Intermittent Dial Tone Problem

[BudTugglie]

Home POTS problem. Intermittent problem with desk phones. No sound through handset. Speaker phone always works fine. Happens occasionally. Other times handset works. Only happens on desk speakerphones (ATT & others). Happens on multiple phones. Not the phone set - tried and returned three new ones. Simple phone sets do not experience problems. Will happen in the middle of a call - handset goes dead. Able to reproduce on outside connection box, eliminating inside wiring problem. Verizon unable to find the problem.

 

[curlycord]

You need to mention what model phones and what phone system if any.
Also are these POT's lines copper lines from the street or via Cable modem converted to Analog?

I wonder if a voltage issue on the lines or bad make.
Did you replace with the same model/make of phones or another?

Did you try these phones at another location?


________________________________________

=----(((((((((()----=

http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto, Canada

Add me to LinkedIN

 

[BudTugglie]

POTS lines from the street. 3 different phones, 2 AT&T and one Panasonic. Simple 1 line desk phones. Always work on speaker, Occasionally will not work on the handset (no sound), other times will work fine. Able to reproduce the problem with the desk phone on the outside connection box (eliminates internal wire problems). Returned all 3 desk phones that I tried.

Classic analog phones always work, as does a wireless set. Verizon checked twice, but found no issues. (told me DC volts=48, AC=0, power influence=76). Blamed the desk phones, although I see the problem on 3 different sets from 2 manufacturers. Finding anyone on the ATT or Panasonic help lines capable of understanding the problem is impossible.

Best I can figure is that my POTS line has intermittent voltage issues and the electronics in the desk phones are sensitive enough to not work. The speaker function must not be as sensitive as the handset. Odd problem..... May be time to give up on the copper...

 

[libellis]

Does the call drop, or is it just that there is no audio on the handset, and if you switched to speakerphone the call would still be okay? Is the phone powered from the telephone line or does it have an external power supply?

If the answers to the above questions are that the call drops and the phone is line powered, then it's possible that when the phone is off hook with the handset, it isn't always drawing sufficient current from the telephone line to be seen as off hook by the Central Office switch. When using the speaker, the phone would be drawing a bit more current and maybe that would be enough to keep the connection up. Admittedly, a situation like this would be rather unusual, but it is possible depending upon line settings at the Central Office (in that case one might expect other customers to have a similar problem unless it's just your lines).

 

[BudTugglie]

Calls do not drop. Desk phones operate on batteries (new). Handset will occasionally go dead in the middle of a call. I eliminated handset cord or handset as the problem by trying a different cord & handset with the same behavior. Even if not in a call, simply picking up the handset often gets nothing, then hitting the speakerphone button gets a dial tone. Simply put, there are times when the speaker works but the handset doesn't. Other times, both work as they should. Multiple new desk phones show the problem. I've tried and returned 3 new phones. I'm trying to figure out how a desk phone handles speaker & handset differently and reacts to telco line voltages. I'm ready to switch to VOIP ....expecting a whole new set of issues :;

 

[libellis]

Very strange indeed.

 

[curlycord]

Still not answered
3 old questions

-You need to mention what model phones and what phone system if any.
Just the make does not help, need the model name too!
-Did you replace with the same model/make of phones or another?
-Did you try these phones at another location?

3 New questions:
"Happens on multiple phones. Not the phone set"
-What does that mean?

"Desk phones operate on batteries"
-Why would a desk phone operate on battery?

-What happens when: you pickup the handset and get no dial tone then try to carefully pull up the plunger/release button(that sits in the top of the cradle)?

That is 6 questions in total.



________________________________________

=----(((((((((()----=

http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto, Canada

Add me to LinkedIN

 

[BudTugglie]

Answers:

3 old questions

-You need to mention what model phones and what phone system if any. ATT CL2940, ATT CL2939, Uniden 1360BK
-Did you replace with the same model/make of phones or another? 2 AT$T and 1 Uniden
-Did you try these phones at another location? No

3 New questions:
"Happens on multiple phones. Not the phone set"
-What does that mean? Given that it happens on multiple phones, all bought new, I conclude that it's not just 1 bad phone set

"Desk phones operate on batteries"
-Why would a desk phone operate on battery? all 3 phones take AA batteries

-What happens when: you pickup the handset and get no dial tone then try to carefully pull up the plunger/release button(that sits in the top of the cradle)? button is up, pressing it turns the "in use" light on and off

 

[curlycord]

Thanks, now its a little more clear.

"all 3 phones take AA batteries"
I wondered why does the phone use batteries but I gather it's instead of using a local power supply.
Since I don't do residential service I have never seen this before.

I would strongly suggest you try these phones at 2 sites somewhere else.
-away from your area, Verizon lines or not
-on another carriers line beside Verizon in your area or not.

The idea is to see if it's just Verizon anywhere, or if just Verizon in your area.

I still think some voltage issue.

Should have ate your damn carrots pal!!!
















________________________________________

=----(((((((((()----=

http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto, Canada

Add me to LinkedIN

 

[libellis]

The phones will operate in a basic mode (able to make and receive calls on the handset) even without batteries. Might be interesting to remove the batteries and see if the problem still occurs (speakerphone, display and various features won't be functional without batteries).

 

[kxboy]

The batteries are used to keep the speed dial, auto dial and or caller ID numbers in the event the phone is unplugged from the line (-48vdc removed) The batteries are not required to make or receive calls. I suspect this is a problem with the hook-switch/plunger. Try manually pulling it up when the handset dies and see if that corrects the issue.

 

[BudTugglie]

Remains a mystery. I found a desk phone by RCA that has been working. Multiple AT&T phones and a Uniden did not work and were returned. Also have an AT&T desk phone without a display that works all the time. POTS voltage measures OK (48V). Problem makes no sense,

 

[curlycord]

You have been given a few things to try yet you appear to not be willing to try them
"What happens when: you pickup the handset and get no dial tone then try to carefully pull up the plunger/release/hook switch button that is in the cradle."
Please don't stare at it and say "it's up" like it had a blue pill, actually do as instructed.
That's 2 of us that blame the hook switch now and when you buy cheap phones like those you may have poorly made weak springs inside the phone that do not push it up ALL THE WAY!!

You were also advised to try the phones off site.
Doing this will tell you if its the phone OR NOT!!!

"Problem makes no sense"
It will not make sense until you are finally willing to actually try and troubleshoot as suggested above (work with us) otherwise it seems we are wasting our time.

Good luck with your mystery.



________________________________________

=----(((((((((()----=

http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto, Canada

Add me to LinkedIN

 

[BudTugglie]

Wow, that never occurred to me! I must have gotten three new phones, all with stuck handset buttons....

 

[curlycord]

and what part of this do you not get?

"I would strongly suggest you try these phones at 2 sites somewhere else.
-away from your area, Verizon lines or not
-on another carriers line beside Verizon in your area or not.

The idea is to see if it's just Verizon anywhere, or if just Verizon in your area."



"Best I can figure is that my POTS line has intermittent voltage issues and the electronics in the desk phones are sensitive enough to not work"

Wow, that never occurred to me! You must have gotten three new phones, all with sensitive issues.

lol?

When you troubleshoot and try things you narrow it down to the source.
You came to this forum to help, a forum where most people here are professionals in the telecom business but since this clearly is not working for you where you decide what to try and what not to try then I suggest you try another forum like one for Knitting Tips, perhaps they can better assist you.



________________________________________

=----(((((((((()----=

http://www.curlycord.com

Toronto, Canada

Add me to LinkedIN