Faint Buzzing Noise on Partner ACS Conversations

[mountainguy]

I just installed my first Partner (a used ACS R1.1 that I flashed to R5.0) and am detecting some low-level background noise on all calls (outside and intercom). It's kind of a faint buzzing sound (and is not at all audible to the far-end).

While it's not totally obnoxious, there's definitely more noise than I'm used to hearing when analog stations are directly connected to CO lines.

Here's my configuration:
5-slot carrier
Slot 1: 206E R4.1
Slot 2: 200E R3.1
Slot 3: ACS Processor R5.0

The noise doesn't go away when:

- I disconnect the CO lines and access one from a station (I can hear noise instead of silence), or
- I pull the processor out of the carrier and run it independently, or
- I access a station and CO line on the 206E card instead of the processor, or
- All the station wiring is disconnected and the phones are connected directly to the processor.

It occurs on my brand-new 18D sets as well as analog phones that I know are good.

So here's my question (in 3 parts):
1) Is this just something the Partner does and most folks don't notice?
2) Am I just being really picky? Although it's really bugging me, it doesn't seem to be noticed by other phone users here.
3) Do I likely have a defective processor?

Thanks!

 

[392]

Sounds like you've eliminated everything except the processor.

One additional thing I would do is: back up the system programming doing a #124, then default the system doing a frigid start with #989clear, then check for buzz on the processor. If it still buzzes, it's definitely a hardware issue. Set the time and restore using #125.

If it is clean, your software is corrupted and will require reprogramming from scratch. I have seen instances where corruption in software due to a failure to frigid start the CPU prior to programmming when newly installed carried that corruption forward on backups/restoration and upgrades. And there's no telling how some corruption can manifest itself. I've seen phantom ringing, stations that wouldn't release, calling groups that wouldn't page, all kinds of stuff. It's definitely worth a try before changing the CPU.