Please help if you can. I am an electrical contractor trying to revive a house that was used as office space for an internet based business. I ripped out a heck of a lot of networking garbage and I've got the phones working but can't get the old intercom system running. It's an AT&T 22050-051 made by Harris Corp. Does anyone know if this system needs a module and what it might look like? The speakers have four terminals on the back: 4/3 Alert and 2/1 Tip/Ring. There's also a jumper for Aux. Alert or Ringdown and Ringdown is selected. I must be missing a part of the system because Tip/Ring just gets me a dialtone and 3/4 terminals are just shorted with the button. Any help would be appreciated.

I saw your post in other systems, didn't realize you hadn't received an answer. I believe this had to be hooked up to a system, but there are techs on this board who are more familiar with these than I am. I moving this to Avaya in hopes of getting you a better answer.

I have never used or seen this device so I am guessing:

in theory at least, this gadget would hook up to a free CO (line) port on your PBX, then when someone rings the door bell they push the button which sends a ringing voltage to the phone port (and thus the PBX)...

tip/ring to an empty exension port on the partner system. then you need to program the system to accept the door phone.

DMCSALES gets the cigar. What you have is a Partner doorphone for use with a Partner system. Isn't going to do you any good by itself so you might as well trash that too unless there is a Partner system around.

What is it connected to that is giving you dialtone? The "alert" terminals are simply dry contacts to replace the doorbell button so the doorbell or chime will ring also.

-Hal

First off, thanks for the help.

The only remaining phone equipment in the room were a couple of Multi-Link SR2s and the "mystery box". It's a beige box about a foot square by 1 1/2 feet high that accepts four slide in modules (it had two in it and there are two intercoms, hmmm?). Each module has two inputs and four outputs, all RJ-14s. It's AT&T equipment but seemed a bit large and fancy for a simple doorbell system. Unfortunately, I left it in the house so I can't get a model number for you right now. The house was built in the early 90s so I was hoping someone might recognize the system. Would a model number from one of the plug in modules help?

Sorry, forgot to answer your question. Whenever I punch the blue pair to line 1 in the house I can get a dialtone by pushing the button on the intercom. I even had a very interesting one-way conversation with a lady who was apparetly trying to call the house when I "picked up".

I don't know if this helps, but you might try 24v dc instead of dialtone for TR. The old intercoms, like Melcos used this. The alert signal will probably need the module(s).

I would think it's safe to make the following assumptions-

the door box is just a t/r station. When you press the button, it goes off hook, and presumably stays off hook until it gets CPC, some DTMF sequence, or it times out.

The harris gadget is just a ring down box (with a few tweaks). If you hook two phones up to it, and take one off hook, the other will ring. the 'tweak' is that it can also (I am assuming if i get your description right) that it will also ring if the 'button' gets contact closure? (is the button separate from the door box?)

So (assuming it does not have a strikeplate, IE the people inside can't push a button to open the door)-
You can just dump the box entirely, wire the doorbox (blue pair) to a spare extension port on your PBX, and program it as a hotline extension which dials an internal ring group. Assign it a separate ring tone or something and you are set.

Or, if you keep it wired through the box, connect the tip/ring output to a spare CO/line port on your PBX. Assign a separate ring tone. When someone pushes the button, it will send a ring voltage to the PBX, which will ring phones, and whoever picks up talks to the guy at the door.

The only thing i still wonder about is the dialtone... its possible that there is a real phone line looped through the box (wire the one phone line passing thru the box so the house phones can be shared between the door phone and the line). It's also possible that the box is generating its own dial tone, although that seems less likely.

Is it possible this is connected to a ring down generator and that is what is providing the dialtone?

Boy are you guys steering this guy wrong!

Hal & DMC already had it. Myjudge2 might as well rip the intercom stations out and just connect door bell buttons on those "Alert" wires. The system won't work without the Partner phone system and it sounds like he is just using analog single line phones now.

BTW, he was getting dial tone because if you read his last post, he was punching down the blue pair (T/R) to the incoming POTS line.

BTW, he was getting dial tone because if you read his last post, he was punching down the blue pair (T/R) to the incoming POTS line.

Yup, exactly what I thought.

By the way, that "mystery box" is an AT&T Partner system. Assuming it even works, no way is it going to do you any good without a dealer providing phones and setting it up.

-Hal

I completley missed that...sorry guys.

Ok, well, yeah, hmmm....

1. Programming is definitely not going to work on a 66 block. :-(

2. Technically, I didn't hook up any wires to the Harris box. The front door had the blue pair on Tip/Ring and the back door had the same with oranges on Alert as well.

3. Yes, analog, single line phones. BUT, there are two phones in the house that are multiline and probably came with the system. Unfortunately, lightning took out one of the two remaining phones so now they're down to one.

It sounds like I was correct in assuming there was a 'module' which apparently is called a Partner System (thanks). Soooo... basically, the AT&T modules I described are the partner system but only work with the original phones, of which there is only one? AND, only when programmed by someone who knows what they're doing? It sounds like the best thing is to install a new intercom system that's flush mount to cover the old boxes outside and works with standard residential phones. Even if the modules weren't victim to the same lightning strike, and even if I could get one working with the single remaining phone, they would still be stuck answering the door from the kitchen only. How useful is that?

Well, unless anyone has any additional input I guess I know what I need to do. Thanks, guys. I appreciate everone taking the time to 'chime' in.