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Need help with an ITT Phone that has a Stromberg Carlson ringer that does not work

Started by Badge234, December 27, 2017, 11:47:22 AM

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Badge234

Hi,

I realize this thread is quite old in terms of internet threads but its still quite relevent. I have bought a phone that looks very much like the one Neoheurist bought and I have the same problem ie. The phone doesnt ring. The solution here seems to be to change the ringer for a CA4 rigner module but I can't  find one at a decent price. I have read various threads on the internet about similar phones with similar problems and some people have suggested that rewiring the ringer might do the trick. Now I have tried a few of those suggestions to no avail. Now I'm not entirely sure my phone is wired like it originally was and of course, it still doesn't ring.

So I guess my question is, can the phone be rewired or otherwise modified (short of changing the whole ringer module) so that it will ring?

I've included picture of the markings I have found on my rigner module. Obviously not a CA4 since I could not find that inscription anywhere.

Thanks.

PS. Please excuse any syntax errors. English is not my first language. I try to make an effort to convey my thoughts correctly but some of those thoughts might translate poorly. Should you need me to clarify something I wrote, I will gladly do so.

LarryInMichigan

Badge234 ,

It looks like you have a frequency ringer which may or may not be able to be coaxed to ring.  There should be a marking on it somewhere showing the ringing frequency.  The pictures only show the manufacture date and REN number, which indicates the amount of current drawn by the ringer.  At any rate, C4A ringers are plentiful in the USA and Canada.  Where are you located?

Larry

HarrySmith

A picture of the complete ringer, including the label with the frequency info Larry asked for which may be on the wiring diagram would be helpful. Sometimes adding a capacitor can help.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Dan/Panther

That's a Stromberg Carlson isn't it ?
ITT has the standard potted network, while SC, has the circuit board. At least that's what I've found.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

LarryInMichigan

I have seen SC frequency ringers in WE 591s.  They would have been used by independent telcos on party lines.

Larry

HarrySmith

Quote from: HarrySmith on December 27, 2017, 12:16:40 PM
A picture of the complete ringer, including the label with the frequency info Larry asked for which may be on the wiring diagram would be helpful. Sometimes adding a capacitor can help.

Sorry, I just scolled to the original post and found the piture of the ringer. That is definetly a frequency ringer. I would recommend going for a C4 ringer.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Badge234

Hello everyone,

Thanks for taking to time to help me out. I can see no other stamp or writing anywhere on the ringer module except for the number 16 stamped in the metal of the frame underneath the ringer and what I have already posted. The phone itself is stamped ITT and the ringer as you could see is stamped Stromberg Carlson. I do not have a wiring diagram but it looks pretty much like other phones I've seen here (especially the one from the original poster, save the capacitor on the ringer module).

Here are a few more pictures of the phone's "guts".

Now I understand that CA4 ringers are very common but like I said, I could not find one so far at a reasonable price. I'm up in Montreal, Canada. I've seen a few on eBay but they were selling for the price of the whole phone. I've already indulged myself by buying the phone because it brought back memories but was hoping I wouldn't have to put any more money on it. If I can just rewire it or add a capacitor or something for it to ring, it would be great. If not, I guess I'll hunt for a ringer module for cheap.

Thanks again.

Paul

TelePlay

Quote from: HarrySmith on December 27, 2017, 05:51:47 PM
Sorry, I just scolled to the original post and found the piture of the ringer. That is definetly a frequency ringer. I would recommend going for a C4 ringer.

Harry, that is not the ringer under current discussion. That image was posted in 2011



and the topic recently renewed with a question about a different phone/ringer.

Badge234, could you take a picture of your ringer, from the same angle as shown in the one just above, so we can see what type of ringer you have in your phone? There were no image attached/uploaded with your last post.

Thanks . . .


Badge234

For some reason, I can't seem to be able to join photos like I did last time. The photos seem to upload but then I get a blank forum page and nothing else happens. If I try to send again, I get a message that I have already posted that message but when I come back, the message is not there.

Anyone know why that is or how I could upload the photos some other way?

Thanks,

Paul

TelePlay

You are trying to upload images that are too large, file size. Resize each of you images down to 3,000 pixels on the largest side. That would result in a file size of under 3 Mbytes and those will upload as attachments.

If you get a white screen, hit the back arrow on your browser, hit F5 to refresh the page, uncheck any attached images (usually only one in this type of system error) and then attach the smaller, downsized images.

Resizing to a 3,000 by about 2,000 pixel images, or smaller (2,500 by about 1,700) works every time to avoid the white screen buffer overflow problem.

Uploading images directly from a 12 Mpixel camera will always cause that problem.


TelePlay

Your first two images were 1,182.55 kB, 1,920x1,080 [1.1 Mbytes in file size and 1,929 pixels by 1,080 pixels in size).

Were you using the same camera or did you switch to a higher Megapixel camera when using those that won't upload?

See #4a at this link for more on the white screen problem.

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=18551.0

Dan/Panther


The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Badge234

Seems like I had forgotten to resize one of the pictures, resulting in the blank screen I was getting when trying to attach the photos. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. So here are the photos I took of my phone's guts.

Paul

TelePlay

Yes, one image of several that is too large will do that. The software looks at every image before posting so if the first 3 of 5 are okay, the 4th is too large and the 5 is fine, none will be allowed to upload.

Definitely a frequency ringer, the large, adjustable clapper is one part of tuning the ringer to the desired frequency.

Badge234

OK, now that I have confirmation that my phone has a frequency ringer, what's next? Is changing the ringer module the only way to have the phone ring or is there another way to coax it to ring? Can it be rewired in some way or can I add something that's not terribly expensive and fairly simple to do? Failing another solution, I will try to find a replacement ringer in or near Montreal (Canada) at a fair price but I have not found one thus far.

Paul