Noisy Handsets on Payphones

[DavePEI]

Hi all:

I just wanted to pass along something I learned today, thanks to Terry, AE_collector. Though I applied this fix to an AE phone, it can apply to all payphones, so I am posting it in General Discussion.

My AE120B arrived the other day, and I installed it and it worked. But is had an annoyingly noisy handset when flexing the armored cord. Terry suggested something he has seen a lot on handsets with armored cords. It is caused by the contacts in the transmitter end of the handsets bending over time due to flexing caused by the armored cord being pulled.

The contacts which connect to the transmitter element are not made of good metal as they used to be, and with use, will not conduct well.

The cure is to remove the transmitter cap, and then pry up the contacts so they contact the transmitter element better.

Removing caps on payphone handsets can be a nasty job, as they are often glued. I am fortunate to have a 1468-3 ATI Ind. tool designed for removing stuck mouth and ear pieces from G type handsets. It is an aluminum plier-like tool with a rubber insert designed to grab tight G handsets.

It did break the seal, so I was able to remove the cap and bend the contacts so they made better contacts, curing the problem.

I must warn you, there is also a chance of breaking the thread and cap of the handset if it is well glued, in which case, the only cure is to replace it with a new handset and armored cord.

It is worth trying a moderate amount of pressure on the cap with a similar tool or strap wrench. Often, they aren't actually glued, just intentionally over tightened.

If you luck out, it is a simple cure for a very annoying staticky handset.

Dave

[paul-f]

I must warn you, there is also a change of breaking the thread and cap of the handset if it is well glued, in which case, the only cure is to replace it with a new handset and armored cord.

Depending on the vintage, the caps may be "ultrasonically bonded" (501-211-102 Issue 6).

In any case, removing as you described with a tool or strap wrench may break either the glue or bond, or the plastic in the thread area or the handle.

I've been lucky a few times when the break in the handle plastic is concealed by the seam between the cap and handle.  That is, when holding the detached cap back in place, you can't see the damage.

If that happens, you can reattach the cap with a few drops of glue and tape or strap it in place until the glue dries.  This is enough to hold the cap (and transmitter) in place for display purposes.

If you need to take it apart again, the strap wrench will break the temporary glue joint and the repair process can be repeated.

This fix would not have been acceptable for a phone in service, but can permit a collector to display and demo a phone without having to find a replacement handset.