WE 500 ringer stopped ringing

[Charles]

I have a 60's vintage WE 500 and the ringer just recently stopped working. The ringer unit is OK, I tested it in another phone. Otherwise the phone works fine (can make calls, receive calls). The ringer is wired per the wiring diagram available on this site (and it has worked for several years).

What internals can go bad on the network part of the phone that would affect ringing?
Is it possible to bypass whatever may be burned out?

Thanks for any replies

[poplar1]

There is a 0.47 Microfarad capacitor inside the network that connects to A and K, where you have the red-slate and slate ringer wires. Apparently, it is open. You can just connect another capacitor of approximately the same value across A and K, and the ringer should work again.

[G-Man]

Assuming that everything else is in good shape, the ringing capacitor inside of the network may have gone bad. If it has gone open then there is no problem since all you have to do is wire a replacement capacitor across terminals (A) and (K) on what is presumably a 425-type network.
The gain a clearer idea as to how those terminals are configured you can access wiring diagrams for the various networks at this link:
http://www.telephonecollectors.info/index.php/document-repository/doc_details/11940-c18-065-i4-sep62-induction-coils-networks-and-equalizers-ocr-r

[G-Man]

Popular1 posted while I was composing my reply and gave the correct value of the replacement capacitor.

You can obtain them from most sellers of electronic parts and while they come in all sorts of different packaging, here is one possibility from All Electronics-

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/RMC-344/0.47-UF-250-V-RADIAL-FILM-CAPACITOR/1.html

[unbeldi]

The original Western Electric replacement part was a 548A capacitor,
pictured here:  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=10387.msg110460#msg110460

See the discussion thread here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=10387.msg110644#msg110644

[Charles]

Thanks very much for your replies. I will try this and post my results.

[Charles]

It worked. I just installed the capacitor and it rings great.
Thanks for the help.