WE 302 simple questions (I hope)

[captroosh]

I have always loved phones. Never collected them as a hobby until now I guess. about 2 weeks ago I purchased a WE 302 from a local resale shop near where I work for $10. It was pretty filthy but looked to be all original with cloth cords. attached are before and after photos. I hooked it up and managed to get it to work at least as far as talking, hearing, and receiving calls. However the Ringer doesn't ring. I've done some research and looked at the internals of a number of 302s.

From what I read it could be a party line phone I have no way to know for sure at this point. What stands out about mine is that in one of the bells, on the ringer, there is an additional piece of metal in the area that is usually hollow. My guess it is there to distinguish it from other extensions perhaps. Above the condenser there is a black component with 3 out of 4 connections with wires attached there are no loose wires internally. I'm at work and neglected to take pictures of the internals but will tonight. As this is a 3 wire phone I attempted through trial and error to connect to my 2 wire system in just about every configuration. The result was no ringer at any time. If anyone has any thoughts on what I described, until I get some more photos up, I would really appreciate the input.

[Key2871]

Hey, nice find. You have a manual 302, manual meaning there is no dial call would have gone through a switch board to make out going calls. I don't have a lot of experience with the302, but there are plenty here who do.
If that was a Party line set, and chances are good. That means the ringer ran through the yellow ground wire in the base cord to ring. Try connecting the yellow lead with the green line wire and ring the phone, it should ring.
If it doesn't come back and there will be help here to help you get it going again.
And welcome to the forum, this is a great place to learn.

[RB]

Hey Capt.
Your phone may have a frequency ringer.
Look at the clapper.
If it is a ball, it is prob good.
if it is an adjustable cylinder, it is a freq ringer, and you will need to replace it with a standard ringer.

[captroosh]

Thank you. The clapper as I recall has a ball on the end of it and what i believe is a spring near it;s base. But as my memory is not what it was in my youth i will have to look again.

[HarrySmith]

Nice find for $10.00. Cleaned up pretty good, now you need a dial card retainer for it. We will need pictures of the inside to confirm but it sounds like all you need to do is move one wire. It was probably originally set up for grounded ringing as previously stated. Not sure about the black component on top of your condensor, possibly a resistor tube? Pictures will tell. The part inside the gong is to change the sopund, a muffler of sorts.

[paul-f]

Welcome to the group!

Photos would be nice, but you may be able to find more info by looking for a mounting code on the inside back edge of the housing -- usually visible looking next to the rear mounting screw. Basic info on mounting codes with reference to Bell System Practices is found here:

   http://www.paul-f.com/we300typ.htm

Of course the housing could have been replaced over the decades, so it's important to study the components found and match them up with the components in the table.

[Doug Rose]

Welcome to the Forum!  This will be a snap to get ringing. Open the phone and post a pic, probably just moving a wire. Welcome!!.....Doug

[captroosh]

I keep trying to post new photos to no avail. Thank you all for the warm welcome.

[poplar1]

Is the housing marked H5 near the cord entrance? And the capacitor does it have only 2 wires (red and black)?

You may have a 306 rather than a 302. The 306s were often converted to 302s by removing the tube and adding a 1.0 uF capacitor in series with the ringer.

There is another way to make the ringer work without adding a capacitor, as JorgeAmely pointed out here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2260.msg32629#msg32629


Connect one side of the ringer to Tip (green wire from the mounting cord).
Connect the other side of the ringer plus the red and black leads of the tube together.
Connect the yellow wire of the tube to Ring (red wire from the mounting cord)

It should ring loud and clear. If it doesn't, exchange the red and green mounting cord leads to correct for wrong polarity.

[jsowers]

I keep trying to post new photos to no avail. Thank you all for the warm welcome.

Set your camera's resolution low so the pics are not large in size. Need to be 2 or 3 megs or less. Then they should post OK. You can also use MS Paint to save a low-res copy that will post OK. Pics will help us diagnose the problem like nothing else can.

Welcome to the Forum!

[.....]

Welcome to CRPF.
Good catch!

[captroosh]

Thanks everyone.  Got a message last night directing me in the error of my photos. So here goes. Did not see any markings near the cord.

[poplar1]

Yep, that is a 306. You will need to rewire ringer and tube as in reply #8 above -- or, install a 1.0 microfarad capacitor.

[paul-f]

Your last photo seems to show H-1 marked in vermillion ink on the inside rear of the housing. (Upper right in the photo.) Just goes to show that parts can be changed in the many decades since it was made.

Is there a date code on the front inside edge of the housing?

[captroosh]

I'll have to look for the date code. I thought perhaps the code printed on the inside of the base in the front. 1st pic might be it. S-3-45.