Help with phone problem

[chrisjbell]

<font color="blue"> Use the hook switch. Pick the phone up, put the receiver to you ear and hit the hook switch 10 times. See if an operator answers you. </font>

Pulse dialing the manual way - used to try to use that method to place calls. I often got wrong numbers, but you can do it.

But any more it is probably a violation of some law - too much like "phone phreaking" /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif...

 

[Wiz]

OK, Here's the Monday morning update. All phones, answering machine, cordless were disconnected, including the power sources for the cordless & answering machine. Took a rotary phone outside, connected it to the phone box, it rings, works normally. Plan to use this one as a test phone. Brought the phone back in the house, plugged it into 2 different jacks, still have the original problem. My current thought is to head up to Radio Shack and buy a couple replacement jacks, then go around and swap them out, then re-test. GRRRRR....

 

[jwstewar]

Just don't buy any of their wire!!!! You'll be sorry, I know I am. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[r0GuE]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( When anyone calls my number they just hear what appears like an open line (no ringing sound or busy signal), then the call disconnects after about 6-8 seconds. )</font>

There is nothing you can do from home, that would cause no ringing or busy signal. They should get that much wether the line is open or shorted.... unless.. perhaps something inside your house IS answering the phone for you (PC?). If it answers fast enough, that might be the casde.... and then it is dropping the call....
Yep that's it!
Fax or answering machine or PC.
Good Luck.

 

[WVBill]

Wiz: You don't have a sattelite reciever that's plugged into the phone line do you? (Easy to forget)

 

[jwstewar]

I'll disagree with you on that one, but that is exactly what my phone was doing as well when I've had the corroded lines. Once I disconnected the corroded phone line all was well.

 

[MossRoad]

Do you have a point inside your house where all of your phone wires connect together? If so, undo all of them there and then hook one pair back up. Test it. Hook the next pair up, test it, etc... until you narrow down the bad pair before you start replacing jacks.

 

[ns_in_tex]

I had a similar problem one time. Turned out to be a connector in an outside horn. The four little gold (??) wires in the connector were corroded green /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif. I bypassed the connector & problem solved. I think they were shorting together.

 

[Wiz]

Here's the Tuesday update. In the basement is the common site for all the phone wiring. There is a 110 outlet there that has a 6-8V transformer plugged in there, that is fried. Disconnected the 2 phone wires that were attached, and am heading out today for a new transformer. Already tried Radio Shack, and they don't carry them. Have an electrician friend that will be going to a distributer this afternoon. Will post again after I hook up the new transformer. I suspect this is the power source for the ringer(s). Stay tuned..

 

[MossRoad]

Hmm... never heard of a transformer on the phone lines in a house. Maybe one of the phone guys has. Just curious... after you disconnected that transformer thingy from the phone lines, did you see if any of the phones worked? An old style phone should work with power coming over the lines from the phone company. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif