macy@hal.uucp (10/06/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0424m04@vector.dallas.tx.us> lots of people wrote: >In article <telecom-v09i0417m08@vector.dallas.tx.us>, johnl@esegue.segue. >boston.ma.us (John R. Levine) writes: > ... >> ROLM phones have for years had the option to set the ringing sound to >> any of eight different warbles ranging from high and squeaky to fairly >On mechanical ringers (in 500 or 2500 equipment) two rings can be >made by swapping the left gong in one tel set with the right gong in >the other. >[Moderator's Note: The way we fixed this problem in our office (we use all >2500 sets, several years old) was to open the case on each phone, get inside >and adjust the clappers so they produced different results every third or >fourth phone. The phones sit maybe 10-15 feet apart from each other. One >of three or four will just go 'click-click-click', another makes a very >feeble ring, still another has a good hearty ring, etc. There were several different gong types made by WECO and Stromberg-Carlson for this purpose. The installer would intentionally swap out one of the standard gongs on each instrument in a large office full of 500/2500 sets this would make all the sets give a distinctive sounding ring. As far as I can tell, these special gongs disappeared from the catalogs about the same time as the advent of modular jack/cords on phones. They worked well, but certain combinations of gongs made for some really odd sounding ringers. Today, in our interconnect co., we still install 2500 sets with conventional mechanical ringers. (We use Premier 2500, but Comdial's and Cortelco's are OK, too) We tell our customers that the 2500 is still the most durable and reliable telephone instrument we know of. Dumb, but dependable (a lot like Centrex, i guess ;-) ) I do not like the electronic ringers. It appears that some people with certain types of hearing loss have trouble hearing the ring of these as well. We often use 2500 models with "TAP" (controlled timed on-hook flash) buttons and message waiting lites. The light acts as a visual ring indication, as well as providing message waiting indication on PBX's with the feature. The TAP or flash button makes transfers easy and the hookswitch is timed to provide a postive disconnect. These enhanced sets are known by different nomenclatures depending on the mfr., but we call them 2507's or MW/TAP sets (for message wait/TAP). They make single line operation behind PBX's and Centrex much easier for most users. We adjust the ringers by: 1. Swap ringer gongs. Try swapping between sets for effect. The right and left gongs have different tones. Try a set with two left gongs, for instance. 2. Adjust ringer normal springs and gongs. The gongs are not center drilled, but are instead intentionally drilled off center to allow adjustment. Rotate them slightly while the phone is ringing for effect. 3. Use black electrical tape along the rims of the gongs to adjust tone and persistence of the gongs. You get a different sound depending on where the tape is placed, and how long a piece you use. (Note: REAL telephone men use gray electrical tape, not black!) If you like 2500 sets, the very best were made in the late 70's and early 80's by WECO, ITT and Stromberg-Carlson. They had: 1. Metal ringer frames 2. Heavy metal baseplates. (Made by Led Zepplin?) 3. The newer electronic bubble-feel type touch tone pads (no mechanical arms inside) (this is the most common item to fail on a 2500 set. the older pads failed much more often.) 4. Polarity guards. 5. Some were fully modular corded, but many were quarter mod. Note that all 2500 sets by the standard mfr.'s are date stamped on the bottom. I buy used sets meeting the above specs often at Hamfests and from brokers. They are worth putting new plastic on. They will often outlast some of the newer sets. Since the mfr.'s of decent 2500 sets have all recently increased their warranty period to five years, the quality has bounced back a bit, though. Gee, I could be excommunicated from the Secret Society of Telephone Installers for divulging these secrets! BTW: Neon lights are indeed an excellent visual ring indication. Try using lights set up for standard 110VAC, often prepackaged in a cartridge with pigtail lead. This is what we use to retrofit message waiting lights on standard 2500 sets. Boy, I'm really in trouble with the SSTI now! Macy Hallock fmsystm!macy@NCoast.ORG F M Systems, Inc. hal!ncoast!fmsystm!macy 150 Highland Dr. uunet!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!fmsystm!macy Medina, OH 44256 Voice: 216-723-3000 X251 Disclaimer: My advice is worth what you paid for it. Alt.disclaimer: Your milage may vary. Biz.disclaimer: My opinions are my own. What do I know? Inside telephone joke: Sounds made by Japanese crossbar switch: crick,crick, crick,crick (and when the phone gets generator:) ling,ling, ling,ling ! Hey, it was funny when I went to WECO No.5 Xbar school! [Moderator's Note: In my office, I have a Comdial 2500 phone with a TAP button. It's a great help with call-waiting, etc. PT]