Help with phone problem

chrisjbell · Aug 25, 2003

Use the hook switch. Pick the phone up, put the receiver to you ear and hit the hook switch 10 times. See if an operator answers you. 

Pulse dialing the manual way - used to try to use that method to place calls. I often got wrong numbers, but you can do it.

But any more it is probably a violation of some law - too much like "phone phreaking" /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif...

Wiz · Aug 25, 2003

OK, Here's the Monday morning update. All phones, answering machine, cordless were disconnected, including the power sources for the cordless & answering machine. Took a rotary phone outside, connected it to the phone box, it rings, works normally. Plan to use this one as a test phone. Brought the phone back in the house, plugged it into 2 different jacks, still have the original problem. My current thought is to head up to Radio Shack and buy a couple replacement jacks, then go around and swap them out, then re-test. GRRRRR....

jwstewar · Aug 25, 2003

Just don't buy any of their wire!!!! You'll be sorry, I know I am. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

r0GuE · Aug 25, 2003

( When anyone calls my number they just hear what appears like an open line (no ringing sound or busy signal), then the call disconnects after about 6-8 seconds. )

There is nothing you can do from home, that would cause no ringing or busy signal. They should get that much wether the line is open or shorted.... unless.. perhaps something inside your house IS answering the phone for you (PC?). If it answers fast enough, that might be the casde.... and then it is dropping the call....
Yep that's it!
Fax or answering machine or PC.
Good Luck.

WVBill · Aug 25, 2003

Wiz: You don't have a sattelite reciever that's plugged into the phone line do you? (Easy to forget)

jwstewar · Aug 25, 2003

I'll disagree with you on that one, but that is exactly what my phone was doing as well when I've had the corroded lines. Once I disconnected the corroded phone line all was well.

MossRoad · Aug 25, 2003

Do you have a point inside your house where all of your phone wires connect together? If so, undo all of them there and then hook one pair back up. Test it. Hook the next pair up, test it, etc... until you narrow down the bad pair before you start replacing jacks.

ns_in_tex · Aug 25, 2003

I had a similar problem one time. Turned out to be a connector in an outside horn. The four little gold (??) wires in the connector were corroded green /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif. I bypassed the connector & problem solved. I think they were shorting together.

Wiz · Aug 26, 2003

Here's the Tuesday update. In the basement is the common site for all the phone wiring. There is a 110 outlet there that has a 6-8V transformer plugged in there, that is fried. Disconnected the 2 phone wires that were attached, and am heading out today for a new transformer. Already tried Radio Shack, and they don't carry them. Have an electrician friend that will be going to a distributer this afternoon. Will post again after I hook up the new transformer. I suspect this is the power source for the ringer(s). Stay tuned..

MossRoad · Aug 26, 2003

Hmm... never heard of a transformer on the phone lines in a house. Maybe one of the phone guys has. Just curious... after you disconnected that transformer thingy from the phone lines, did you see if any of the phones worked? An old style phone should work with power coming over the lines from the phone company. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

BobReeves · Aug 26, 2003

Yep, whatever that transformer is, it doesn't have anything to do with your phones. Probably the door bell or furnace. Just because whoever installed it used phone wire doesn't mean it is a phone thing.

Your problem is a high resistance short in the house wiring that arcs over with ring voltage and shorts. You have received some good trouble shooting info here, follow it and you will find the real problem.

chrisjbell · Aug 26, 2003

Yup, there shouldn't be a transformer in the phone line system - at least not to make the phones work. Try completely bypassing that thing, if you can. Get rid of it and get the phones working, then figure out what it is supposed to do (which it can't if it is toast) and find a way to wire it back in where it won't interfere with your phone system.

DocHeb · Aug 26, 2003

Do you have a KSU? (Key Service Unit - it acts as a phone system control unit for some phone systems). Higher end, multiline phone systems will have a KSU that will require a small transformer. Transformers are also used for alarm units.

MossRoad · Aug 26, 2003

I talked to my "phone guy" and he said the transformer might be left over from the era of Princess Phones. It might be there to provide power to the lights on those types of phones. It should have been connected to the yellow and black wires, not the red and green. Anyway, he said to pull it out and test your phone jacks.

He also said to look where all of the wires in the house come together. Is it to a block with two big screws or hex nuts. Behind each of those nuts is usually a lightning protector. They could be shorting out out when the 90v ringing voltage comes through from the phone company. Pull those little tubes or cans out from behind the nuts and throw them away. Your house should have lightning protection in the phone box on the outside of the house.

Then hook the red and the green wires from one jack back to the posts on that block and test at the jack with your known good phone. If it works, hook up the next jack and test... then move onto the next, etc...

Hope this helps.

Hoosier_Daddy · Aug 26, 2003

The Satelite receiver is a good thought. I have a friend that had me come out and check out his inside wire because he had something off hook all the time. It turned out to be a unit the DISH folks installed that used house AC wiring to connect to the DISH receiver and plugged into the phone line in another room. Had he told me about it 3 beers sooner we could have fixed the problem with 1 beer.

It's tough to trouble shoot your problem staring at this monitor. All I can tell you is start at the entry and chase one inside wire at a time.

Good Luck..

Tom

Inspector507 · Aug 26, 2003

MossRoad,
As soon as I read the words "transformer", an image of a princess phone popped into my head. Your electrician friend is probably right. A left over from the olden days. It isn't needed anymore if he has up to date phones.

Jerry

MossRoad · Aug 26, 2003

Yeah, my phone guy is pretty good. He has vast knowledge of phone systems, old and new. He's the telecom manager at my place of employment. I've learned a lot from him. He talked me into wiring my house for network and phone. Home ran everything with CAT5 cable back to punchdown blocks in the basement. It works great, is easy to expand and easy to troubleshoot.

Wiz · Aug 27, 2003

Hi Guys,
LOTS of good suggestions. Thanks ! No satellite dish, All phones unplugged except one that was tested outside, wiring from transformer does go to the phone punch down block, and yes the house was built during the time of princess phones (1982-1983). Doorbell does still work. I tried unsuccessfully yesterday trying to find a replacement transformer. Tried Grainger Supply and Graywbow Supply in Cleveland. Will try some of your suggestions this evening. An observation made was after I disconnected this transformer, my phones eventyually lost the dial tone, and all I got was a fast busy signal. Also the sound was very faint. Hooked up the bad trasformer late last night, and this morning phone now again has a dial tone. ?????? Related or not, that's what is happening. I do appreciate all the input, as it has given me a lot of alternatives to try. Will post again later.

WVBill · Aug 27, 2003

( There is a 110 outlet there that has a 6-8V transformer plugged in there, that is fried. Disconnected the 2 phone wires that were attached, and am heading out today for a new transformer. )

I'm now caught up in the mystery / long distance troubleshooting. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Wiz: How did you conclude that the transformer is fried?

It only takes two wires to run a phone so I'd suggest you go to the phone company block outside and hook up just two of the house wires there (red and green are typical but pick any two colors). Then go to each wall jack and make sure only those two colors are hooked up and that they're hooked up to the red and green (or R and G) terminals on the jack (match the same color on each jack).