Trendline issues

[bdoss2006]

Well it's me again with a different itt/northern telecom trendline. This one won't come off the hook either. I think it may be an issues with the button to disconnect on the handset. It is getting 50 volts to one side of the contacts and 0 it at times a volt or two to the other side. I cleaned the contacts as best as I could but it still won't work. What should I do?

[HarrySmith]

To start with what you should do is post pictures. They are very helpful in trying to diagnose an issue.

[TelePlay]

It is getting 50 volts to one side of the contacts and 0 it at times a volt or two to the other side.

50 volts AC or DC?

If DC, flip red and green to see if it's a polarity issue. Or did you already try that?

Detailed pictures of the phones internals are needed, complete images of the internals and close ups for specifics.

[Kellogg Kitt]

I too would like to see pictures.  I was not aware that Northern Telecom ever made Trendline/Trimline.  Their approximation of it was the Contempra.

[bdoss2006]

I too would like to see pictures.  I was not aware that Northern Telecom ever made Trendline/Trimline.  Their approximation of it was the Contempra.

yeah that confused me too, it says northern telecom on the back, but parts on the inside say itt. I'll post pictures in a few minutes.

[bdoss2006]

Here are some pictures, pay no attention to the white wire in the pic of the base, I just hooked that up to test it easier.

[HarrySmith]

There is one spot on the flexible circuit that looks a little suspicious, burned? See circled picture attached.

[bdoss2006]

There is one spot on the flexible circuit that looks a little suspicious, burned? See circled picture attached.

yeah I seen that, it sorta looks like that in a few other places. Now this may be my imagination but the capacitor near the speaker and what I think is a capacitor near the disconnect button almost look like they've been wet. The contacts on the disconnect button looked like they'd had a little too much electricity through them. They were a little burned.

[Kellogg Kitt]

it says northern telecom on the back, but parts on the inside say itt.

Northern Telecom is just the modular adapter backplate, which is removable.

Every modular-converted ITT or Stromberg-Carlson wall phone I have ever seen (including 554 and 2554 sets) has had a Northern Telecom modular backplate.  I suspect that Northern Telecom may have been the major, or perhaps the only, non-Bell supplier of these backplates.

It is interesting that NT made modular backplates for Trendlines, when (to the best of my knowledge), they never made Trendline phones.

 

[Contempra]

I was not aware that Northern Telecom ever made Trendline/Trimline.  Their approximation of it was the Contempra.

You're probably right for the Contempra but i have an orange one made by Northern Electric (5 wires)

[G-Man]

Interestingly Northern manufactured several of these types of adapters specifically for Western Electric and Automatic Electric wallphones, including trim-style sets.

[bdoss2006]

What should I try to do?

[poplar1]

What should I try to do?

You can bypass the recall button by installing a strap (short wire) between the 2 screw terminals of the recall button. Then you should be able to draw dial tone or answer a call.

The recall button was used for call waiting or to make a 3-way call or to hangup and make another call without having to return the handset to the base. Other than that, it is not needed in the circuit. On a rotary Trimline/Trendline/Slenderet/Styline, you can also disconnect by letting the dial return slowly.

[bdoss2006]

You can bypass the recall button by installing a strap (short wire) between the 2 screw terminals of the recall button. Then you should be able to draw dial tone or answer a call.

The recall button was used for call waiting or to make a 3-way call or to hangup and make another call without having to return the handset to the base. Other than that, it is not needed in the circuit. On a rotary Trimline/Trendline/Slenderet/Styline, you can also disconnect by letting the dial return slowly.

this one is soldered, it doesn't have screw terminals.