sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems Executone-Isoetec Telephones & Systems Help!! A Big Box of Phones and Things

Help! I have been provided a big box full of phone sets and other things for a 3 story building and tasked with the job of making it all work. The box was donated from a former tenant that occupied the the upper two floors. Since vacating they left us a box with several dozen phone sets with the following information on the tag (located on the underside of each phone): "Executone Information Systems, Inc. Model 64 Phone HAC: Hearing Aid Compatible ASSY 84600-2 IRS AF
Made in China".

Also, in the box was a large heavy Executone cabinet (about the size of a filled,4-inch binder) with the following information on the tag (on the back of the cabinet): "Executone Model: Medley Listed Telephone Equipment 20VF". Also on the back of the cabinet, it has a power status light, a power cord jack (I have also located the power cord and power cord brick), a port marked MOH, an RS232 port, and Port Cards 1-3 (Port Card 4 is empty).

I provide all that information in the hopes that it helps better explain what I've got. Also, in terms of background, I am technically-oriented (knowing alot about networking PCs but very little about telephony) and thus have been tasked with helping out a church with very limited funding, so whatever work I can do I would like to do to save them money. So, with all of that in mind, I have a few questions for anyone who can assist, namely:

"What equipment have I been given?"
"By that I mean, how old is the equipment I've been given and is it reasonable to believe it will continue working for years to come?"
"Is this equipment generally reliable?"

If it is your recommendation that we proceed with using this equipment, are there other necessary components that I haven't mentioned or that are possibly missing (i.e. - keyboards, monitors, cables, etc.) or can I simply somehow connect the cabinet to the wiring in the building's wiring closet and the phones to the building's existing office wall jacks, and viola every should work? Probably not, right?

Is there anything like a executone primer or telephony 101 or How-to Guide for connecting these phones and the cabinet and getting this system up and working any time soon. Or, is this simply all over my head. At your earliest convenience, please let me know. Thank you, in advance, for your assistance.

Elder

It is simply over your head...find and Executone dealer in your area and pay for a professional installation of this equipment you were fortunate enough to get for free.

I concur with upstateny's assesment... unless you have a strong telecom background, you'll spend countless hours on the most basic of tasks associated with this project. Hire someone to install it.

To answer some of your other questions - this equipment has been mfr discontinued for at least ten years. Executone as a company has been gone for nine years. The control was OEM by ESI. It's a fine phone system - but I sure wouldn't put any significant investment into it.

Good luck!
Mike

Thank you both for your frank and quick response. It wasn't what I was expecting but sometimes what's needed is a quick 'no' rather than a slow and dragged-out 'maybe'.

As a follow up to your response, what would be a reasonable expectation to pay to have a professional come to the building, make say 8-10 office phone lines active (via the punchdown box), connect the Executone cabinet, and get everything working?

How long should this all take (1 day, a few hours, a weekend)?

Elder

Elder,

just sent you a Private Message.

Thanks Scanner29Y for the offer. Every little bit of assistance helps!

Elder

Even if I do as UpstateNY recommend, can't anyone supply me with a fairly simple explanation of what needs to be done (you know the 30,000 feet explanation), without being to detail laden? Here's what I know: I know that the building has a telephone wiring closet with a punchdown box, I know that the Executone cabinet somehow factors in, and I know that it all needs to be connected properly. How much more is out there that I don't understand and that I'll need to understand?

Elder

Let me make it real simple, I've been in this business for almost 30 years, every job I walk into is Different. Yes, I may be installing the same type of equipment, But, Most all the customers want something just a little different than the last one. Find someone that can check out the equipment you have( it may be Not working) and also that someone should be able to give you some different options about How you want it to work.

Since we really don't know what you know... here's what has to happen.
1. ID all applicable cable pairs and cross-connect to the appropriate station MDF
2. ID and extend COs to MDF and cross-connect.
3. Configure the phone system - requires the installers password...
Mike

you have a Medley phone system, that can support up to 32 EXT and 16 lines, depending on how many cards ou have. each card is 4 lines, 8 EXT and 2 analog ports.
It is not an ok system,
I can have you program it in less then 2 hours over the phone, once you have all of the stations live.