Hey all -
I switched over to Uverse VoIP a couple months ago; all is well. Better than that, actually.
One thing - my payphone doesn't ring anymore; and the VoIP conversion is the only thing that's changed recently.
Just wondering if the ringer in a payphone draws more current or something.
If so, I think I found something on sandman to fix it, but thought I'd ask the experts first.
Thx
Matt
Matt:
Your payphone uses a standard C4 type ringer, just like one from a 2500 set. I seriously doubt that your switch over has anything to do with it. You may be pushing the REN limit of their equipment and a "real" ringer would be affected more than an electronic one. Try to see if it will ring with only the payphone's tip and ring connected to the line and see what happens.
Matt -
Are you running Line Ringers or a Common Bell off the 1A2 system? Common Bell draws much less then Line Bells and will allow you to add more SLT sets (with bells) to the REN limit.
Sam
Ed - Will do.
Sam - for my SLT's, I have them connected before the 1A2. For the 1A2 sets, I use the ring generator.... Not sure if this answers your question, sorry. But the 1A2 sets do use a common bell, again, from the ring generator.
Matt -
OK. Well that won't help. If a high REN is the problem, you could disconnect the ringers from Tip & Ring, remove the capacitor and wire them on a spare pair to RG/RC.....but then you'd need a diode matrix.
There's a fun project for you...
Try Ed's test first.
Sam
Do you know what your actual ringing voltage is thru the VoIP, or the ring cycle? Could it be there simply isn't enough voltage present to ring the older "mechanical" ringers?
You could also try temporarily disconnect the payphone and connect a regular 500/2500 type phone with mechanical ringer. If you have the same result, it's not the payphone.
ffej010 - Nope, havn't tested that. Will do though, after Ed's test. I do know there is normally 50v across T&R.
MooreTel - OK, thanks!
Well,
I disconnected everything but the payphone, and got a very weak, wimpy ring out of it. When I was hooked to POTS, it was the loudest ringer in the house.
Connected the other SLT's back up, and the payphone stopped again, but the other SLT's (2, w/mechanical ringer) rang fine.
I measured voltage across T&R with the payphone hooked up, and it cycled between 50v and 1v. I should have measured it with nothing connected, need to redo that test.
I also plugged another SLT into the payphone jack, no ring from it either (with the other SLTs connected).
I'm not sure if this is the right terminology, but it seems like I'm exceeding my REN. What has me puzzled is that 1 payphone would do it. The fact that Ed said this shouldn't be a problem makes me even more doubtfull.
Thoughts?
TIA,
Matt
I don't think you are getting enough ring voltage. 50v really isn't enough for that type of ringer.
I probably wouldn't go any farther than to say what would you expect from a piece of crap modem that provides a poor excuse for a POTS line? The geniuses who designed the thing probably never even saw a phone with a dial so do you really think they would design it to meet Bell standards in terms of ring voltage and current from before they were born? All it has to do is activate a couple of electronic ringers so why bother with anything else?
-Hal
Hal -
Point taken. However the router is far from a piece of crap, given that it has to supply voice, video and data all from one twisted pair. I'm currently getting 18Mbps, can record 4 channels at once, and made the switch to it's VoIP capabilities for price reasons. I too prefer POTS, but I like money more. It's also nice getting everything on one bill. I'm frankly amazed that any one device can do all that, and also maintain a footprint about the size of a hardbound novel.
The way I look at it is it's a merge of old and new technologies, letting me keep one foot in the past and one in the future, or present, if you prefer.
OK, so it doesn't meet Bell standards; I'm sure there are cost reasons for that. After all, landline subscribers have been declining for years, and of those that do have landline service, I'd bet the majority have $5 chinese phones connected.
AT&T came up with a solution that blows other providers out of the water (IMO), they rolled it out as fast as possible, but ramped up services slowly so as not to affect the quality of the existing base, and they provide it all at an extremely reasonable price with outstanding technical support.
Just because it doesn't support an old fuddy duddy like me who prefers WE SLT's and a 1A2 system, does not make it a piece of crap.
Sandman sells a ring voltage booster, problem solved. Or I can go with Silversams option. There's probably other things I can do to work around the issue as well; one of which is do nothing - because believe me, with all the 1A2 keysets I have installed throughout my house, there is not a doubt in the world when a call is incoming.
In closing, AT&T is keeping pace with current technologies, has managed to more or else reassamble itself, and provides a wide array of reasonably priced products and services to choose from.
The end result? Besides satisfied (in my case, ecstatic) customers, they also managed to provide some good 'ol American jobs in the process.
If a 'piece of crap router' can help to do all that, then I'll take it over POTS any day.
Respectfully,
Matt
The problem is that the younger generation is dazzled by technology and techi things and has no idea what quality or standards are- that's not only the point I get from your post but what I see every day. An old fuddy-duddy like me couldn't give much of a RA how something is packaged or what some engineering team succeeded in stuffing into a box with a budget of around $.02 so their company can make millions. We have something to compare it to- our past. If it doesn't perform as well and equal the quality of what we are accustomed to then it's a piece of crap.
-Hal
Agreed. I'm in the tech business and I hate new technology. Well, maybe hate is too strong a word, but I'll never have an iPhone, send text messages, twitter, tweet, facebook, or any of the other stuff the kids do these days. I do still like to program though; which is good since it's my job.
I'm also amazed at the low level of quality people have just come to expect as part of living in "modern times".
I dunno man. Hard as it is, ya have to keep thinking young (IMO), cause that's just the way things work. I'm sure when electric light came along, there were people who said gas was safer (people/horses were actually being electrocuted walking down the street when it rained).
And when the telephone came about, I'm some people probably said the telegraph was better.
Uverse is a big exception for me. The only 2 areas where it falls short are REN and local loop supervision, neither of which are critical to probably 99% of the Uverse target user base.
The overall quality otherwise is near perfect. Voice quality is outstanding. Video is sharp, channel surfing has no delay. Internet QoS remains at 99%.
I guess my point is this service does perform as well as what I had before (with the previously mentioned small exceptions). It's also less expensive, and has more functionality.
All this makes it not a piece of crap, in my book anyway.
Hard as it sometimes is, I try to remember "Adapt or become obsolete" every day when I wake up (Even if I don't like what I'm adapting to). But in the software business, that's just the way it is. The technology I deal with changes every month.
- Matt
A standard ringer coil will respond to the nominal 48 volts DC of a standard voice line. For this reason, the capacitor is installed in series in order to prevent it from doing so. If the capacitor were not in place to block DC from flowing through the ringer's coil, it would place a short on the line.
That being said, even 48 volts
AC at 25-30 Hz will operate many ringers. The fact that the 50 volts being presented causes some of your ringers to respond probably covers 75% of the electronic and even cheap mechanical ringers out there. The problem is that more voltage (typically 77 volts or more) is what is and was expected by ringers that involve a significant amount of clapper throw during operation. I'd be willing to bet that you are actually receiving more than 50 volts, but since most AC test equipment is designed for 50-60 Hz, your reading may be a bit off.
You might want to try adjusting the bias spring between the gongs to the low position. This may help the clapper to travel more under the low voltage condition.
With the exception of a ring booster, it is sad to say that traditional C4 type ringers are going to become more and more difficult to accommodate. Viking Electronics makes a ring booster as well, but it isn't cheap. The model number for it is RG-10A and it can be viewed at their web site
www.vikingelectronics.com .
Thanks Ed!!!!!
I'll try adjusting the bias spring.... first I have to remember how to get the darn thing apart. I lost the instruction sheet for it; all I remember is there is an upper and a lower half and taking it apart seemed like a chinese puzzle.
I think in the end I'll end up buying the ring booster.... there are still a couple rooms that need an SLT.
Thanks again,
Matt
Just insert the key and give it a quarter-turn. Then insert the T-handle and give it a quarter-turn. This will pop the upper housing loose.
Matt if a ring booster is going to cost big $$$ then seriously think about a diode matrix. With just two lines it's no big deal, cost is practically nothing and it shouldn't take very long at all.
Your 1A2 system IS a ring booster.
Sam
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Matt1964:
[QB] I also plugged another SLT into the payphone jack, no ring from it either (with the other SLTs connected).
Can you connect three S/L phone 'in front of the KSU' without using the payphone jack!? Your comment "could" indicate a jack problem, altho probably not. John C.
Sam -
I think maybe I would only need to run 1. Out of 3 SLT's (payphone included) - the payphone is the only one that won't ring. So ... I'm willing to give it a shot if ya feel like helping me out...
Lightning - good point, I'll try the SLT in the payphone jack tonight, with the others disconnected.
Thanks all -
Matt
Sam -
Is this
roughly what you were talking about?
I read through it, but most of it was Greek to me. I'll study it a bit closer.
Thanks -
Matt
Sam -
I just picked up a ring booster at a very fair price from a board member; so let's put the diode matrix on hold for now.
Thanks again -
Matt
Matt -
That was what I was talking about and no trouble. When you're ready for the world of matrixed ringing I'll be happy to help.
Sam
Sorry to dig this back up, but the ring booster did the trick.
Thanks all!
- Matt