Repair & Restoration Questions for Alarm Equipment

[dwiegand]

Can anyone please explain what the 3 wires in my gamewell box are for, maybe give a test circuit?

[Anonymous]

Assuming you have a three fold alarm box, the two red wires that go to the terminal block are the alarm circuit. The white wire that goes to the center of the terminal block is ground. Notice how close the ground comes to the two alarm terminals? That's a spark gap to dissipate static charges on the alarm circuit. Gamewell three fold boxes also used ground for signaling should one of the alarm conductors become interrupted.

[Anonymous]

You need not use the ground wire in your test circuit. What you MUST do is keep the current small. Box systems use 100 MILLIAMPS (or 0.1amp), less than a 100 watt light bulb.
You can play with the box using just 2 'D' batteries
'''battery+battery+box''' connected to the outer terminals.  Some folks use house current with a 40watt bulb in the circuit to limit the current -- otherwise you have a shorted circuit and melted box.

[Anonymous]

CORRECT WATTAGE OF BULB TO 15 WATTS --- this more correctly approxamates the proper current AND you can get them in red.TEXT

[Rockinbill76]

Hello All,

I have 2 street boxes (not 'master' boxes), and a nice gong.  I have succesfully been able to hook up 1 box to the gong, using a 12 volt power supply, with a 100ohm resistor in the circuit (this keeps things from not getting above 100 milliamps, which can fry the box).  The gong and box works GREAT.  I am wondering if I can put another box in the circuit, and have either one work?  Would I need a 'master box' in order to put boxes together?  I want to ask before I go messing anything up.

[PFD1]

You can add another box, you may just have to lower the value of your resistor a little.

[Rockinbill76]

Hi,

How do I take off the code wheel on my 3 fold box?  I have the dust cover off, so now I am ready to take off the code wheel.  It looks like there is a hole in the short cogwheel shaft, and was thinking it may be for an allen wrench.  I have tried numerous sized allen wrenches, but nothing fits.  Can anyone give my any advice.

I woul also be interested to find out where I can get codewheels, and matching number plates.

Bill

[Rutherford F-A Tec]

All you need to do is remove the screw and it "SHOULD" come off. It may not come rite off. You may need to work it off, they get stuck. But be careful not to bend the shaft. You can get wheels made by a company named LW Bills they are in Mass. some where. I have their number in the shop if you need it. Good luck John

[Rockinbill76]

Please give me the phone number for LW Bills.

Thanks!

[Rutherford F-A Tec]

L.W. Bills Company
Georgetown Mass. 01833  
978-352-6660

[Rockinbill76]

Hello All,

I live on the West Coast in Washington State, and I have been fortunate enough to find a very talented old time clock repairman that was willing to take on the task of servicing my Gamewell Punch Registers. and 15" Wood Cased Gongs.  He has also serviced my 10" Gamewell Turtle Gongs.  If anyone has any interest in having Ken do for them, let me know via email (bkfotog@aol.com), and I will put you in touch with him.  I am not getting any compensation for promoting his services, its just that I am so pleased with his work, I want to spread the word.

Bill

bkfotog@aol.com

[Box3351]

Hi gang, I'm really happy I found this message board. I was starting to think I was alone in the world!
     Quick question--Has anyone added a relay to their box circuit? If so, what type relay,  what were the specs. of it, and where did you get it?       Thanks in advance.

[gls]

Do you mean a relay in series with the box circuit similar to the non-interference coils in a box mechanism?  When the box circuit is energized, the relay arm is pulled into the coil?  When the code wheel drops, the coil is de-energized to operate an auxiliary device?

[Box3351]

Thank you for your reply GLS, That is exactly what I want to do.

[Boxcom]

Hi gang!
     Quick question.  Boxes mounted on a telephone pole have the red and white striping, or red and lime, what ever.  Either way, there are 3 rinds painted on the poles.  I will be repainiting the striping on the poles for a town that I will be doing alarm maintenence.  I want to be uiniform on all the poles.  Is there a difinitive height that each stripe is to be?  At least the middle will be the 17" (the height of the box).  I've seen the middle stripe wider than that, and smaller..  The outer rings have been as thin as 2" and as wide as 6-7."   Anyone know of a specific rule?

Bob K