Viking RG 10a Problem

[Lewes2]

Just received and installed our new Viking. We have seven phones on our network (with two more waiting in the wings) and ringing volume was becoming anaemic.  We are on Vonage and Comcast access.  Hence, the Viking.  Phones are 302s and 202s on 685a subs. I am using lb1 receivers and T1 transmitters, if it matters.

Well, ringer volume is certainly more robust now, BUT phones are now sporadically ringing, actually, one ring or a half ring, all by themselves.  Only the dial tone is heard when trying to answer.

This weekend I plan to unplug one phone at a time to see if I can isolate the culprit, if there is one.

Thoughts and ideas most welcome.

Chuck

Follow up: and just now, one unusually long ring. Weird.

[Weco355aman]

The ring booster will only support a certain amount of phones. With real phone service the run of the mill was about 5 phones.
the 202/302 TYPE phones were more power hungry than 500 Type ringingers. I would not try to exceed 5 of the old style phones ringing. The ring booster is not a fixall for unlimited phones. REN still count's reguardless of ringing supply.

[Lewes2]

Thanks Phil.  My question is not why the phones are not ringing with or without the new Viking. All the phones rang both with and without the Viking ring booster. They obviously ring louder with the booster.

The question is what, with the Viking ring booster connected in the circuit, might be causing these sporadic single rings about every ten minutes.  When I call our house number, the phones ring perfectly.  When I removed Viking, the sporadic rings stopped.

Chuck

[Weco355aman]

Let me start off saying, i DON'T have a ringing booster. From working with phone hardware I'm going to GUESS that you may have to much of a load (bell's) connected to ringing booster and it is having a hard time ringing them because of a excessive load. Today's consumer products us transistor step up technology and is only designed to minimum standards. its trying to produce power to ring the bells but its shutting down do to a excessive load. One thing people need to remember from a manufactures point no one uses old phones, and have to have 3 or more phones most people think that were nut's.
According to the Forward thinking people we only need Cell phones. Well that's not me. I'll stop collecting phones when I'm dead. I'm almost out of space so I've slowed down. 700 is a nice number.

[poplar1]

This device has a REN output of 12, according to more than one website. This is in addition to the ringers connected directly to the line/modem. However, the ringing output drops to 40 Volts AC under maximum load.

Chuck, using a standard T-jack (splitter) in the back of the Vonage modem,  try connecting one phone ahead of the ring booster -- that is, directly to the modem -- and one phone behind the booster (so that its ringer is activated by the booster). Then observe whether one or both phones ring sporadically when the line is idle. Also observe how they ring on incoming calls. If OK, then add additional ringers one at a time to increase the load until you again observe either trouble (weak ringing or ringing when no one is calling).

The 685A subset has the same REN as a 500 tel. set, that is 1.0. The 302s and 634BA or 684BA subsets are slightly higher, 1.2 REN if I recall correctly. The 534A, 634A and 684A subsets are about 2.5 REN.

RG-10A Ring Boosters
Boost Ringing Power to Ring up to 12 Additional Phones

The Viking RG-10A ring generator is designed to increase ringing power of an existing telephone line, analog PABX extension, analog ISDN Terminal Adapter port, or any other telecom device which provides ringing. The Viking RG-10A duplicates the incoming ring frequency and cadence allowing it to be compatible with custom ringing features. The Viking RG-10A is capable of ringing twelve standard (1 REN) telephone devices and does not affect the normal operation of the telephone line or features provided by the phone company such as Caller ID and Call Waiting.


RG-10A Ring Boosters
Features:

•Boosts ring to 12 REN
•Caller ID compatible
•Easy modular installation
•Compatible with distinctive ringing services
•Will not affect normal line operation
•Reshapes troublesome square wave ringing
•Capable of boosting talk battery and loop current
•Made in the USA
Specifications:
•Power: 120V AC/ 13.8VAC 1.25 UL listed adapter provided
•Dimensions: 127mm x 127mm x 38mm (5 x 5 x 1.5)
•Environmental: 0C to 32C (32F to 90F) with 5% to 95% non-condensing humidity
•Incoming Ring Detection: 40-150 VAC
•Ring Generator: 90 VAC nominal, 12 REN max load 40VAC
•Ringwave Shape: Saw tooth ring wave
•DC Talk Battery Boost (if enabled): 20 Volts DC
•Connections: (1) RJ11 plug, (1) RJ11 jack
Part Number: RG-10A

http://www.vikingproductstore.com/viking/security-equipment-21562-Viking_RG10A_Ring_Booster_RG10A.html

[Lewes2]

Good idea on the test, David.  Will give that a try. 

At present, I know I am well below the 12 REN limitation of the Viking.

I had another thought over night:  In addition to our uh . . . classic phones, we also have a cordless phone system -  a base and four extensions.  My wife likes this system for our VM and caller Id.  In some cases, a cordless extension and a 202 or 302 are side by side.  (yeah, I know! <g>)

So, does the cordless system base unit periodically "poll" its extension members to make sure they are alive and well, and if so, could that polling generate the single ring?  They are on the same circuit.  My first test tomorrow will be to disconnect the cordless system. 

I cannot think of anything else that would generate single rings, every 10 minutes or so.  Or maybe the Vonage router?  Does it periodically test itself?

Have to do some searching on the Vonage forum site.

chuck

[poplar1]

Are you saying that only the cordless phones are ringing sporadically? Some cordless phones interpret dial pulses (10 pps) as incoming ringing (20 pps). In any case, I'd turn off the annoying ringers in the cordless base and extensions, since no doubt you can hear real ringers all over your house. I don't know  about the Vonage router.

[Lewes2]

No, it's the rotary phones that are ringing sporadically. 

But the cordless base unit is on the same Vonage network as the rotaries.  So that's what made me think that the cordless system might be "polling" the extensions and that the polling process might somehow be creating a short ringing signal - and the Viking ring booster is amplifying that signal and causing the ringing. 

Without the Viking connected, everything works fine, except the rotaries ringers sound a bit weak. 

Of course,it could just be a bad Viking ring booster?  <g>

[dsk]

Manual:
http://tinyurl.com/mmwsk55
Have you tested the different setups:
(I would recommend to start without adding loop current, and then test with the different polarities.)
This are based on what I read and know, but I do not have such unit...

The RG-10A can be configured to add loop current to low loop current lines. This feature is not compatible with systems
that regulate the loop current.
IMPORTANT: Electronic components are sensitive to static electricity. Personnel and work area should be grounded before
handling.
Note: Be very careful when performing this procedure. Only use one hand to change position of switches and only touch
the LOOP CURRENT BOOST and POLARITY switches in the RG-10A. Other components in the RG-10A can be very high
voltage if the telephone line rings while performing this procedure.


dsk

[Lewes2]

Ok, the problem is fixed and we have nice, loud ringing phones, with no spurious single rings.

One of the phones, a Continental copy on a 685a subset is connected to the house phone network with a GE power line carrier setup. It was just this one phone making the one-ring chirps.  Apparently the transmitter was sending a ring signal to its receiver mate.

The subset is hidden behind a sectional and it was almost impossible to locate which phone was ringing with the sound going up the wall.  It was a comedy; unplug one, ring, nope, not that one, unplug another, ring, nope not that one.  Reminded me of trying to locate the one chirping smoke detector. 

Thanks for everyone's input.

Chuck