Health

How to fix a bell that isn't working on a phone.

I enjoy working on the dial.Many people don't like it and there are people who are afraid of it.There is an article about doing a basic, simple and safe clean up.

Most dial designs have the same parts and work in a similar manner.It doesn't matter if it is a dial from a ZBSA 24, Western Electric 302 or French U 43.

I used a German dial called NrS 36.The 1936 design is used on many telephones.It first appeared on the Halske Modell 36 from 1936, which was the forefather of the famous W 48, standard telephone for theDeutsche Post after the war.

I can't stress this enough.There is no point in working on a broken dial.After a quick clean and polish, I won't be able to function properly.It is necessary to do a more in depth restoration or a proper repair first.If you don't know what you're doing, you might want to take it to someone who does.

You may need to make a small adjustment.The free movement of the finger wheel is hampered by the bent finger stop.

If you have a small private exchange, try it out on an outside line.You should also test the higher numbers (8, 9, and 0).

The dial will return to its starting position when the finger wheel is released after it is turned clockwise.There are 10 pulse per second.

Exchanges usually accept frequencies between 9 and 13 pulse per second.The numbers being dialled will not be accepted by the exchange if the dial runs too slowly or too fast.

There is more to pulse dialling.We will leave it at pulse rate for now because it is a basic refurbishment.

To give a dial a proper clean, you will need to disassemble it.There will be no need to remove parts from the mechanical, rear side.The front is different.

It is not always possible to remove the finger wheel without the spring.

You will need to change the dial after undoing the spring.Without specialist equipment it is hard to do that.

It is not easy to remove the finger wheel from older dial designs.Leave it in place if that is the case.This will turn into a complete rebuild if not basic.Make sure you don't have too much trouble removing the finger wheel.If you have doubts, leave it in place and clean it as best you can.

Remove the finger stop if you can.A lot of encrustation is found on the inside of it.

The parts that go on the dial should be washed and polished.If you need to soak overnight, warm water and a little soap will do the trick.The cleaner you use, the better the dial will look.Put the parts back on.

Water shouldn't be used to clean the mechanism and electrical components.A basic refurbishment is what we are doing.

The gear teeth need to be cleaned with a brush, toothpick or both.Until they are clean and nice.If the black stuff on the teeth doesn't come off, put a drop of oil on it and try again.To clean excess oil, use a q-tip or a piece of tissue paper.

As the dial is operated, a number of contacts are made or broken.These contacts are made of leaf springs and coated in a black substance.This substance prevents contact with electricity.

Do not use a metal brush to clean the leaf springs.The thing for this job is an old tooth brush.

You will damage the special coating if you use a file.I use coarse paper to clean the contacts.It's enough to clean them.You can imagine how bad it will be for the contacts if you put the dial in another oil.

Good quality fine machine oil is used.Make sure the oil is free of silicone.A sticky yellow glue can be created by low quality oil or the wrong kind of oil.You can imagine how this will affect the dial.

Use as little oil as you can.Dust attracts oil and that will cause a problem.Do not spray it.Some people do that.

Cheap oil will become sticky after a while and too much will attract dust, which will affect the functioning of the dial.

Put a drop of oil on the ends of shafts.If you can reach the leaf spring, you should put a drop of oil on it.Smooth winding of the spring will be ensured by this.

The governor is in the next picture.There are weights on a shaft.The weights move outward when the dial is used.The smooth return of the dial is ensured by this part.The pulse frequencies of your dial are messed up by oiling this part.Don't oil this part.

The pulse Frequency and the speed of the dial will be altered after cleaning, oiling and reassembly.The exchange will accept the number if the dial runs at 10 pulse per second.

Simply install the dial in a working phone and test it on a private exchange or telephone line.It is important that you check the high numbers like 0,9 and 8 as well as the low numbers.

If you want to compare the speed of the dial with another that works properly, you can dial the highest digit on the other dial simultaneously and release the finger wheels at the exact same time.If your refurbished dial is running slower or faster than the test dial, this gives you an idea.

The dial slowed down as dirt accumulated in the mechanism.The dial will run closer to its factory adjustment if it is refurbished.It won't make the dial run too fast if you did oil that governor.

My experience is that after a dial is refurbished, it will run a lot better.It is ready for another couple of decades of use.

If you want to read about how to restore a telephone, you should read how I did it.

I just bought a Bell phone from a vintage M.F.G company in Belgique.I am able to accept incoming calls, but I can not dial out.Sometimes it works but not all the time as the dial seems to stick.When you dial a number, it will work, but then it won't.I am in the UK and need some help and advice as I have been looking for a brand of oil that issilicone free but can't seem to find anything on the internet...

Thank you for your comment, Barry.I am not sure if you have one of the dial designs used byBTMC.The erratic behavior of your dail is caused by dirt or the dial speed is a little out of spec.There will be some cleaning needed.

I am not sure which brands are available in the UK, but a good quality sewing machine oil is good for oiling a dial.Bike chain oil is an example of a lubricant with sillicone.I don't think that's a good idea for dials.

I live in the Netherlands.The shipping costs will set you back at least 30 e.

This reply will be sent by email as well.I will give you some pointers for cleaning your dial if you send me a picture of it.

To count the number of turns that will happen by releasing the spring, it is necessary to disassemble all that is behind the dial.When you clean it, you count the same number of laps that it did, and you put everything back in place.Once everything is cleaned up, this should be enough.I didn't have a problem with my dial phones.

Thanks for sharing your opinion.The article is about a basic restoration, so I wanted it to be easy to do for beginners.It is not possible to remove the finger wheel without undoing the spring.

There will be more articles on this in the future, like how to calibrate a dial without a measuring instrument, and full restorations of dials.

Help!I did not count the rotation of the dial spring.Is it possible to recalibrate the dial?

The phone we have in the props cupboard has a slightly broken plastic cover of the dial card and I can't see the hole to help remove the face.Do you have any ideas?I can send you photos.Thank you for any advice!

Thank you for your message.I received your email as well.Unlike US telephones, your telephone does not have a pin hole release.There is a video that will show you how to replace your dial label.

Greetings!I can't dial out of my Bell System/Western Electric C/D 500 12/53 phone.Fixable?Any suggestions?

A 500 C/d should work on a normal phone line.Maybe your telephone line doesn't support the touch tone?It's a common problem.

Thank you for your reply.The other phones on that line work well.The phone does not work.The dial does not work with this phone.

Susan, either the telephone is wired wrong or the dial doesn't run at the right speed, you need to adjust.

It is easy to test the 2nd problem.You can help the dial by using your finger on the return stroke.You can use your finger on the return stroke to slow it down.If you dial 2 or 3 and it breaks tone, you know it's too slow or too fast.

Thank you for your reply.The phone jack at the location where I would like the black rotary to be placed is currently a white phone.I tried the black phone on another jack and it didn't work.You can get a dial tone, but you can't dial the phone.It seems like something is off with the rotary.Is there a website where I can get instructions on how to look inside the phone and make sure it works?

P.S.Is it normal to only have three wires?Is red, yellow, and green not black?Is that the problem?

Many ex-BT engineers will be willing to give advice for the phones they used to work on if you message them on the Facebook page.If we thought it would be quicker to change the dial at the customer's house or office, we used to do it.

The dial on the bakelite 312 doesn't fully return to off position.I think I have undone a screw, but not sure how to help.

Can you tell me how to get the spring loaded screw back in to the phone's nut?

Anne, what spring loaded screw do you mean?Is it the one that secures the shell to the base?If you push the spring through the hole, you can put the nut back on.You might need a tool to hold the nut.

I need to know if you have shematics for this type of phone or how to convert from pulse to tone so that I can use it, it is in good working condition, thank you very much.

How do I get the finger wheel to align with the numbers?I have to remove that piece?Which tool?

When the hook goes up, I get a loud noise on my phone.The component seems to have a power overload.If the hook goes up, I hear that discharge, even if I unplugged it from the wall.

Thank you for the message, Fabricio.Remove the hexagonal nut.There is a chance of a play on the fingerwheel.If the number ring is positioned correctly, you may want to check it.If that doesn't work, the mechanism is mounted on a metal plate which is fastened to a plastic disc with 2 bolts.The mechanism can be moved a little if you reverse them.Is there a device in the phone?Loud clicking should be prevented by this.Arwin.

I just got a RTT56A, and it looks like the one on your site.Sometimes the wheel returns slowly or gets stuck when I pull out my finger, but most of the time it runs well.I was wondering if I could remove the finger wheel without having to worry about the spring.Is this also the case for this model?The finger wheel is attached with a single screw and I don't want to mess with it.

If I were you, I would leave the finger wheel in place.Clean the back of the mechanism.That will improve the dial's performance.Thank you, Arwin.

I have a problem with the dialing on my old W49.The 3 and the 6 are the numbers to dial.I need an idea as to what I can do.

There could be a number of reasons.The article explains how to clean and oiled the dial mechanism.Did you do that yet?The dial on the W49 is the same as in the article.The fingerstop should not be bent.A bent fingerstop makes it difficult to turn the finger wheel.Look through the fingerstop if you turn the dial on it's side.If the fingerwheel does not touch the stop, give the dial a full turn.Do the 3 and 6 misdial?Is it always or just sometimes?How do you know it's 3 and 6?Arwin.

I love the site.I am new at this.The Western Electric hand set is round.Thanks Larry.

When this phone is connected and an incoming call comes, it tingles once and then disengages the call.Do you know which component is malfunctioning?Thanks Willie.

Thanks for the message, Willie.I believe there is a short circuit in your phone.One of the wires might connect wrong.I don't know the make or model of that one.Thank you.Arwin.

Help!I unwound the spring.Is there a way to reprogram it without specialized equipment?

That is unfortunate, Sean.You can compare the dial speed if you have a second dial.If you dial 0, the dail should return to its rest position in 1.2 seconds.You can use a stopwatch, but it's not accurate.You can use the video to measure it.You can use audacity to connect your dial to the microphone jack on your computer.What type of dial do you have?Arwin.

I was able to get it working again.After being wound around a couple times to roughly the right tension, I found that the dial needed to be at a certain position to register the internal connections as the start position.While trying to replace the finger stop with a new one, I damaged a small spring that holds the lever in place.A retractable ball-point pen has a spring that is about the size of a small spring.I had to cut away most of the spring to get it back together.I had to hold the mechanism in place and get the dial adjusted before I could install the finger stop.It was adjusted to the most ideal spot, but I had to adjust it once or twice to dial correctly.It would be nice to have something other than my regular phone line to call for help.This may or may not be a lesson.If you do it, you might want to get a damaged dial to try it first.I would like to see a picture or video on this, as I didn't find any online resources to help me.It's a really bad design to have the finger stop double.The dial now produces an auditable number of clicks according to the number dialed.I wonder if the wires are not touching as my other phones only produce a single click sound.There are markings on the back of this dial.I think the phone is an amalgam of many parts.It has an old English dial, a cheap Chinese receiver and transmitter, and an ornate brass and wood body.I think the manufacturer made some nice devices out of the old dials.It arrived a bit out of shape, dial would not return, sidetone was too strong, the cradle wouldn't move, and I put some cloth in front of the transmitter to make it softer.It claims to be a reproduction of a desk set from 1885.I would like to learn more about the phones made in India if you know more.You can see it and buy it on eBay.

Wow, Sean.I am impressed.Glad to hear that it's working again.Sounds like you had a great experience.

I recommend buying a small house exchange for 3 to 8 lines.They are cheap to get and the size of a shoe box.If you are interested in vintage telephony, playing around with your telephones is a good start.If you like pulse and DTMF, make sure it accepts them.

I will be writing more about dial calibration and servicing in the future.It takes a long time to make articles like that.Thank you for the link.Your phone is either a novelty phone or a fantasy phone.The design is not based on a real phone.It is a mix of old and new parts.I'm not sure if that clicking sound is a fault.Maybe they didn't bother to put in a surpressing diode to make the clicks sound softer because you always hear that faintly.Arwin.

I bought this telephone because I like the design of my office desk, and I feel comfortable messing with it.I will be replacing the cords with vintage cloth covered cords.Do phones always use 4 wire cords?I have a few antique telephones.I believe the Stromberg Carlson candlestick with dial and subset box is from the 1920s.I have only seen that frame without a dial, and every S.C.The base of the dial is similar to the Western Electric candlestick.The dial is completely out of the case, and I believe it is either a really early one that has been retrofitted with a dial from the factory or telephone company, or possibly by the end user later in its life, however the finish on the dial and base match perfectly.It was from Canada.The transmitter makes my voice not come through as well as it could.Will it be possible to fix the issue with another carbon transmitter?I own a wood phone from 1917.The picture frame and cathedral top are not the same as the earlier ones.It has a dial that can make outgoing calls.The Chinese phone that I got was ornate and had a dial with # and * on it.You might have seen them.They don't sell replacements for the cheap plastic frame that breaks, so you have to glue it together.There is a vintage phone and dial set on eBay.

When compared to my working dial, the Automatic Electric dial is noticeably slower.When the first number is called, the dial tone goes back to normal, so the full phone number can't be called.How do I speed it up?It looks brand new, so a cleaning won't help.

If you want to fine tune the dial, you can tighten the spring or adjust the governor.I wonder if your telephone line supports pulse dialling.

The line does support pulse dialing, as I already have a few old rotary phones that work just fine on it.Should I adjust the screw at the end or bend the arms?

To adjust the dial speed, Sean, you should bend the wings of the governor.This can be done with a pair of pliers.See Figure 22: https://www.britishtelephones.com/tel-auto.htm

Thanks.The dial mechanism can be adjusted by other means.It's fine to bend the wings.Rough adjusting can be done by winding the spring.Arwin.

Are there any good guides for re-calibrating a spring?I want to fix my dial instead of buying a new one.

Thank you for your comment.I don't know of any.Specific articles for dial designs are what I know of.It depends on the design of the dial.Arwin.

I bought a vintage tension gauge from E-Bay.It may be the exact model used by the engineers in the 70s and 80s.I will aim for ten breaks per second with the gauge after getting the spring wound.

P.S.The governor pivot bearing broke, causing the wormgear's tail to slip and cause the dial to stick.I couldn't get the plastic back together.Suggestions for a similar function?

Good luck, Oliver!Malcolm Percival might be able to contact you.You may be able to get a replacement part from him.

There is a website calledtelephonelines.net that has an index.

Do you have any suggestions for recalibrating the spring?I am having a hard time doing it manually because my fingers are getting small cuts due to the sharpness of the spring ends.I don't think anyone would ever do this on a day-to-day basis.Do you recommend any generic spring-winding equipment?

If the goveror needs to be adj, does it affect the dial tone on the 1960 500 phone?Thank you.

How to fix a bell that isn't working on a phone.

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