Ringing a Trimphone on Stage

[mikeswynes]

Hi guys. I looking to make a trimphone to ring for a stageplay here in jersey channel islands.
so i'm asking, What current and voltage in need to make it ring/worble on cue for the play ? thanks
mike wynes. Jersey, channel islands. U.K.

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[AndiiT]

Hi, the only way you are likely to get a Trimphone to ring is using either an external AC supply of over 50 volts or by obtaining a hand generator such as one of these or a ringing generator 2A

You may be able to obtain either of the above generators from eBay or similar but they aren't that commonly available.

Depending on your electronic/electrical expertise a transformer salvaged from an older video recorder should have a suitable 50 Volt winding which should operate the Trimphone tone caller satisfactorily, although at the incorrect frequency.

The official ringing current is 75 Volts at 25Hz but using 50 volts at 50Hz is hardly likely to be an issue in your case.

Regards

Andrew

[hamid_1]

Originally Posted by mikeswynes

What current and voltage in needed to make it ring/warble on cue for the play

The ringing voltage varies according to length of phone line. 50V AC is typical.

I think the BT Lineman's Field Telephone type 286 can make a trimphone ring if you connect it to the Line terminals on the 286 and press 'Ring'. Example of a 286A here. You can even have a two-way conversation between the two handsets without needing an exchange.

However, this is overkill really, as it's a stage play, the trimphone doesn't actually have to work. A far easier method is to play a tape recording of a trimphone ringing when required in the play.

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by hamid_1

However, this is overkill really, as it's a stage play, the trimphone doesn't actually have to work. A far easier method is to play a tape recording of a trimphone ringing when required in the play.

Absolutely, and you can even find a suitable MP3/WAV online e.g. http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/sounds/trimphone.wav

Nick

[Dave Moll]

Rather than a tape recording - which I have found to be difficult to get the timing right when used as a stage sound effect - I find that connecting the computer sound output to the stage sound system to play the WAV directly gives a more satisfactory result.

[AC/HL]

And the cadence will sound right, they never do when manually rung.

[dagskarlsen]

Take a look at this page:
http://tinyurl.com/caxtk2e
Probably one of the easiest way to get it working for a limited amount of money.

dsk

[Brigham]

I did something similar just by running a long extension lead out to the tent where I wanted the 'phone to ring, then calling it from my mobile. You have to rehearse it, because there's a gap between pressing 'call', and the instrument actually ringing.

[radiotechnician]

In Canada, we used to have Nortel phones, and many had a ring tone
selector. Once selected, pressing the volume bar, on hook, made the phone ring.

This would work if the phone's mains transformer was plugged in.

The last time our cohort needed a telephone to ring in a video performance
we used a "Telephone Duck" which had its own cadence.

[julie_m]

What you need is a Magenta Box

Many phones with electronic ringers (i.e., not bells) could be made to ring by applying 36V DC (four PP3s in series) across pins (2 and 3 together) and 5 of the BT plug.