[rescue] Telephon rescue!

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

Bill Bradford wrote:
> I've got an old Western Electric 302 rotary phone set from '45.
> 
> Anybody know how to wire it up (it has red/green/white) to a normal 
> modular jack so that it will ring?  Wiring up red/green lets it work (talk,
> dial, etc) but it wont ring.

White is for the ringer. It was connected either with a seperate ring line
to the switch (90 vac 20 cycles), or if it was a 2 wire circuit using an
external network (coil and capacitor) to one of the lines. 

I can't remember which wire though: -(

You can replace the network with a 1uf capacitor. It should be non polarized,
capable of handeling about 1 amp, and well over 90 volts.

If you have a junk phone from the 60's the network is inside a metal box
with a molded plastic top in the phone. It was held closed with bent metal
tabs and can easily be pried open. Use the capacitor inside.

A modern capacitor should do, just be careful about the voltage and that
it must be nonpolarized.

While you have it open, clean the contacts on the dial and switch hook.
A regular business card is just the right stiffness and abrasivness
to clean them. 

Geoff.

-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson gsm at mendelson.com