atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems 1A2 and Comkey Telephones & Systems 620A panel 1A2 flash stopped unexpectedly

Hi, I have a 620A panel 1A2 with 4 CO lines. It's worked perfectly for 4-5 years when suddenly the lamp flash quit working on inbound CO calls. The ring working correctly, but the lamp doesn't flash. The lamp wink works when any line is on hold; the lamp works correctly for outbound calls. This is on all lines, so it's not a burned out lamp. Any suggestions on where to start troubleshooting?

Thanks, Bill

I never worked on the 620 panel, so take this for what it's worth, but aren't there fuses on it? If so, look for a blown fuse. Considering the age of the unit, it might just have opened, rather then blown, so check them with a meter.

Sam

The fuses across the top of the panel are common for all of the services. You should check all of them, even if they don't show a blown indicator. The LF output could have failed on the interrupter, but if that's the case, some contact cleaner and a burnishing tool should do the trick.

Interrupter was my first thought, it could be a fuse, but my bet is the interrupter. Just think how many rounds that thing's made over the years.

By "the lamp doesn't flash" do you mean it lights up on incoming, but doesn't flash, or do you mean that it never lights up on incoming?

Have you changed your dial tone provider recently? (POTS to VoIP, for instance?)

Have you changed the line cards recently? (SanBar 4000F to WE 400D, for instance?)

Is the ground connection still OK?

Are any fuses open?

You say the ringing is working. Are you using line ringers or are you using the common bell wiring arrangement?

The lamp doesn't light up nor flash on incoming calls on any of the 4 CO lines, but the common bell wiring provides ringing on each of the 4 lines as normal. Once I depress the line button, the lamp lights up. If I put the call on hold, the lamp winks normally. This is the same for all 4 lines.

Have not changed dial tone provider nor line cards. Ground has not changed.

I will check all the fuses and the interrupter when I'm back home; however, I checked this morning early and the fuses on the 620A are all depressed as they should be -- in other words, none is popped out. I didn't check the power supply fuses.

Basically, the lamp doesn't flash nor light up continuously on the incoming call but does operate normally after the call is answered and if put on hold.

Bill

Thanks to all who gave suggestions.

I had an extra 79b2 p/s, so I replaced the original p/s with the backup. Everything works well now. All of the fuses were okay, so the interrupter must have been the issue.

The interrupter on the original p/s did not have a cover, and the one on the replacement p/s did. Probably had lots of dust, gunk and brown recluse spiders down inside anyway.

Dr. Bloom diagnosed "rare interrupter-itis" on another forum, and I found replacing the patient seems to work better and faster than drugs or surgery!

Thanks again,

Bill Bentsen

"Seek medical attention if you have an interruption lasting more than four hours."