Dial Noise in receiver on WE 653A

[brenthyatt]

I have a WE 653A that works well except I hear a clunk or thud noise through the receiver when the fingerwheel returns to its stop position. I don't hear the noise while the fingerwheel is actually rotating, only when it comes to a stop. Thought I may have a shunt contact not working properly, but the dial tone is broken with the slightest movement of the fingerwheel. I've checked and rechecked the wiring and everything seems to be connected correctly and I have disconnected every wire at both ends one at a time and checked for continuity. The dial is a 5M which seems to be exactly like a 5H except for the layout of the screw terminals. There are no other issues with this phone. Is this normal for this phone?

[poplar1]

5M and 5H have the same layout. (The 5M is just a 5H that was updated with a black number plate to use on the 5302G set which resembled a 500.)

Look at the bottom two contacts of the dial and see if they are staying open until the dial has returned all the way.

Also, the transmitter is going to pick up some of the dial movement since sound travels best through solids.

[Phonesrfun]

I don't think it is a switch issue in the dial.  I think it is all accoustic noise coming from the dial through the metal cabinet to the transmitter.

mine does that too,a and I have experimented with a number of dials to see if any dial model was better than another.  A number 6 dial is better than a 2,4, or 5, but a 6 would not have been original to the phone.

What is happening is the switch on the dial turns the receiver back on after the last dial pulse, and a few miliseconds before the dial winds down and comes to a rest.  When it does come to a rest, the shaft has a pawl that comes to rest on its stop, which hits with a thud that we don't normally hear.  Not only that, but the governor continues to wind down a few revolutions, even after the finger wheel comes to a stop.

All that action after the switch reconnects the receiver is accoustically transmitted through the metal phone case and amplified by the transmitter.  

Candlesticks have the same issue, but not nearly so pronounced because of the distance between the  dial and the transmitter, the more solid metal construction, and the fact that holding the candlestick by the shaft dampens the accoustic noise.

We just don't realize sometimes what the experience of using these old phones really was.  The same can be said for the hollow and tinny sound of the old solid back transmitters.

By the time the WE 302 was designed, many of the accoustic issues were resolved.  Further improvements were made with the 500.  However, the experience of using a phone of older design was much different, and is not necessarily an indication of a problem.

[brenthyatt]

Thanks. After looking closely at the shunt contacts, I agree its an acoustic problem. Do you think it would improve the situation to put a rubber gasket between the dial assembly and the metal case?

[Phonesrfun]

Although I haven't tried that, I do believe it would help. 

Here is a link to Richard Rose's Ericophone.com site and his parts for sale. 

http://www.ericofon.com/catalog/parts.htm

You can see that he has a reproduction 302 rubber dial gasket which is flat, which I think would be perfect for what you are suggesting.

[poplar1]

Are you using an old transmitter (brass) or newer (Bakelite) style with F-1 transmitter element?  

Does your phone have a date stamped in vermillion (orange) ink inside the front cover?
How about on the induction coil?

These phones were manufactured from around 1920 (553A) to at least 1945 (653BA). The last ones had many of the same parts as 302s. Many were upgraded from 553A to 653A or 653BA.

[brenthyatt]

The inside has no date I can see, but is stamped 653A in orange ink. The transmitter is a bakelite bulldog type with the F1 style element.

[brenthyatt]

Phonesrfun, Thanks for the link. I ordered the gasket tonight.