Aux ringer off of ATA-186?

[rolm9751]

The ring voltage output on the ATA in insufficiant to power an external bell. I was thinking of using a relay, but I thought I'd see if anyone has done this already, and if there was a better solution. Thanks in advance!!

 

[Oldtimephoneguy]

Normally if an ATA rings a phone it'll ring an external bell. If not, often the bell is defective. Check on Valcom's options at valcom.com as they have several loud ringer solutions and their equipment is terrific as is their tech support.

Frank. City of Cape Coral, Florida

 

[rolm9751]

Thanks Frank - you are the man - It turns out the 2500 set I was using to test this with has a defective ringer. duh!
I tried a different 2500 set and it rang just fine. It should have no problem powering the bell. I should have known better, jumping to the conclusion that the ATA didn't put out enough voltage. I didn't have the bell handy, as I didn't have any in stock - and they wanted to know if it would work before they bought any, so I just grabbed the nearest 2500 set....Thanks again!
-Don

 

[Oldtimephoneguy]

All right Don, glad I could help. I'm almost envious of your Rolm 9751 name. I remember my 9751 days. Great switch and built like a tank!

Frank. City of Cape Coral, Florida

 

[rolm9751]

Funny you should mention it - I just wheeled a Mod 10 out of my area not just 20 min ago. I still have a Mod 40 next to me, but it's days are numbered. I can't source the chips to fix the breakout boxes, and the hard drives and floppies are impossible to find anymore at any price. Other then that, you are right, they are like the Timex of PBX's! I have not been trained in 9006 and I don't see it happening ever, nor do I want to. I do not like that system at all. I'm concentrating on Cisco and VoIP now. Thanks again for your help - it is rather embarassing that I didn't utilize my troubleshooting skills more effectively. I guess sometimes you get to close to the project, and loose your objectivity. At least the techs here didn't catch it either, so I don't feel so bad. LOL
-Don

 

[soleman52]

Oldtimephoneguy, rolm9751

I love hearing your posts.... I'm in the same boat
been playin the Telecom game since 82 and I used to love the Neax 2400 line. I Worked in field service for 23 years Now I work for Barnes& Noble as a Telecom admin on
Call Manager/Unity/Ipcc/Isi call accounting
Much different world when you put everything on a network...

/

 

[rolm9751]

Yes - there are differences and there are similarities. We are an authorized distributer for NEC, and we have a 2400IPX and a 2000IPK as well as an older 2000, Elite 192, Electra, etc. I don't work on those though.
I've been doing this stuff since '96 - so you got some experience on me - I started on Rolm systems - my first service call was a 4.2 Phonemail - I liked those so much I became the resident expert on 'em.

Now I'm in the lab testing and repairing equipment for resell. I like it because I don't have an admin breathing down my neck asking me "how much longer?" - LOL

2 years ago I began setting up an Avaya Office 403 so that we could test 4600 series IP phones. After setting that up and getting it working (without ANY training)I was tasked with seting up a Cisco Call Manager system so we could test Cisco IP phones. I started with a 2801 running 3.3 CME. Now I am responsible for testing and repair of all Cisco equipment we sell.

There is stil a place for telecom guys like us because most network admins & techs I talk to don't know anything about trunking and signaling.

 

[Oldtimephoneguy]

Hello again guys! I really enjoy it all but have had some difficulties with the "convergence". I stared in telecom in 1978 when the CO's and swithes were mainly electro-mechanical. I was in IT long before they started calling it that. The main thing that bothers me is that most of the other IT folks really look down on us as insignificant and unnecessary. I think it's mainly because when we do our jobs the phones are working and nobody notices. In the IT game if your into networks and your systems are up 99.5% of the time you're a hero. If you do voice and your systems are up 99.5% of the time, you're fired!!!

Frank. City of Cape Coral, Florida

 

[rolm9751]

LOL - Nobody notices us until they can't make a phone call and they find themselves "looking down the receiver" -LOL

I don't care what the IT folks think - they still call me when their headsets, conference phones, and wireless phones don't work. And it's easier for me to learn IT than it is for them to learn telephony. They teach IT everywhere. The only place you learn telephony is OJT. Anyway, by any other name, it's just another digital system to me.
Move over IT - I'm converging!