What is this hole in the bottom of AE 40s?

[Greg G.]

I checked the two I have, one has remnants of a rubber gasket, the other has nothing like in the picture.  It seems to be directly below the ringer magnet.  What is it's function?

[Phonesrfun]

I dont know either.  Mine has one too.

[HowardPgh]

I think all AE 40s have that hole. It should have a rubber grommet in it. I think its only purpose is to be a resting place and isolation bumper for the longer magnet on the original ringers. The ringer rests on three grommets, the 2 with screws and the one in the hole. This isolation makes for the pleasant ring.
Howard

[twocvbloke]

Could be for a drain plug for the ringer fluid....



(if you believed a dodgy repairman that is!!)

[Dan/Panther]

It's for spiders and bugs to get in.
D/P

[Phonesrfun]

It's a vent hole to keep the phone from blowing up under high pressure, especially with the undue pressure caused by trying to ring a frequency ringer with standard ringing current.

[DavePEI]

It's a vent hole to keep the phone from blowing up under high pressure, especially with the undue pressure caused by trying to ring a frequency ringer with standard ringing current.

Well, sort of right, but it is a vent to let out the hot air some people create when they talk on the phone. It can't all fit through the wires. I had to drill a vent hole in my wife's phone and crazy glued the handset on her ear so she can make her two hour phone calls several times a night. Looks odd, but somehow suites her.

Dave

[dsk]

It's for spiders and bugs to get in.
D/P

Partly right.
The original setup was like this. And it want ring if the opening is closed.

dsk

[TelePlay]

It's obviously a wall mount, to be hooked on a nail or screw sticking out of the wall . . . 

[Greg G.]

I think all AE 40s have that hole. It should have a rubber grommet in it. I think its only purpose is to be a resting place and isolation bumper for the longer magnet on the original ringers. The ringer rests on three grommets, the 2 with screws and the one in the hole. This isolation makes for the pleasant ring.
Howard

What could one get that would be a suitable replacement for the missing rubber grommet?  I thought somebody mentioned something you could get at an auto parts store, but now I can't find it.

[TelePlay]

I think all AE 40s have that hole. It should have a rubber grommet in it. I think its only purpose is to be a resting place and isolation bumper for the longer magnet on the original ringers. The ringer rests on three grommets, the 2 with screws and the one in the hole. This isolation makes for the pleasant ring.
Howard

What could one get that would be a suitable replacement for the missing rubber grommet?  I thought somebody mentioned something you could get at an auto parts store, but now I can't find it.

I went looking for grommets to fix the ringer on a 302 and found that major ACE or TrueValue hardware stores had a large selection of grommets. You have to ask them where they are in the store but once you find the shelf and have the measurement of the hole, you may find one that fits quite nicely.

Those are the hardware stores in my area. You may have others in your area. Radio Shack sells a bag of assorted grommets but unless you want to buy a bag, you can't measure them.