Can't Pickup Hunt Group Call from Hold On Another Phone

[Michael OConnor]

Dear friends,

Norstar MICS 7.1. Call Pilot, CCR Path 1 set to Hunt Group 739 (default). Path 2 set as a hook flash transfer to another associate business down the street.

Path 1 goes to HG1: 739. When the call is answered at set 221 and placed on hold, it cannot be picked up by any other phone.
HG1 Auxiliary Ringer=Y to Bogan Telephone Paging Amp w/Outside Ringer Speakers, works fine.

When I press Hold, the display says "Feature" (buttons are not reversed). Is the software going kaput? Did a "Startup" and reprogrammed the MICS... left the Call Pilot alone. Still not functioning properly.

The client is driving me nuts, because he is constantly forwarding his lines to his cell phone and not telling me.

What's the best way to program this. He wants to hear ringing inside and outside and be able to pick up a held Hunt Group call.

Thanks all!!!

Ps. Hunt Group Call displays as [V. That can't be good.

 

[phoneguy427]

A lttle confused, (When I press Hold, the display says "Feature"), is that when you try to put the call on hold initially? Do you have line appearances? When the call is on hold, does it flash on the other sets? You could try to park the call and see if it can then be picked up by other phones. What model of sets do you have, 7310, 7316 etc. How many intercom buttons do you have?

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[curlycord]

Do you have line appearances?"
Yeah, what is the process to retrieve the call?

Are the Hunt Groups setup as Appear & Ring or Ring Only?

What does it say when you press "HOLD * 0"
Call the client and ask them do try it.
Also have them do "HOLD 805" and use the "Button Test" and then press both FEATURE and HOLD to see what they say.
Might be a first if for some reason all phones have their Feature and Hold buttons reversed.

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[curlycord]

V" might be an verified caller.
Does it show the name or number after it?

You can ask the carrier to remove the "verified caller" feature, threaten to change carriers if need be.
It might be the Norstar does not know how to translate the characters, there were some post here or the BCM , General and most likely other systems forums .

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[Michael OConnor]

Thank you all for responding.

MICS 7.1 with single CID Trunk Card.
3-M7310 telephones.
Call Pilot 150 3.1.
CCR Tree 1 Path 1 points to DN739 (HG 1).
CCR Tree 1 Path 2 Hook Flash Transfer to an associate business. Hook Flash (COX) frees up the line for another call.
HG1N739 (default).
HG Members: 221, 222 and 240... Appear and Ring.
HG Call appears on the top left button of the telephones.
Auxiliary Ringer = Y.
No HG lines assigned. Not quite sure what that means.
No lines assigned to the telephones.
Telephones are set to Prime Line Pool A.
Trunks 1 and 2 are programmed to Pool A.

(When I press Hold, the display says "Feature") I'll have to go back and look at this again. Feature is on top and Hold is beneath it.

Once the call has been answered at telephone 221, the client wants to be able to put the call on hold and be able to pick up the call at another telephone.

Thanks for your help guys!!!

 

[phoneguy427]

I am thinking Park is the way to go. 221 answers the call, presses a park button, display says parked on 101 as an example. Now you can page Fred to pickup 101, anyone can go to any phone and dial 101 from the intercom button and pick up the call. Program a park button on all the sets, feature *3, press feature 74, done.

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[curlycord]

I agree...
You have no line appearance so there is no way to retrieve the call anyway.
Even if your Hold key worked, it would place it on hold only for you on your HG appearance key.

I gather there is a reason you do not transfer the call (or have line appearance) but you can also Camp the call to a specific ext.

And lastly, SWCA keys
If you assign 2 SWCA keys you can press the SWCA key which will park it to that button, the other users can then press that same button on their phone.

I noticed a contradiction:
Path 1 goes to HG1: 739. When the call is answered at set 221 and placed on hold, it cannot be picked up by any other phone.
HG1 Auxiliary Ringer=Y to Bogan Telephone Paging Amp w/Outside Ringer Speakers, works fine.

When I press Hold, the display says "Feature" (buttons are not reversed)

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http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto, Canada

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[Michael OConnor]

Thanks everyone!

The goal...

Call Pilot answers the call.

When a caller presses 1 the call appears and rings at all the telephones.

The call can then be answered by any telephone.

If placed on hold, the call can be taken off of hold at any telephone.

Do not know how to CCR Path 1 transfer to a SWCA key... must be a DN.

That's all.

Thanks to everyone!!!

 

[Michael OConnor]

The other problem that I have is that the client is messy and something was spilled on a couple of the telephones; and when the buttons stick in the depressed position, the telephone becomes inoperable.

Should have let him go VoIP.

Thanks all!

 

[curlycord]

...and what, spill a coffee on a more expensive phone?


Buy yourself a can of Electronic Contact Cleaner.
I use Asalco Contact 2000 but they are probably all great.
It will help with sticky buttons and markings such as Sharpie writing on KSU's and CP's.

Sticky buttons.
-Put some paper towel on the table

-Hold the phone upright (vertical) on the desk
----this is so any access liquid will drip to the bottom inside and not onto the motherboard

-Spray a little around the buttons
-Press and wiggle the buttons repeatedly
---if several or all buttons then run your fingers across all of them rapidly several times

-Wipe off access
-level out the phone, any access that dripped to the bottom from before will now travel under the mobo and eventually evaporate.

This is a little overkill but some phones require it, like auto garages.

For 3 phone you must have very little lines, why are they not at least Appear Only on the sets?

SWCA keys have nothing to do with Hunt Groups.
Hunt Groups rings sets, SWCA keys park calls to a button:

"And lastly, SWCA keys
If you assign 2 SWCA keys you can press the SWCA key which will park it to that button, the other users can then press that same button on their phone."

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Toronto, Canada

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[Michael OConnor]

OK... here's what i did.

Left the Call Pilot alone.

Left HG1 intact with members 221,222,240.

I assigned lines one and two to every phone... appear only.

It rings outside; HG1 Aux Ringer=Y

HG1 rings inside.

Answer the call by pressing line 1 not HG1.

Put line one on hold and you can pick it up at any other extension.

Works fine.

Thanks all for all your wonderful help and ideas.

I really like working on the Option switches instead of Norstar; really limiting.

 

[curlycord]

You did that already since my last post above? if before then you may have missed the sticky button reply.

Norstar is a Key system for the SMB market and why it might be considered limited but it does what you needed in several ways as described.

Most key systems have line appearances on their phones but when you get into too many lines then it's Park & Page, no line appearances.

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[Michael OConnor]

Dear Curlycord,

Yes I did get your post; thank you for that.

Sometimes if the phone is really bad, I'll take it all apart and soak the plastic parts in soapy water and put it all back together again.

I have taken a shoe brush and spray it with Windex and turn the phone upside down and go over the buttons real good. Then I'll use furniture polish and go over it again with the same brush and even a tooth brush for the skinny creases. Looks like new when I'm done.

New installs, I'll always use a lit pack and new line and handset cords. I've got a few systems out there that are 20+ years or older still using Norstar NAMs. Never a callback.

One time I had an M2250 Console. the receptionist totally denied that she had spilled anything on the console, but it was loaded with sugar. I took it all apart and soaked all the plastic parts and put it back together. Later I found she was answering the console with a peach in her hand pushing the buttons with her little finger and the liquid from the peach was running down her little finger onto the buttons. It was an attorney firm and we charged them for that.

Just got a call from the client who says now the outside ringer isn't working. Gotta go back.

With lines 1 and 2 appearing only on the phones... does that negate the HG1 Aux ringer? Maybe I can set Lines 1 and 2 for Aux ring=Y

Thanks again for writing.

 

[Michael OConnor]

Ok... I'm done with all this ringer stuff

I am unable to set this system up to ring inside and outside.

I've got the Bogan to ring outside and set HG1 Aux Ring = Y and that works. Beyond that I cannot get anything else to ring... so,

I purchased two Western Electric External Ringers. I will mount them next to the Bogan and use the green and brown pairs to hook them up and cross-connect them in the closet. Blue and orange are for pa and external ringer.

The ringers are coming out of New York and should be here by the 25th. Once hooked up... I'll be done.

Grrrrr.

Thanks for all your input people, but it look as if I'm dealing with a rogue MICS.

 

[curlycord]

"Later I found she was answering the console with a peach in her hand pushing the buttons with her little finger and the liquid from the peach was running down her little finger onto the buttons"
Did you mean to post in the Penthouse forum?
I think I know who you mean.


"It rings outside; HG1 Aux Ringer=Y
HG1 rings inside."
then
"I've got the Bogen to ring outside and set HG1 Aux Ring = Y and that works."
So phones(inside) and horns(outside)?

What exactly are the other items that you want to ring that wont?
What is the setup?
Since one or the other works as you say, it sounds like programming or connection issue but depends on your exact setup.

AUX Ringer for lines - anytime a line rings, the external ringer will ring
AUX Ringer for sets - anytime a set is called, the external ringer will ring
AUX Ringer for HG's - anytime an HG is called, the external ringer will ring
For lines to rings at a set, it must be set to APPEAR & RING and not APPEAR ONLY

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http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto, Canada

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[Michael OConnor]

Dear Curlycord,

Forgot your first name... sorry.

We've communicated in the past. I had you confused with Gene who has since passed. I would call upon him whenever I needed a bump. Great guy and you are too!!!

Anyway...

The client is 1st Choice Auto Parts

He has 2 lines and 3 phones. Lines 1 & 2 are in Pool A.

Call Pilot answers all the calls.

Path 1 to HG1 (739 default), set to Broadcast. Members 221, 222, and 240. Aux Ringer=Y
Path 2 programmed with a Hook Flash transfer to his Dad's business down the street (another junkyard).

HG1 is a queue. Once the call is answered, HG1 disappears from the other telephones. If the call is put on hold, only that phone can pick up that same call.

I truly believe that either the MICS or the software cartridge is on the way out.

I made the lines "Appear Only" at all 3 phones. When the call is handed off by Call Pilot it appears at the telephone as line 1 or 2. He can answer the call... place it on hold... and pick it up an any other telephone.

But for some reason the ringing is all screwed up. I am unable to get the phones and HG1 (Aux Ring) to ring at the same time.

1) The client needs to be able to answer the call... place it on hold... and be able to pick it up at any other telephone.

2) Telephones and outside ringer need to ring simultaneously.

Thanks!

Best,
Michael O'Connor

 

[Michael OConnor]

More...

I don't think Hunt Groups, Answer DN's, Pick Up Groups or SWCA's are going to work. He just wants to be able to just pick up the phone.

 

[curlycord]

Thanks for the kind words.
It see it was a NAM issue back in 2016 where I sent you the redirect patch.

I do not think this is a software issue.
Technically Line Appearances is not support by Hunt Groups and why they say not to assign the lines on the sets.
It does work to a degree but as we see it does not work for your clients setup in this case.
I will assume if you remove the lines from the sets then AUX ring will work for HG's.

In this case I think a Phantom DN (or live set), Answer DN's and Line Appearances will work better for them.

All sets - All Lines = Appear Only
Find available free port - Phantom DN 2?? (or see ** below)
DN 2XX AUX Ring = Y
Path 1 TRSF/INT > DN 2??
221, 222, and 240 have Answer DN keys for 2??
User puts the call on hold, flash on line button
Retriever press's flashing line button

If the Ringer for some reason does not work with Phantom DN 2??, then try using a live set instead of Phantom DN
** If one of the phones in the group is not dedicated to a specific user and not called directly then use that set as the Answer DN.

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http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto, Canada

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[Michael OConnor]

Hmmmm.

Forgot about phantom DN's.

I will try that. Won't the answer DN and the "Appear Only" lines both be answerable at the same time? It does with the HG's. At that point, couldn't he just press Line 1? When an Answer DN is placed on hold does it appear on other phones as a held line? I'm guessing that the Appear Only Lines would appear to be on hold at every phone.

I'll experiment with this; it sounds doable. I just dug out another MICS with 7.1 out of storage just in case.

The current MICS, that I purchased off of eBay, arrived in a skin tight box wit absolutely no padding. I could shake the box and hear THINGS moving around. I opened the box and shook all the pieces out. It looked like the main cabinet was intact, but the lower mire management plastic shroud was all busted up. I cut off the bottom to make it pleasing to the eye and sold it to this client. maybe something else was wrong and it's surfacing now.

I will try the answer Key with phantom DN.

Thanks CC!

 

[curlycord]

As said:
"User puts the call on hold, flashes on line button
Retriever press's flashing line button"

That answers all your last group of questions except that I will add that an Answer DN key does actually ring or flash itself, it transfers the call to ring on the Intercom or the Line buttons depending on the setup.

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http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto, Canada

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