SYSDEB@ukcc.bitnet (Hisle, Debra) (10/06/89)
We're just finishing up a completely remodelling a bathroom and have reached the select-a-phone stage. The bathroom is done out in high style, with a marble floor, glass block dividing walls, etc. Showplace type of thing. We've included wiring and box for a wall phone. We've got two lines into the house, so the phone needs to be a 2-line. The problem seems to be finding a two-line wall phone. A preliminary survey (I went to Radio Shack last night) turned up (1) a "real" wall-phone (the kind that predates Trim-line) that only comes in Almond (absolutely ghastly choice, given the color scheme of the room) or (2) a small number of feature phones. We'd prefer a Trim-line style, not much in the way of buttons, like Radio Shack USED to sell, but discontinued. We may end up moving one of this type from another room, and getting a feature phone for that location. The problem is, while looking at phones, I kept seeing attractive one-line phones, that would complement the rest of the design in the room. (What I really like is a Trim-line style in a clear housing.) So my question: is there ANY WAY to provide an external line switch to a one line wall phone? We're talking about a flush mounted to the face plate type of wall phone, NOT one that has a cord dripping down to a baseboard height outlet. Or, should I just settle for the plain white trim-line that I can move from another room? And if I DO settle, is there any kind of switch that can be provided for the table-top phone with which I replace the trim-line? (A mahogany boxed model would do quite well in that room, actually.) Selection of two-line phones is so limited... Deb [Moderator's Note: Get a mini-switch at Radio Shack to mount on the single line instrument of your choice. It has to be a four-pole, double-throw switch. From the phone center store (or Radio Shack, if they have it) get a 'side ringer', or separate bell in a little box to mount elsewhere. If you are content with having the phone ring for only one of the two lines then you can skip the extra bell. Bring the four wires/two pairs into the phone, up to the switch. Solder them on the switch so you either bring one pair out to the network on the phone, or the other pair, by flipping the switch. Drill a little hole in the phone shell. If you look on the inside of the plastic, you will likely see little places where punch outs were intended. Mount your switch in there. Now flipping it one way brings line one to the network (and the bell, should the phone ring); and flipping it the other way brings line two to the network (and bell). When the phone is on-hook, however you have the switch set will detirmine which line will ring the bell. Run a pair to the separate bell (and leave the switch by default in the *opposite* position) if you want to have both lines ring a bell. A better way is to get a switch which will do a couple things at once and wire it so that whichever line is switched to the network, the *opposite* pair is switched into the bell. Of course be sure and disconnect the bell from the network, and require it to get fed only from the jumper coming from your switch! This will enable you to be on one line and have the phone actually ring if a call comes on the second line. PT]
dave@uunet.uu.net (Dave Levenson) (10/12/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0435m05@vector.dallas.tx.us>, SYSDEB@ukcc.bitnet (Hisle, Debra) writes: > We're just finishing up a completely remodelling a bathroom and have > reached the select-a-phone stage. ... > table-top phone with which I replace the trim-line? (A mahogany boxed > model would do quite well in that room, actually.) Check the local electrical code. In many places, a telephone installed in the bathroom _must_ be wall-mounted or, if a table-top set is used, it must be anchored to the table. Apparently, they don't want to have it fall into the bathtub while ringing, or while generating D.C. pulses with a high-voltage 'kick' on the line, or it may "reach out and shock someone" through the conductive bathwater. Dave Levenson Voice: (201) 647 0900 Westmark, Inc. Internet: dave@westmark.uu.net Warren, NJ, USA UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave [The Man in the Mooney] AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave
SYSDEB@ukcc.bitnet (Hisle, Debra) (10/13/89)
On Thu, 12 Oct 89 04:23:22 GMT Dave Levenson <westmark!dave@uunet.uu.net> said: >In article <telecom-v09i0435m05@vector.dallas.tx.us>, SYSDEB@ukcc.bitnet >(Hisle, Debra) writes: >> We're just finishing up a completely remodelling a bathroom and have >> reached the select-a-phone stage. > ... >> table-top phone with which I replace the trim-line? (A mahogany boxed >> model would do quite well in that room, actually.) >Check the local electrical code. In many places, a telephone >installed in the bathroom _must_ be wall-mounted or, if a table-top >set is used, it must be anchored to the table. Apparently, they >don't want to have it fall into the bathtub while ringing, or while >generating D.C. pulses with a high-voltage 'kick' on the line, or it >may "reach out and shock someone" through the conductive bathwater. Unfortunately, Mr. Levenson has missed the meaning of my posting, probably due to scanning/excerption. In my article, I referred to a decent solution phone, no longer marketed by Radio Shack, and mentioned that I have one, in another room. THAT room is the candidate for a single-line-with-external- switch phone; NOT the bathroom. Mahogany boxed would be a lovely choice for the library, but I just can't see it in an Art Deco bath. The phone for the bath WILL be wall-mounted -- to an actual wall-mount plate, NOT just mounted on screws like most feature phones will do, in fact. Thanks to our moderator, I have a viable approach to either building an unassuming switch box, or modifying a nice wall-phone. In further developments, I've found in the Fordham catalog that SWBell makes a 2-line Trim-line wall-phone, which will probably fit the bill. My husband and I have run into difficulties agreeing on designer phones anyway -- he can't get used to the idea of a clear phone, actually. Debra Hisle University of Kentucky Lexington, KY USA SYSDEB or DEBBIE at UKCC or ukcc.uky.edu