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AE central Office Subset/Alarm Box

Started by Babybearjs, March 12, 2011, 07:20:37 PM

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Babybearjs

Last year I bought a AE subset from Cliff in AZ. and can't get the ringer to work. does anyone know anything about the old single gong ringers that were used on the old AE 47 desksets? All the info I have been able to find on the ringer says to use a 1MF cap with it. I tried this and it barely rang the bell... any suggestions to remedy this?? currently I'm using a WE 202 with this unit and have install a 101A coil as well as a 195A Capacitor on the unit. the phone works fine, the ringer just does'nt work.     John
John

Phonesrfun

John:

Perhaps it contains a frequency ringer as opposed to a straight-line ringer.  I am not familiar with the single gong AE47 you mentioned, but I can usually spot a frequency ringer when I see one.  Can you post a photo?

-Bill G

stub

#2
John ,
         The AE -32 has a single gong ringer . Here's a pic of mine. If it is like mine you can loosen the gong screw and rotate the gong , left or right , to get the loudest ring. If that doesn't work you can also, loosen or tighten , the screw on the clapper to get the loudest ring.  
 ( click on pic to enlarge the pic )   Hope this helps.   stub
         
Kenneth Stubblefield

Babybearjs

YES! the ring shown there is the same one. what size capacitor does it use? a 1MF or what? I even tried to adjust (tune) the gong to bring the hammer closer. what do you all suggest.  John
John

stub

#4
Babybearjs,
                  John mine has a 1 mfd. cap. You could try another 1mfd.@ 250 volts capacitor . Can you post a pic?    stub
Kenneth Stubblefield

rdelius

That ringer was used on AE intercom sets. The impedance might be too low for a normal telephone line and it might require a large capacitor to ring.
Robby

paul-f

There's a reference to the D56355A ringer in the AE 4055 Catalog in the TCI Library.  It's on the 32A14 desk and wall telephone sets. 

The catalog is searchable, but a detailed description of the ringer doesn't turn up.

Here's some of the text introducing the sets:

"TYPE 32A14 HANDSET TELEPHONES
Type 32A14 Handset Telephones are similar to Monophones in general style and design, but are particularly suited for use with isolated private exchanges. Like the Monophone models, these handset telephones are made of molded plastic throughout, and present a very fine appearance.

The circuit employed makes use of an induction coil type of receiver, no separate induction coil being necessary. The transmitter is of the sealed capsule type and is only slightly less efficient than that of the Monophone. An efficient and compact single coil ringer is employed in place of the regular polarized ringer. These telephones cannot therefore be furnished for harmonic ringing."
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

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Babybearjs

Hopefully this will help!
John

GG



To my eyes that looks suspiciously like a DC "trembler" bell of the type used in doorbells. 

The screw and springy flat contact at the left are very typical of DC bells.  DC passes through the coil and then through an assembly just like that, the purpose of which is to interrupt the current when the clapper is attracted to the coil, thereby causing the clapper to vibrate.   The same principle is used for DC buzzers.

If that's what you have, it won't ring on regular ringing current.  However you can build a circuit using an AC relay, capacitor, and zener diodes, to detect ringing voltage and then switch DC power to an extra two wires to the phone to operate a DC bell.  The purpose of the zener diodes is to prevent the relay chattering and the bell jingling when dialing on the line. 

If AE used DC bells on these sets, that would be a clue to the use of DC ringing power on PAX switches (in which case a 3-wire circuit would suffice), to avoid the cost of an AC-AC frequency converter to produce 20-Hz.   Interesting solution when one manufacturer can provide their own phones for their PAX. 

Alternately if the coil is not wired via that springy thingie to the left of it, then it's an AC ringer and the spring contact is only used for adjusting it.  However I think this is unlikely compared to the probability of it being a DC bell. 

Babybearjs

the bell on the left is a 12VDC bell, the one on the right has a P/N of: D56355K and is marked as a SL ringer. I am curious about the proper specs for this part. I have a .47MF cap in series with the bell.  hope that helps!
John

GG



John- Both of those bells in that box look like DC trembler bells to me: each one has that little screw & contact assembly to the left of it.  If the one on the right is marked as a straight-line ringer that's an interesting surprise.

The definitive test for whether you have a DC trembler bell is:

Take any VOM set to the Rx10 position, or any continuity tester, and connect it across the leads to the bell.  Note that you should get a DC resistance reading or the continuity tester should light up.  Then use your finger to manually press the armature and clapper in so the clapper makes contact with the bell gong.  If the resistance reading increases or the continuity tester goes dim or goes off, then you have a DC trembler bell. 

Those bells should ring on 12 volts DC but if not, then try 24 volts DC.  What I would do to be very safe, is use a variable power supply and increase the voltage starting from 3 volts DC.  Monitor the current using a VOM set to DC milliamps and connected in series with the bell.  When the bell first starts to ring, note the voltage and turn it up slightly so you have enough power to get a reliable ring. 

One more thing: put a capacitor across the break contacts on those bells, to absorb some of the substantial electrical noise they produce (which can interfere with radios and televisions).  A value somewhere between 0.5 and 2.0 microfarads should be sufficient. 

Kellogg made a type 1000 Masterphone variant called the Select-O-Phone, that had DC bells inside, and a red pressbutton on the housing.  Presumably this worked similarly to early Strowger exchanges, where you'd dial the number but then use the pressbutton to ring the called station. 

Babybearjs

Can I "stack" caps together to increase the value? I currently have 2 .47MF caps wired in paralell and wired in series with the bell. I have yet to test this. last time I tested the ringer, the hammer vibrated, but not enough the sound the gong. I tried to adjust the screw and then gave up for a time... I'm waiting for some input from all you guys!
John