I am a retired SWBT/ATT installer/repairman and have been asked by my church to help with their ATT 944 phones. They have no books other than a 2 page quick start user guide. I hope to get some basic "how it works" knowledge in this forum.

Do the CO lines connect directly to the phones or do they terminate in a control box or all go to a control phone before getting to the user telephone sets?

When I look at the back of a phone there are 2 modular cords in each phone. I understand that these are for Lines 1 - 4. Where does the control for the lites and hold come from?

I see no intercom wiring. How does a station get intercom and how are intercom assignments made?

Is there a manual available that will cover this info.

They are your typical 4 line sets that will work together, the assigning of the sets is done with programming at the sets themselves. There is no control box.
Keep in mind to make sure the total length of telephone wiring used in your phone system is less than 600 feet. If the wiring is longer, you may need to use a special filter device.
Here is all you should need: https://dl.owneriq.net/4/4de6ac25-0c0d-4143-8760-6a6c1cc1edce.pdf

I don't see this addressed in the book. What if I put a standard phone on one of the lines? Preferably line 1. Does it mess up the intercom or anything else?

No it would work fine ,it just eats up wire length. But why put in single line sets with it? You would be better off using the 4 line sets so they have the features.

Actually standard telephones will cause problems with some of the features of NoKSU telephones (Hold for instance). Also, the signal that is used to communicate between the sets would probably be heard as a high-pitched whine on a SLT.

The sets are designed to be used in a "closed system" because only certain models can properly communicate with each-other via the wiring connected to L1.

The only models that can be used with the 944 are the 955 & 964. The problem here is that all 3 have long since been discontinued by VTech (who has manufactured at&t-branded consumer telephone equipment since 2000). The at&t No-KSU phones currently on the market won't work with the 944.

I've never tried putting a single line with them so I would go by Dexmans post.

For DTMF. You gave a link for a 944 manual. Do you have links for 955 and 964?

There all pretty much the same but here ya go.

955
https://outerlimitsconsulting.com/support/manuals/Manual-ATT955.pdf

964
https://dl.owneriq.net/2/28f80b95-64cf-79c4-0599-d86bb465f0e7.pdf

Thanks for the help guys. I got a lot of 5 phones on EBay and the church only needs 1 right now so they will be set for a while. I have another question about wire length. It is difficult to determine the wire length on existing buildings and I think the addition of another phone may put me over the 600ft limit.
SO:
Where do I get a filter?
What do they look like?
Where do they install?
I found a small gray Item mounted next to a connecting block with station wiring. Could it be that I already have a filter?

Try contacting at&t/VTech via their website:

https://telephones.att.com/att/index.cfm/customer-support/

While I understand budgetary constraints (I donated, installed & maintain a Merlin Magix for the church I attend), I would be remiss if I didn't suggest that the church look into purchasing a true business telephone system.

A good one for small applications is the Avaya Partner ACS. While it is true that the Partner platform is now discontinued (except for the 18D Series 2 telephones), there is quite a bit of new hardware still in the pipeline and there will be tons equipment on the secondary market for years to come. A stand alone R8 processor can support up to 5 telephone lines and 9 extensions. Add a Partner Voice Messaging voicemail/auto attendant and the required number of 18D Series 2 telephones and you'll have a great small business telephone system! :thumb:

If the inside wiring is CAT3 or higher, footage markers are often printed on the outer jacket.

If the wiring is the old Bell Telephone variety (2 pairs with the familiar green, red, black & yellow conductors) then are some units that can provide very good estimates for wire footage. We have such a unit @ work, but I won't be able to get the make & model until Monday.

Good advice Paul! :thumb:

It's been quite a while for me I(20+ yrs) so I am not up on new systems. A new system is not an option at this time. So what you see is what you get for now.
I have looked further and feel that we are well within the 600 ft limit so I'm hoping the addition of one phone and a couple of spares will get us by for a couple of years.
Thanks again for your input and special thanks to DTMF for the book links.

you could have probably done a partner with MLS phones for what you paid for the 944's

I don't know what "done a partner with MLS phones" means. They had an existing system and wanted to add a phone. When I found out that they were out of date, knowing that a new system was not an option, I felt it prudent to get a couple of spares when getting the extra phone. I paid 141.50 on ebay for three 955's and two 964's giving a total capacity of 9 stations. They will be using 5 stations when I get the extra phone installed leaving the possibility of expanding to 4 additional stations.
This route seemed to me to be the best solution for the least amount of work and money. When they get ready to expand you can bet that I will be back with questions about which system will give the most bang for the buck.

Again, Thanks for your input.

i have a question over this topic.. i had all the same quesions as mike did.thanks for all of the advice fellas.. the problem that im having is that since i have dsl. the moment i plug in my 2 wire dsl/filter spliter i loose all of my intercom,paging, and hold feature. so my question is...is there a solution or do i need to get a dedicated line? my first instinct is to go pick up a 4 wire (2 line) dsl/filter spliter.

thanks

You can't put the DSL filter on the phone. You need a whole house splitter to split the DSL at the source coming into the building. Phone line on one cable or pair, DSL on another. Your loosing your features because you're filtering out the signal the phones use to talk to each other. I'm pretty sure this information is in the owners manual.

Even though the following link is for the at&t 945....the information provided on page 4 (8/83) applies to the 944 and all other at&t No-KSUs:

https://att.vtp-media.com/ecp/documents/product_Product/207/UserManual/530/945_Manual.pdf

I'm moving this topic to "Other Systems" because at&t's No-KSUs really have nothing to do with either Lucent or Avaya.