Mo/ho hidden discovery!

[Mike Leary]

Cleaning out the roadside upper compartments today, I found this piece of electronics that I'd never seen. I think it's the doorbell (which never worked), but the wiring schematic in my manual shows no colored wire to the what-ever-it-is. It's on the middle inside of the dual compartments. Like I care about a doorbell, most people bang on the windows and ask, "Is this a Airstream", or, "how much did you pay for it?" I wonder which terminal that loose wire goes to? (tried the obvious one). I like that term, "do not oil".

[vswingfield]

That looks like the remnants of a doorbell alright, you are just missing some parts. There should be a piece that moves in the coil and a flat bar at each end, one larger than the other. The flat bars are the "bells", they work like the bars on a xylophone, just lots smaller. They fit vertically in the clips on either side of the fuse in your first photo. The coil fist horizontally between the chimes. Moving between the two chimes gives it the ding-dong effect. Or usually in an Airstream, the tink-tink effect.

[Splitrock]

Maybe bench test it . . .

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

Maybe bench test it . . .

Without the flat bars, the chimes, there is nothing to make any sound.

[richinny]

test it for power and if you get power, replace it from a hardware store. you can use a buzzer or chime.

[8rmesse]

I replaced mine with one identical to my original for like $27 at Lowe's. Now my dogs go nuts every time somebody rings a doorbell on TV!

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

Without the flat bars, the chimes, there is nothing to make any sound.

That sounds like some kind of Zen saying. However, I found these today, each bar has a different tone, I think the rod has something to do with activating both tones?

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by Mike Leary

That sounds like some kind of Zen saying. However, I found these today, each bar has a different tone, I think the rod has something to do with activating both tones?

Exactly!

After a couple of days saying to myself, "I know I have a photo of mine while I had the sofa out somewhere!", I finally found it.

You can see that the rod fits in the coil supported by a hair spring. The rod is moved by the current when the coil is energized and strikes the bars. You can also see the plastic mountings that fit in the holes in the bars and snap into the plastic standoffs to mount the bars.

The photo helps a lot. Much clear than "The sound of the rod striking nothing," Zen stuff.

[Mike Leary]

Well done, Vaughan! Damn, I remember seeing that spring (somewhere)

[Boom Sounds]

Very helpful. Miraculously, my door bell still works, I can see the pins going up and down, but I've lost the chime bars so no noise! Now I've seen your picture I should be able to put it back to fully working order. How thick are those chime bars and is there any chance you could set out the exact measurements for me?

thanks

Nick

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by Boom Sounds

Now I've seen your picture I should be able to put it back to fully working order. How thick are those chime bars and is there any chance you could set out the exact measurements for me?

thanks

Nick

I'm not going to repair mine, the body is too trashed. I'll see if I can find the chimes (they are tuned). You'd be welcome to them, send me a pm.

[ericjan2]

I tried mine the other day and to my surprize it sounded nice! This also makes my dog go crazy.....

[Isuzusweet]

My Airstream has a door chime??????

I have a feeling this is going to be the way it is

"Like I care about a doorbell, most people bang on the windows and ask, "Is this a Airstream", or, "how much did you pay for it?"

[Keyair]

Mine...

[Airslide]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

My Airstream has a door chime??????

I have a feeling this is going to be the way it is

"Like I care about a doorbell, most people bang on the windows and ask, "Is this a Airstream", or, "how much did you pay for it?"

Thats funny. Thanks for posting.

[ScrapIrony-2]

Ya know, a cheap alternative would be to put a small sign next to the doorbell button that reads something like (PUSH HERE AND SAY 'DING-DONG')...

[Keyair]

Or a sign saying...
"The bell left because there was already a Ding-Dong in residence."

[c_lewis77]

My door bell is under the front pano windows... doesn't look like it has worked for years. I just let the butler answer the door! Haha