Automatic Electric

[Bill Cahill]

  Hi, everyone.. A friend of mine has an AE phone from the late 60's. Anything I can do for him will have to come from me. He doesn't even have a computer, and, doesn't want one...
First, I need all the information I can find on it. Then, I need a part for it. Could use a schematic for it, also. On paper.
It seems to be a late 60's era phone. His microphone rattles, and, makes a lot of noise. He needs a new, or, good microphone for it. Can anyone help???
Bill Cahill

[TelePlay]

Well, Bill, as usual, I hope he has a camera or you can take one over to take exterior and interior pictures so the AE experts can help.

Phone from the front and then the back of the dial and hook switch and the network and ringer and anything else that will help will help.

[Bill Cahill]

   As I said he doesn't have a computer, so, no camera. I can't take pictures there. He's too far away..Further  more, all he needs is the microphone. Not the whole phone.

[LarryInMichigan]

If the transmitter rattles around in the handset, it would be bound to make alot of noise.  The first thing to do would be to unscrew the mouthpiece, remove the transmitter capsule, clean the contacts, and bend the contacts as necessary to make sure that they are properly making contact with the transmitter.  If the transmitter actually needs to be replaced, a type 81 transmitter capsule should be easy to find, either from a forum member or from Steve Hilsz, OPW, or Phoneco. 

A schematic should be available on the TCI website: http://telephonecollectors.info/index.php/browse/wiring-diagrams/automatic-electric-1.  You can certainly print any of the diagrams there.


Larry

[AE_Collector]

Good to hear from you on the forum Bill. We all hope that all is going well for you.

You have seen the phone then?
Desk or Wall?
Basically similar to a 500 desk phone? AE 80.
Or like a 554 Wall phone but with handset vertical off the left side of the housing AE 90.

Does everything work well, it just rattles when moved? Or rattles as in garbled transmission? I've had bits of plastic floating around in handsets causing them to rattle when moved around.

Most 80's and 90's will have codes stamped on the back or base. If he can provide the codes we can probably decipher the model but that said, 80 or 90 or even older Bakelite 40 or 50, the same transmitter capsule will work if needed.

Terry

[Bill Cahill]

I have seen the phone. It's not rattling in the handset. Particles are rattling in the microphone.Volume  is low, and, it makes a lot of static noise. Sorry for the mix-up. Thank you for the welcome back...... Oh. It's a desk phone.

[AE_Collector]

So it is a desk phone somewhat similar to the black one I posted. Low volume can happen due to the carbon granuals in the capsule becoming packed together over the years. We would take them out and rap the edge of the transmitter against the edge of a table or counter top two or three times. Put it back together and frequently the volume would then be good again. This might solve the rattle as well, hard to say.

The wiring diagram will be easy to get online but there are about 4 different network types which changes the drawing a little bit. Numbers on the base would help here a bit. But maybe the transmitter will fix it and wiring isn't an issue.

Static of course could be transmitter, connections, coil cord or hook switch contacts. The hook switch contacts can be cleaned by cutting little strips of printer paper about 1/4" wide and a few inches long. Put the paper strip between each set of contact points with the switch operated so that the points are touching. Then pull the paper strip out which will remove most crud from the contact points. Some points are closed when on hook and others closed when off hook.

Terry

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Great to hear from you again, Bill!

It would be great to know what kind of phone your friend has. If it's a Type 80 or 90, the transmitter might be missing a small metal 'cradle' nestled in the bulb of the handset. That connects a third conductor from the handset cord to the transmitter. There's maybe a 1/16" gap between the transmitter element and handle without that, causing the transmitter the rattle around. I believe the type 41 handset had the same kind of metal transmitter cradle.

However, without pictures, I'm afraid everything here is guesswork. The best help we could possibly provide would be guessing for a solution, and trying to find out if that might be the problem. If not, we have to go back to another round of guessing.

If we can't get pictures, it might be a good idea to just let this thread die. It's also kind of a hands-on experience that a handy guy could probably figure out if they had the phone in front of them to look at and work with. To me, it sounds like a part is missing, but it's pretty vague without much solid information to go on.

[Bill Cahill]

I had already tried the idea with the microphone. He likes to tinker, so, I will see if I can get him to look into the three points of connection. I'll also see if I can get him to look through the base for numbers.
I'm not letting this die until I find out from him one way, or, another...
 

[AE_Collector]

The transmitters aren't very often loose within the handset but the receiver can be on these handsets. The receiver capsule should have a metal ring around it that is clamped between capsule and receiver cap to keep it tight. If it were missing the capsule will frequently rattle if you shake the handset.

Terry

[Bill Cahill]

I talked to him on the phone yesterday.  He tried several of your ideas. If he holds the receiver in both hands, it does great. Volume is loud. If he holds the receiver in one hand Sound volume cuts, and, it goes back to a lot of static...
He's going to check on maybe two of the contacts are intermittently shorting...

Bill Cahill

[AE_Collector]

Yes get him to remove the transmitter cap and check that connections are tight and not shorting to anything. The brass bar that one transmitter lead attaches to has a slot that it nicely sits in to make contact with the center pin of the transmitter capsule.

Terry