clear@cavebbs.gen.nz (Charlie Lear) (01/31/91)
This one pops up in comp.dcom.telecom every now and again, so I thought I'd try sci.electronics for a change... Apparently there is a simple circuit you can add to your phone to light an LED when the line is in use. Radio Shack sell them. Schematics and how-to's have been posted on the net a number of times. Trouble is, they don't have RS stores in New Zealand and at the time the articles were posted, I didn't want an in-use indicator and skipped past them. I have recently upgraded my BBS and Usenet systems to six lines total, plus my voice line. Because they are pretty busy, I put a V32 modem on my voice line so the 3B2 could dial out for newsfeeds without waiting for a free line. Now I have the hassle of picking up the phone in the mornings while the news is still flowing and getting an angry Microcom squawking in my ear. Can someone please post schematics and a parts list for a cheap in-use indicator that an electronics tyro can put together? Ideally I'd like it small enough to slip inside the phones and have an LED indicator poking through a drilled hole in the case. I promise to keep all postings so that I can send instant-response email to the next person who asks... Mister Lippman, can you rescue me please? 8-) -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Charlie "The Bear" Lear | clear@cavebbs.gen.nz | Kawasaki Z750GT DoD#0221 The Cave MegaBBS +64 4 643429 V32 | PO Box 2009, Wellington, New Zealand --------------------------------------------------------------------------