cosell@bbn.com (Bernie Cosell) (01/30/91)
Here at BBN we have a ROLM VLCBX system. As it turns out, I'm getting
some grief from the phonedroids about replacing my instrument with a
speakerphone, and so I'm thinking of finessing the whole matter by
simply going out and BUYING a speakerphone --- phones are cheap enough
and easy enough to come by that it is hard to fathom why providing a
'BBN approved' speakerphone should be an expensive hassle, but it is.
Anyhow: does anyone know what the compatibility of 'ordinary' phones
are with the Rolm system? It looks like the 'official' Rolm
instruments all just have vanilla modular connectors on them, but I
observe that the phone has at least two not-very-standard features:
1) it supports a "message waiting" light
2) it has some magic in the switchhook so that it holds the line down long
enough to ensure that it is really a 'hangup' [and there is a separate
'flash' button].
Are there random commercial [speaker] phones that are actually fully
compatible with the Rolm system [including the two items above]? Even
if the answer is 'yes', I'm curious about what'll happen [besides that
I'll obviously lose the above two items] if I just use a real-vanilla
phone --- it won't hurt the system or otherwise not work, will it?
Thanks,
Bernie Cosell BBN Sys & Tech, Cambridge, MA 02138 cosell@bbn.comHofbrau@uunet.uu.net (02/05/91)
Bernie Cosell writes: >Here at BBN we have a ROLM VLCBX system. As it turns out, I'm getting >some grief from the phonedroids about replacing my instrument with a >speakerphone, and so I'm thinking of finessing the whole matter by >simply going out and BUYING a speakerphone --- phones are cheap enough >and easy enough to come by that it is hard to fathom why providing a >'BBN approved' speakerphone should be an expensive hassle, but it is. >Anyhow: does anyone know what the compatibility of 'ordinary' phones >are with the Rolm system? It looks like the 'official' Rolm >instruments all just have vanilla modular connectors on them, but I >observe that the phone has at least two not-very-standard features: <...stuff deleted...> >Are there random commercial [speaker] phones that are actually fully >compatible with the Rolm system [including the two items above]? Even >if the answer is 'yes', I'm curious about what'll happen [besides that >I'll obviously lose the above two items] if I just use a real-vanilla >phone --- it won't hurt the system or otherwise not work, will it? The ROLM phone you describe is an electronic phone. The deskset performs the analog-digital conversion for the voice channel and the link from the deskset to the switch is digital (proprietary format). This link is constantly active and, if unplugged for too long, it can be deactivated. So don't unplug your phone and definitely don't plug in a Plain Old Telephone Set. Now for your problem: all of the ROLM phones I've seen have the speakerphone built in. One of the configurable buttons is usually programmed to select the speaker option. You can check your phone as follows: 1. Is there a small (1/2in. x 1/2in.) set of slots in the very front of your phone? This is the microphone pickup for the speakerphone. 2. When the phone rings with a call, tap the line button that flashes and see if the call is answered in speaker-phone mode. OK, I just checked the manual and you might not have the two-way speakerphone. Check the underside of the phone for the model number. RP400 and RP240 have the two-way speakerphone hardware but the RP120 has the speaker only. This is to allow one-handed dialing, you don't have to pick up the handset until the called party answers. Robert Brauer ROLM Systems Inc., Santa Clara, CA. Disclaimer: These OPINIONS are mine and if you think I speak for anyone else, you're wrong.