Legend Ringing Voltage on CO Line Jack

[Jim E]

I have a unique application for a residence. When the Garage doors are open, we want a CO line button to flash (as if an incoming call). My thought was to wire a simple switch that would pass ringing voltage (from a WE power supply unit) to a CO line jack (408 card), then assign that to the stations wanting the signal. My questions are would this damage the CO port (ringing voltage could be constant for hours when the garage door was open), or would any damage result from someone picking up that "ringing" line since the ringing voltage would never stop since the garage door was open? The CO line preference would be programmed not to automatically select and No ring. Previously when an 1A2 system was in place, the same solution worked.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

I don't know that it will do any damage, if you access the line you will hear it in your ear since you can't actually trip it.

Maybe use a single line station port, with a resistive load in series with your switch. Put an Auto Dial-Inside button on the phone to get the status light when you throw the switch and place the load across the station's Tip and Ring, taking it off hook

 

[dellphone]

You might be able to do this with a relay and a cheap single line phone. Use the relay to connect the line to the single line phone but it must be off hook and then setup Dial-Inside button on the phone to get the status light like TouchToneTommy said.

So when the garage door is open it will engage the normally closed contact on the relay and then the relay will connect the tip/Ring from the KSU to the off hook phone and then the light on the other phones will light up. Almost like a A lead control from the old days of 1A2.

A Altronix RB1224 relay might do the trick. Cheap on Ebay but they are reliable.

 

[Jim E]

Thanks for the ideas to show a busy light for the extension, I tried the first method right after TouchToneTommy posted, and it worked as explained, simple and elegant!

Now if we want a flashing lamp when the garage door is open... will wiring a simple switch that would pass ringing voltage (from a WE power supply unit) to a CO line jack (408 card), and assigning that CO to the stations wanting the signal, work without any long-term damage to the 408 card? Considering the garage door could be open for hours with the ringing current being passed to the CO port. Thanks again!

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Can you wire in an interrupter from a 1A2 system? That should be just fine, the ports are designed for normal CO ringing cadence, not continuous ring voltage.