AE 80 Ringer Adjustment

[Jim Mc]

I have a 1958 AE 82 (same or similar to the AE 80) that has a SL ringer with no adjustment wheel.  I have done some playing around with it and have bridged the green and yellow line leads in the 4 prong connector.  It wouldn't ring or show any indication of the ringer working.  Finally, I saw some faint movement of the clapper.  The capacitor is a .08mfd unit.  I clipped in a .56 cap and I could see definite movement of the ringer at that point.

I suppose like most ringer units, this unit has two elector magnets that engage opposite of one another and pull the piece of metal that the clapper is attached to in one direction and then the other causing the clapper to move far enough to hit the bells.  What I have figured out is that there is not enough of a magnetic pull to make the clapper actually hit the bells.  On most phones I find that I can make the bell ring by rocking the metal piece pulled by the electromagnets.  On this phone there seems to be more distance between the metal and magnets so that I really can't make it ring by manipulating the clapper assembly.

There is a brass nut to which this clapper unit attaches to a frame.  If I loosen this nut so that the clapper unit is loose, the .08 cap will allow the ringer to work quietly and the .56 will allow it to ring loudly.   I'm afraid that the nut will work itself entirely off and the whole thing will fall apart.

Does anyone have experience with adjusting these older units?  I really doubt that this phone ever rang.  I'll post a picture when I get home so you have a better idea of what I'm talking about.

[Dennis Markham]

Jim, I could be wrong but that looks like it reads 50~ which would mean a 50Hz ringer, not a straight line.  That would be the reason it only vibrates slightly.  It appears to be a frequency ringer.

[JorgeAmely]

You can always adjust the nut until it rings to your satisfaction and put a drop of sealant to keep the nut in place.

[dsk]

I love this forum.
We have never used tuned ringers here, but this makes me believe this: The tension blade (hinge) act as a spring tuned together with the clapper weight, and is the mechanical resonance  parts. If you could add on some weight on clapper 2-4 times what it is now, It will work better at 20Hz, Then add on some value at the capacitor to adjust the electromagnetic resonance. something around 0.5 μF should be OK, Since the coil and the spring still are the 50~ the cap. could be greater, not more than 1μF.

I would like to know if my theory turns out to be right.

Regards

dsk

[Jim Mc]

Well, I've got it ringing by doing what Jorge suggested.  I put some Elmer's white glue on the threads as thread locker with the nut and wheel backed off enough so that it rings.  I've also added a .25mfd cap (which worked fine).  The only trouble is that it sounds a little "loose" when it rings.  Since it is loose, I don't know what more I'm expecting.  In any event, it certainly is now a serviceable and audible ringer.   I may try some added weight on the clapper and see what that does and I'll let you know if that allows it to ring with adjustments tight or "stock."  Thanks for the thoughts and help everybody.

[JorgeAmely]

You could also replace the thick flat spring with one made of a thinner material and keep the nut tight just like in the factory version. That coupled with a bigger capacitor (no more than 0.5 microfarad) could make it work. See dsk's recommendation above.

The clapper will be bigger, as is shown in the attached picture of a 20 Hz frequency ringer, to aid in the deflection of the thick stem as the ringer clapper swings from side to side.

In a standard 20 Hz straight line ringer (the one with the bias spring) the clapper stem is very thin and I would think that is the reason why the mass of the clapper is less.

Looking forward to "hear" your results.

[Jim Mc]

Here's the ringer in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o23fA0vsNA

[dsk]

 :)Looks OK, I would have tried to adjust it to have a shorter move, and then adjust the bell nearer.
This is based on experience with European ringers.

dsk