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Protel Pay Phone

Started by Kelpie, September 18, 2012, 03:54:50 PM

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Kelpie

Hello,

I have a Protel payphone that I want to convert to home use.  I was able to re program the board, but it will not dial out.  It will only receive calls.  Also, it does not have a ringer.  Anyone know how I can do this?

BTW,  I saw on ebay a while back a conversion for the hook switch and keypad that would allow you to avoid having to use the existing circuitry in the phone, but now I can't find the kits.

DavePEI

Quote from: Kelpie on September 18, 2012, 03:54:50 PM
Hello,

I have a Protel payphone that I want to convert to home use.  I was able to re program the board, but it will not dial out.  It will only receive calls.  Also, it does not have a ringer.  Anyone know how I can do this?

BTW,  I saw on ebay a while back a conversion for the hook switch and keypad that would allow you to avoid having to use the existing circuitry in the phone, but now I can't find the kits.
I don't know enough about the Protels to answer your first question - for a ringer, you will need to use an external ringer. You can get one from Radio Shack which will plug into the line, and then the phone plugs into it.

Now, Payphone.com are the people that had the conversion board and they don't list it any more, but they do list the following:

http://www.payphone.com/Armored-Phone-Circuit-Board.html

which looks as though it should be able to be used. You should check with them before you order.

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

DavePEI

Got any info for him, Terry? I don't know enough about the Protels to advise him. I think he may still have a problem in the way he has programmed it.

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

AE_Collector

#3
I used to know quite a lot about Protel's. But that was 10 years ago...

They don't need external power but DO need a ground in normal use. It is possible that the touch pad won't work without the ground connected, I can't remember. If in "As Removed from Service" condition I would think you might be able to dial. Try numbers like "0" or "411" or possibly 800 #'s as they are more likely to complete without needing to see that coins have both been put in AND recognised by the CO. These use CO based Coin Line Equipment.

There are lots of different models as well. I am slightly familiar with 6520's and 6700's. I think those are the correct model #'s.

6520's had an electronic ringer on the main chassis.

As always lots of pictures including inside will help ID the model.

And having gone into programming might make it want to see a new download from the host computer which could leave it out of service now. Of course if it had never been programmed it wouldn't have worked anyway.

These phones are programmed and givien a phone number to call for the host and then a forced download is initiated to set everything up. Without that download you may not get it to do muchat all.

Terry

Kelpie

This is a 310 board.  I was able to program it to accept all calls and not require any coins to dial, but it's not dialing.  It also takes some kind of battery power to work as well.  I hooked up a 6 volt lantern battery and it seemed to work, except for dialing out.

I'll get a picture of the inside to post as well as check the keypad for a ground wire.

Thanks

AE_Collector

Right....batteries. Is it a connector on the main board? I think it was a lithium battery battery pack located under a plastic cover on the back of the chassis that charged off of the 48VDC phone line an was used to operate the coin relay to collect or refund.

Terry

DavePEI

#6
For a good ringer to use with these, see Ebay: 271063687252

http://tinyurl.com/cumb6lv

Just connect your line to it, and than run a line from it to L1 and L2 on the phone. This is often the best way to do it rather than trying to shoehorn a ringer and capacit0r inside the phone, and will leave your phone in original condition when you are done with it.

RS also sells similar ringers, but this one has a real bell, and not a warbler.

Question: Is the keypad the correct one for the board you are using?

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

Kelpie

Quote from: AE_collector on September 19, 2012, 07:39:21 PM
Right....batteries. Is it a connector on the main board? I think it was a lithium battery battery pack located under a plastic cover on the back of the chassis that charged off of the 48VDC phone line an was used to operate the coin relay to collect or refund.

Terry
Yeah, that's what it looks like.  The thing is that without the battery, the phone does not work at all.

Kelpie

#8
Quote from: DavePEI on September 20, 2012, 05:42:36 AM
For a good ringer to use with these, see Ebay: 271063687252

http://tinyurl.com/cumb6lv

Just connect your line to it, and than run a line from it to L1 and L2 on the phone. This is often the best way to do it rather than trying to shoehorn a ringer and capacit0r inside the phone, and will leave your phone in original condition when you are done with it.

RS also sells similar ringers, but this one has a real bell, and not a warbler.

Question: Is the keypad the correct one for the board you are using?

Dave

The keypad looks like the right one.  Doesn't look to have been swapped out.  I did switch the tip and ring wires to see if that was the problem, but it didn't make a difference.

Thanks for the info on the ringer, I'll pick one of those up.

Kelpie

Well, now I can't get it to program.  All it does is keep signaling an error and then beeps like mad.  It's not worth fixing, so I might just pitch it or see if I can take apart an older wall phone to mount inside it and use it that way.

rdelius

I have taken out the "smart" boards out and installed AE parts in some newer paystations .I have also used regular parts also
GTE 120b? parts might fit

AE_Collector

Yes I am almost certain that AE 120B parts would fit inside.

Terry

Kelpie

#12
Would this one work?

http://www.tullc.us/product.php?id_product=37

Not sure about the keypad connector.  The one I have has a 25 or 15 pin connector on a ribbon cable like this one, but older.

http://www.payphone.com/Protel-Keypad-Assembly.html

G-Man

Protel is probably the best board to use for hobbyist applications since it can be easily programed for basic functions. 

I have 25-30 of them in storage and keep them around for two reasons, one being that they are all mounted in Western Electric housings and can be quickly restored back to original.

The other being, to give them to friends for their game rooms. I can quickly program them for the local prefixes and the phones will then allow outside dialing when the correct amount of coins are deposited.

If one wanted to, you could allow a COCOT remotely update its toll tables to allow L.D. calling.

Protel also made other boards to fit Tautang and GTE-style housings but I prefer the WECo-style instead.

Here are some diagnostic routines:            

Performing Battery Voltage Test
1. Exit diagnostic mode.
2. Lift receiver & listen for dial tone.
3. Dial * (star) # (pound) 67 (six, seven)
One .beep. = good battery; Two .beeps. = marginal battery; Three .beeps. = low battery

Performing Manual Battery Charge
1. Lift receiver & listen for dial tone.
2. Dial * (star) # (pound) 68 (six, eight)
3. Listen for .Please Wait. voice prompt & then hang up. The procedure should last
approx. 2 minutes & cannot be interrupted once it has been started.

*#61 Telephone number.
*#62 Software version and model numbers.
*#65 Telephone company's modem number.
                        
      

G-Man

#14
                        
Six-volts may be too high to allow the board to properly function and may have even damaged it since the correct voltage is 4.6-volts:

CTRBATAY08 310 NI-CAD Battery (4.6 Volt)

The 310 board was manufactured to fit GTE-syle housings.
                     
Also, are you connecting it to an outside source of dial-tone?

It generates its own dial-tone internally but the DTMF tones of the number you have dialed are stored until the proper amount of coins are deposited. Once the board  recognizes that it has received the correct amount it goes off-hook and listens for outside dial-tone and then dials the number. You need to connect it to a telephone line or pbx for a source of dial-tone before it will work correctly.

If the problem persist, try re-initializing the board.

From the manual-
A minimum of 22ma (mili-amps) (or 44VDC) loop current must be provided to the
payphone from the Telephone Company's Central Office. In certain situations, due to
the distance between the Central Office and the phone site, the loop current may not
meet the required level of 22ma. If the loop current is below 22ma, dial tone may not
occur or the phone may experience only momentary burst of dial tone.

Problem . No Dial Tone
Before You Begin Test the telephone line to determine if the problem is with the telephone line
or with the payphone.

Possible Cause 1: Telephone line dead or improperly connected
Solution: Check line for dial tone & check terminal block for proper connections

Possible Cause 2: Battery not plugged in or battery below 4.6 Volts DC
Solution: Plug in battery or test with meter for proper voltage (4.6 VDC)

Possible Cause 3: Stuck coin in trigger switch assembly (coin validator)
Solution: Unplug 4-prong trigger switch & listen for dial tone; If dial tone is
present while trigger switch is unplugged, but not when plugged in,
remove coin acceptor & trigger switch to find & remove stuck coins or
to separate shorted contacts.