Newbie here with WE 304 - Reciever Issue

[jpd158]

Hi Guys,

I'm a new collector, just getting started in the hobby.  I've always loved all things 40's, so when I saw the phones I now have, I grabbed them.  Picked up a Stromberg Carlson for 20 bucks, and it worked great as soon as I got it.  On this past New Year's Eve, I picked up what I really wanted, which was a Western Electric 302 (or so I thought), with an E-1 handset.  This one didn't work, so after some research, I was able to contact Dennis Markham who graciously helped me rewire it.  (Dennis also identified it as a 304, not a 302.)  After rewiring the phone and trying it out, it works, except I can't hear anything through the receiver.  The wiring for the handset seems ok (as far as I can tell with my limited knowledge), but then I compared mine to other E-1 handsets and it seems to be missing a part, specifically the diaphragm.

I have included pictures of the phone and the handset.  The handset photo shows the receiver parts just as I got it.  I can't hear anything out of it, except for that sound that a phone makes when the phone has been off the hook for too long.  I can hear it, but it's very faint.  That's all I can hear though, no dial tone, no voice.

My question is, will purchasing a diaphragm solve my problem?   Thanks for the help.

Jim

[dsk]

Welcome!

The answer will be: probably.

An easy way to test it out is to use the magnetic cover of a food can after carefully opened it with a can opener.

Of course  this is not as a real one, but it works. (It has to be magnetic, not aluminum)

If you have one of those thin plates from a calender of that kind you move a magnetic ring on to point out today, its nearly perfect.

dsk

[LarryInMichigan]

Jim,

Welcome to the forum.  You definitely want to get a diaphragm, and Steve Hilsz will probably be able to sell you one for really cheap: http://phonesurplus.com/e1parts.html.  Your phone looks great, and it can work well also.


Larry

[HowardPgh]

You can hear the off hook sound without the diaphragm in because it is very loud and it is vibrating the coil parts in the receiver.
I think a diaphragm would make a world of difference!
Very nice looking phone, I like the 302 style a lot.