Well, there goes my easy answer.
But, the problem could still be insufficient ring voltage from an SLC [Subscriber Line Concentrator] that feeds your line. Measuring ring voltage with a standard VOM can sometimes give erroneous results, but it might be worthwhile to try it. With your meter set to measure AC voltage, call the line from a cell phone and then clip the meter [briefly] across the pair. You should see around 90 volts. If the reading is
way off, try putting a 0.47 mfd, 200 volt capacitor in series with the meter leads. [Don't use an electrolytic cap, I am sure you know that already, but lots of guests read these threads as well, so we have to cover all the bases.]
If the reading is low [like 60 volts or less], then that is the problem. If you see around 90 volts, try hooking up the phone and taking a reading across the pair while the phone is trying to ring. If it is close to 90 volts when open, but drops very low with the phone hooked up, then that also points to a ringing source from an SLC that doesn't put out enough current [sometimes called "insufficient REN"].
Sometimes the capacitor in the network can go "open" over time, but the fact that your phone tries to ring tends to point away from this as a reason. Nonetheless, there are probably other possibilities that my old brain can't remember right now, so hopefully some of the real experts can check in and give you some help. [Where is everybody?]
If it is low ring voltage/insufficient REN, there are options:
1] Call the phone company and complain [yeah, right]
2] Add a ring booster
3] Buy a small used key system that has single-line telephone ports and put your phone behind that
4] Replace the ringer with one that has lower REN [probably the cheapest and easiest solution]
I'll shut up now, and hopefully some more people will weigh in on this. As I said, there may be something obvious that I am missing.
Jim
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Speaking from a secure undisclosed location.
