Great way to use (and test) old telephones!

[PsychMan]

The guide below explains reconfiguring a VOIP adapter to act as a "ringdown" device, and use 2 telephones as an intercom, complete with the correct ring signal! When one handset is lifted, the other phone rings.

You can also hook up 2 of these boxes over an IP link, and therefore extend their use across your home. The settings in the guide are for USA style ring and dial tones, but someone has commented to provide "BT" type settings for us Brits (I have them too somewhere).

Thought I'd share this as I have found it a fantastic way to use a few old GPO phones, short of using them on a regular BT Line.

They will also make a great intercom system from my house to my shed

http://www.instructables.com/id/Hack...hone-Intercom/

[Nickthedentist]

Very interesting, but where does one get a VOIP adapter? Are they as common here as they apparently are in the States?

Nick.

[PsychMan]

The model in question, the Linksys PAP2Ts are available on eBay UK in fair quantities, you'd need to find an unlocked one (most are). They were offered with some telecoms carriers in the US (and possibly the UK) to make IP calls.

I have heard some are Chinese fakes though, but they do work and run the same OS. Some have flaky PSUs, but they're easily replaceable.

For the money, and the fact they're such a small box they're great fun, and the easiest way I've found of hooking 2 phones up AND having them ring correctly

[oldmoley1]

Interesting - hadn't thought of that one! Another way to bring your phones to life is to run them through a PBX. I currently have 16 extensions running off a Panasonic 616 that cost me the princely sum of a tenner......

[dagskarlsen]

The pap2 ata is a great start kit, but it does not understand rotary dial, then you have to ad on a dialgizmo for each line (max 2) you are connecting a rotary phone.

By my opinion it is worth it (PAP2 seems to be best to buy at ebay, but dialgizmo are often more expensive at ebay)

A PBX as Panasonic kxt 308 or 616 understands both rotary, and dtmf. And you may use e.g. the PAP2 direct as 2 connections to ip telephony.

dsk

[dagskarlsen]

If you go for the ATA, you also may just connect it to internet and register for a free callcentric account (with lots of extensions), or get a c*Net number or 2. Callcentric will of course ask you to buy som calling time to the regular POTS, but You do not have to. I did and find it reliable and reasonably.

dsk

[PsychMan]

Yes of course, the DTMF requirement is a limitation. But the ability to link 2 over IP is great for me, as I have Ethernet linking my 2 buildings but nothing else. If you're just using 2 in this ringdown arrangement, there's no need for dialling

The Panasonic kits does interest me however, simply because I used to administer an old PBX (mitel) at a previous job

[oldmoley1]

I'm just about to buy a Linksys box so that I can connect to C*NET, so I may well have a go at creating the ringdown system first. It seems a really good way of creating a simple intercom link.

I got into the Panasonic PBXs because I was looking for something to operate my growing collection of vintage phones, and the 616 is serving well at the moment. I have since acquired several other Panasonics, as well as a BT Revelation system, and am looking at installing a vintage phone in each room in the house (bathroom excepted!). I'm also hoping to run my C*NET line through it, although I'm very much a novice in this respect.

There are a lot of good Panasonic units about, particularly on Ebay. Wait long enough, and they can be picked up for little money.

[dagskarlsen]

When you have the 626 you may consider another ATA with FXS and FXO. You may not use it as an intercom as described over, but you may get a connection directly to one of the extensions on the 626, or a dialtone and dial the ext ...

[Oldcodger]

oldmoley- I take it that you have managed to "translate" the handbook and programming into readable English. e.g, CO LINE is our exchange line. One feature of the 616, you may like to try is the doorphone facility. Needs a doorphone unit in the system , and programming(from memory), but it rigns the selected phones when doorphone is pressed. One other function is that with a yale type lock and door lock fitment fitted, you can remotely answer the door and let folks in . But as I regularly tell folks, Panasonic PBX ring at one frequency ( I THINK it's 50 HZ), BT stuff is looking for whatever BT chuck out these days. One prize example is BT Fax Machines, which will not respond to Panasonic PBX ring current/frequency. Long time since I worked on Panasonic, but if handbook /programming problems, I could help -if so PM. Dags- last 6xx series I worked on was 624. Totally analogue system developed from 616.

[oldmoley1]

Thanks, oldcodger. Translating the 616 handbook was certainly an exercise in itself, but thanks to copious quantities of real ale, I've been able to more or less crack it! Strangely enough, I was considering the doorphone facility, as I was lucky enough to get hold of a 616 with the necessary module already fitted. Just need the phone itself now.

I've had no problems so far with ringing frequency, and am running a mixture of phones, ranging from Western Electric 500s, GPO 200/300/700 types, Trimphones and an assortment of relatively later BT phones. I'm also using the three Panasonic feature phones that came with the PBX. Bound to come across one that doesn't want to play though....

[dagskarlsen]

I just measured my UK version of 616 and it has 20 Hz ringing!

(The ATA's may ring on the frequency you want limited to 0 decimals. 33 will be close to 33 1/3 etc.)


dsk