact so the top cam can open and close both contacts and it should break dial tone then. When you get it just right the plastic piece will rotate into the stop when the dial is at rest and you can move it in and out and not hang up on the 2nd contact. I hope this makes sense!   stub
Kenneth Stubblefield

Dennis Markham

I agree with Stub that your problem is with that little plastic flange.  Sometimes they get jammed.  Just back it off--move it counter clockwise and then when you spin the dial it should go to the stop position like he is showing in his photo.

gands-antiques

THANK YOU!!

After tweaking on the dial contacts as you all suggested the phone is now working PERFECLTY.

I have only been a member of Classic Rotary Phones for a couple of months but the members have helped me successfully troubleshoot a half dozen phones and I really appreciate it.

Thanks again!!
Gary