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Missbehaving 500 after cleaning with light soap and water.

Started by HobieSport, September 02, 2009, 06:58:27 PM

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HobieSport

I cleaned the insides of a working and intact 500 (cleaning all but the dial) with mild soap and some water and soft toothbrush, softly blew out the excess moisture, and let it dry in the sun.

Now no dial tone. It did give a dial tone once, after the cleaning and drying, but not anymore. I checked all connections and wires. I'm kind of at a loss. Could I have killed the network or something with the moisture? I realize that I'm not really giving any clues to go on here. Just wondering if someone has had a similar experience.

Hobie
-Matt

JorgeAmely

Check the transmitter circuit as it goes through the dial and hook switch contacts. If the central office does not see any current drawn by the phone, you get no dial tone.

What year is the phone? Did you remove the dial or any other component?



Jorge

Phonesrfun

You could have submerged it in 10 feet of water and would not have hurt the network after drying out. 

If you did not unhook anything, then I would check the hookswitch and the dial pulse contacts.  Blow them each out with the canned air that is used for computers.  If you did disconnect anything, then double check to see that you reconnected things the way they should go.
-Bill G

Phonesrfun

By the way, if you just let it sit and get all the way dry, it will probably go back onto good behavior.  I had this problem with a touchtone dial once.  I hit the surface of the dial with some 409.  Somehow the mist got into the contacts.  Afterwards it would not dial.  In frustration I set the phone aside and came back in a couple of days ready to work on it, but it had dried out and worked perfectly.
-Bill G

HobieSport

#4
Thanks Bill and Jorge!

I checked and cleaned the contacts on the dial and hook switch and they seem to be okay, though it's hard to say as I'm still pretty new to those tricky delicate parts. I've misplaced my circuit tester at the moment, so when I find it I'll give the phone attention again.

It's a really nice all matching dates December 1968 in good shape, and I had it advertised on Ebay before it started misbehaving, so I ended the auction.  I'd keep it but it's too darn young for my tastes. Only a 40 year old whippersnapper.
-Matt

Phonesrfun

Hobie:

Please do a close-up shot straight down on the network.... you may have a wire or two misplaced.  It is hard to see for sure from the photo you have posted, but lets check that.
-Bill G

HobieSport

Here's a couple of network shots. But I didn't change any connections on the network (or anywhere else) and it worked before the cleaning. But I did fiddle with the dial rotor contacts and I'm not sure if I got them back in right. I'll have to take pics of those in the daylight. I'd better find my circuit tester tomorrow! :P
-Matt

McHeath

I'm betting that it will start to work again after a drying out time.  It's a nice late style 500, would make a good addition to many a desk.

Phonesrfun

#8
The phone may be wired for party Automatic Number Identification (ANI) amongst other things.  Definitely not standard, but first check the dial pulse contacts,  If you had the contact strip off, it is easy to get it back on cock-eyed.

To be resumed tomorrow, I guess...
-Bill G

HobieSport

Good Morning,

Here are some shots of the dial contacts (with the dial at rest and also halfway turned) and a general shot of the wiring.
-Matt

Phonesrfun

Hobie:

The set of dial contacts on the right in your top picture are the dial pulse springs.  The mechanism is supposed to open and close these springs once for every number dialed.  While holding the dial upside-down in your hand, dial a zero and using your finger, let it return, but hold it back so it goes slow enough for you to get a good look at the pulsing.  Are the two springs actually separating while it is pulsing, or are they just wiggling without opening and closing.

Also, what is the letter or letters suffix on the bottom of the phone?  For instance, the standard run of the mill 500 is a 500 C/D.

You mentioned a circuit tester.  Is it an ohm meter?  (Hopefully it is)
-Bill G

Dennis Markham

Bill, as you mentioned the wiring of this 500 is not standard.  In the last photo I see a terminal strip between the dial mounting.  I'm wondering if it was a 510, two-line phone or some other phone that requires such a terminal strip. 

HobieSport

Bill the dial pulse springs seem to be opening and closing as they should.
The letter suffix of the phone is actually "L/M 500" which I've never seen before. What does that tell us? And yes I believe I have an ohm meter as soon as I can find the little guy I'll let you know.

Thanks! -Matt
-Matt

Phonesrfun

You may also need to get a battery for it if it has been sitting around for a year or more.

The 500 L/M is a standard 500 that has been set up for using one side of the hook switch as in a business key set, and one that was set up to have the ringer come in on a separate pair of wires in the line cord.  Thus the need for the terminal strip under the dial.

Either way, wiring it is easy, but we do need to find out why it ain't working.
-Bill G

HobieSport

#14
Okay, Good Doctor Bill; I found my multi-tester and indeed it needed a new battery. I'll need to go really slowly here and step by step, because not only am I electronically illiterate, I also know nothing about how to use the multitester, as I've only used it to check batteries on my lawnmower and electric boat.

I should also mention that I did replace the plug at the end of the line cord yesterday, so maybe we should start by testing my line cord. Here is the patient all opened up for surgery, and the multitester.
-Matt