Maker Pro
Maker Pro

On Line Warning Phone Circuit

S

steve

Jan 1, 1970
0
I have a multiple line phone system. I use a head set. People start
talking to me when I'm on the phone, when because they don't know if IM
on the phone or not. Can someone point me to a simple circuit that I
can make that would plug into the wall RJ connector and then plug my
phone into to detect when I'm on the phone and light an LED to indicate
I'm on the phone.

I have build a few phone circuits before. But this phone is not a
regular house phone, but rather a multi line "Office" phone where I'm
assuming its digital or something.

regards
 
C

Chris

Jan 1, 1970
0
steve said:
I have a multiple line phone system. I use a head set. People start
talking to me when I'm on the phone, when because they don't know if IM
on the phone or not. Can someone point me to a simple circuit that I
can make that would plug into the wall RJ connector and then plug my
phone into to detect when I'm on the phone and light an LED to indicate
I'm on the phone.

I have build a few phone circuits before. But this phone is not a
regular house phone, but rather a multi line "Office" phone where I'm
assuming its digital or something.

regards

Hi, Steve. You should start out by reading the phone system manuals,
and also by getting in touch with the sales rep for the system. If
you've got a multi-line system,

1) Home brew mods will void any warranty or service contract your
company has on the system, and

2) I'll bet the device you want is available as an accessory, or as a
different phone.

Good luck
Chris
 
S

steve

Jan 1, 1970
0
Chris said:
Hi, Steve. You should start out by reading the phone system manuals,
and also by getting in touch with the sales rep for the system. If
you've got a multi-line system,

1) Home brew mods will void any warranty or service contract your
company has on the system, and

2) I'll bet the device you want is available as an accessory, or as a
different phone.

Good luck
Chris

Well the service contract is long gone. Unfortunately the manual
doesn't say much about this. Yes I suppose there is something you
could buy. But Being a bit of a hobbyist I was looking forward to
building something. Unfortunately, I suppose there are no general
diagrams for this kind of thing.

Regards
 
S

steve

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thanks Terry for your help.

I'm not advanced enough to know however which one would work on a
digital line. I don't believe business phones use the same high
voltages that a normal house phone uses? Interesting enough in my
research I have found many people asking this same question and wanting
a solution but no one with a solution. Can anyone point to ones that
might work. Again I'm looking for something simple. Some of them look
awfully complex. All I want is a light or something saying that someone
is on the phone. right now our phones just have an liquid crystal
little screen that just point to the line in use. This is impossible to
see over someones shoulder or sitting accross the room.

Alternatively I was thinking of putting some sort of Induction device
on the hand piece that would detect a small current and then light a
light. However I have not seen any schematics for this.

Regards
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
steve said:
Thanks Terry for your help.

I'm not advanced enough to know however which one would work on a
digital line. I don't believe business phones use the same high
voltages that a normal house phone uses? Interesting enough in my
research I have found many people asking this same question and wanting
a solution but no one with a solution. Can anyone point to ones that
might work. Again I'm looking for something simple. Some of them look
awfully complex. All I want is a light or something saying that someone
is on the phone. right now our phones just have an liquid crystal
little screen that just point to the line in use. This is impossible to
see over someones shoulder or sitting accross the room.

Alternatively I was thinking of putting some sort of Induction device
on the hand piece that would detect a small current and then light a
light. However I have not seen any schematics for this.

Regards

The newer business phones that I've worked with use two pairs, one for
voice, and the other for data. Does the phone have a station lamp on it
to show wich phones are in use? If it does, mount a phototransistor or
other photo detector over it and use it to switch your "Can't you see
that I'm busy, you idiot? Go away!" sign. ;-)
--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
S

steve

Jan 1, 1970
0
Michael,

That is a great Idea, And I actually did think of it. Unfortunetely it
doesn have an idiot light. It just has an lcd strip and it just points
to the line that is being used. Its prety dim.

Any other thoughts ? Anyone.

Regards
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
steve said:
Michael,

That is a great Idea, And I actually did think of it. Unfortunetely it
doesn have an idiot light. It just has an lcd strip and it just points
to the line that is being used. Its prety dim.

Any other thoughts ? Anyone.

Regards


Do you have the programming manual for the phone system? Some have
interesting options that can be added to the system and programmed for
interesting functions.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
S

steve

Jan 1, 1970
0
Yes I know what you mean. Often they can do more than anyone can
imagine, or ever get used. But alas there is nothing there to really
help in my situation.

Thanks.
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
steve said:
Yes I know what you mean. Often they can do more than anyone can
imagine, or ever get used. But alas there is nothing there to really
help in my situation.

Thanks.


Sounds like it s time for a new phone system. :( Where is an old 1A2
system when you need it?


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
R

Rich Grise

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thanks Terry for your help.

I'm not advanced enough to know however which one would work on a
digital line. I don't believe business phones use the same high
voltages that a normal house phone uses? Interesting enough in my
research I have found many people asking this same question and wanting
a solution but no one with a solution. Can anyone point to ones that
might work. Again I'm looking for something simple. Some of them look
awfully complex. All I want is a light or something saying that someone
is on the phone. right now our phones just have an liquid crystal
little screen that just point to the line in use. This is impossible to
see over someones shoulder or sitting accross the room.

Alternatively I was thinking of putting some sort of Induction device
on the hand piece that would detect a small current and then light a
light. However I have not seen any schematics for this.

Regards

Are you trying to go behind the PHB's back on this, or what? Ask the
people who sold you the phone system if they have some kind of "on-line"
indicator - there isn't anything you can do at a hobbyist level, and
you'd void the warranty anyway. All of those office phone systems have
some kind of central computer, and the phones aren't real phones, so
without knowing that particular make and model's coding scheme, it's
impossible to figure out how to make anything to interface with it.

Good Luck!
Rich
 
R

Rich Grise

Jan 1, 1970
0
steve wrote: .... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The newer business phones that I've worked with use two pairs, one for
voice, and the other for data. Does the phone have a station lamp on it
to show wich phones are in use? ...

Apparently not.

Cheers!
Rich
 
M

Mike

Jan 1, 1970
0
steve said:
I have a multiple line phone system. I use a head set. People start
talking to me when I'm on the phone, when because they don't know if IM
on the phone or not. Can someone point me to a simple circuit that I
can make that would plug into the wall RJ connector and then plug my
phone into to detect when I'm on the phone and light an LED to indicate
I'm on the phone.

I have build a few phone circuits before. But this phone is not a
regular house phone, but rather a multi line "Office" phone where I'm
assuming its digital or something.

regards

I posted a question about a "phone busy" circuit a couple of days ago
(titled: "does this circuit use conventional current?") that may suit
your needs. The LED flashes when the phone is in use. Pick up a copy of
the March 2006 issue of Nuts & Volts if you want to know how it works.
There's a short column on it.
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Mike said:
I posted a question about a "phone busy" circuit a couple of days ago
(titled: "does this circuit use conventional current?") that may suit
your needs. The LED flashes when the phone is in use. Pick up a copy of
the March 2006 issue of Nuts & Volts if you want to know how it works.
There's a short column on it.


He is using a business phone system. The gadgets that work on single
line phones generally do not work with newer business phones.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
S

steve

Jan 1, 1970
0
Mike,

Interestingly enough I had already read your queries and answers. Had
your diagram up on my screen.

However it is true that our phone system is a business phone system. As
one person I think appropriately said, business phone systems aren't
really phone systems. That is, they are proprietary hardware and
sometimes software build by any number of companies. It seems in my
research that this is a particularly hard nut to crack generically, in
other words one solution will not fit all. I do have an answer however
that Im trying to pursue. I alluded to it earlier in my response to one
poster. I think an induction type device would work. The idea came to
me when I saw various circuits for Inductive phone taps.
( http://www.unterzuber.com/tap.html )
Of course I have no interest in taping anyones phone, and the way I
would build this thing it would be pretty obvious on anyones phone. But
I thought if I could simply put on the hand set wire an induction
device to pick up voltage when the phone is on line. Possibly increase
the voltage using transistors to a flashing led it would simply pick up
the voltage, light a flashing led and voila there you have it. Its
passive, and actually should work on any type of phone system.
Alternatively you could do this and use a 9 volt battery to flash the
light.

I'm a novice so anyone who would like to diagram such a things feel
free to post some ascii art circuits.

Regards
 
Top