WE 302 ringer bells.

[CDK]

Has anybody ever changed the ringer bells in a WE 302 just to make the telephone sound different preferably with two of the same matching bell? If so what does it sound like?

[TelePlay]

I haven't done that but I would think two bells of the same frequency would cause you to loose the rich harmonics that two different frequency bells provide. I think school bells and fire bells are the same frequency and IIRC, just clang loudly - reinforced single frequency for loudness.

Anyone else have an idea?

[Babybearjs]

I've messed with the bells a lot, basically to make them ring the loudest they can... the brass bells are the loudest.... the steel bells sound ok, and can be pretty loud. be rotating the gongs, you can adjust the loudness. having both a steel and a brass bell gives you a different sound....and adding a dampener will really change the sound.  there used to be many variations of the sound difference based on the make up of the gongs and dampeners....

[andre_janew]

I think someone on this forum has an AE phone with WE bells.  I don't know who it is, but I do know it isn't me!

[AL_as_needed]

You could also add a "ring dampener", that cuts down on the harmonic vibration of the gongs and almost makes it sound like a mechanical buzzer. They were issued equipment and likely used in crowded locations that had many extensions in close proximity.

Covered here:
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=17381.msg179427#msg179427