Telephone line simulators to run old phones as intercom?

[oldguy]

I definitely agree about the KX-T61610 or KX-T30810 if you are patient you can get a fair price. I got one for $25 + $18.25 shipping. They are great toys or tools, depending on how you look at your hobby.

[Jim Stettler]

I had one. They are very effective, but need a ring booster. It would only ring 2 phones at the most, plus it was pricey.

I absolutely love my Panasonic KX‑T61610. I use it for my display phones, running behind my 1A2 key system, and as an intercom system in the house.

Something else that will work as a ringdown (just basic talk battery and ringing) as well as a fantastic phone tester is a BK Precision 1045a or 1045b. I've seen them around the $50 mark on eBay.

I recommend having a BK Precision 1045. They are a nice quick tester. The 616 is a great display tool.  You can plug the 1045 into a CO port on the 616 and use it to trigger the 616.
Just a thought,
Jim  S.

[JonasClark]

Thanks for all the advice! The one and only thing I need is a basic ringdown, I'm not really a big phone collector and don't intend to become one. I collect lots of old things, but four old phones will be enough for me. So no test equipment needed.

Has anyone used this Sandman one, Qwikconnect? It's inexpensive enough for me. I called Sandman and was told its output ring voltage is 70 volts, and I'm not sure if half that will run an electro-mechanical ringer (if I have two phones per end).

I'm also unsure about whether I can have either phone on one end answer either phone on the other. They told me they think that'll work too, but aren't certain. By that I mean, if I have two phones connected to each output: that is, I pick up either phone on one end, both on the other end ring, and either of them can answer the call, and vice-versa.

[Jim Stettler]

I'm not really a big phone collector and don't intend to become one.

OK, I respect the fact that you sincerely believe your statement. I look forward to seeing your posts regarding your latest finds.

Happy collecting,
Jim S.

[JonasClark]

The reason I say I won't is because I don't have the room. I've collected all sorts of things for years: antique lighting, lava lamps, clocks, mechanical devices, smoking pipes, scientific glassware, old light bulbs, ceiling fans, electric doorbells... and my old collection space is FULL.

Admittedly, I have added a new room. However, this room is mostly going to be an art studio, and what display space there is will quickly get filled by stuff I have in storage because I've had nowhere to display it. The light bulbs, several long-chime doorbells (those take up a lot of wall space), and a lot of vintage electrical and mechanical junk are finally getting space.

I'm making room for four telephone-related items: the actual house phone (I'd like to find an orange 70s touch-tone), the Western Electric (it'll be my intercom), a Graybar wall intercom out of a 1936 theatre I worked in, and a brass no-dial candlestick phone lamp (my grandmother's high school civics class's fundraising project was making a bunch of these into lamps which light when taken off the hook). Table space will be at a premium, and I already have a stereo that needs a spot in there.

[poplar1]

70 Volts output would be the same for one phone or two connected in parallel. However, there may not be enough amperage to ring two phones at once. For that you will need a device with a REN (Ringer Equivalence Number) of 2.0 or greater. The sandman listing does not provide the REN for the Quikconnect model. However, on the next listing, for the WAL6A model ($369), which has an REN of 2.0, he states:

                90V 20 Cycle 2 REN Ringing (Note that the ringing on most other simulators won't ring some phones, phone equipment, or phones with real bells)

which seems to imply that the Quikconnect may not be sufficient for your needs.

A similar product is the Proctor Ringdown model 46220. I've used these and they work very well. It has a ringing output of 105V with a load of 5.0 REN (enough for 5 ringers).
http://www.proctorinc.com/46220.htm


Here is a current Ebay listing ($89 or best offer):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/United-Data-Proctor-46220-Automatic-Ringdown-Line-Hotline-Adapter-Free-Shipping-/221971994959

[JonasClark]

Thanks much, poplar1! I'll buy one of these.

And who knows? The forum might be right, I might buy more phones in the future. Though the only old phone I really want is a functional candlestick, I know that'll never be in my budget.

[oldguy]

My 616 cost about 1/2 of what the 46220 cost, just sayin.

[JonasClark]

Those Panasonic 616s are certainly neat, but they also do far more than I need. I'll never use most of the features.

[twocvbloke]

Most of us don't use even half the features on the KX-T308 and 616 systems, just pick up a phone, dial an extension & let it ring...

[oldguy]

I don't use all the features of Microsoft Word but it's still on my computer & I still use word.

[JonasClark]

Point taken, but still, I've found exactly what I needed. Thanks for the assistance. I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of reading around here!

[compubit]

One more comment - though probably not applicable to the original poster - a nice feature about going the ATA route, is that on many of them, you can set the ringing frequency.  Useful in an environment where you have non-Straight-Line ringers... (Cough, AE, Cough, Cough)

Jim

[Greg G.]

Unfortunately, I think the Panasonics are beyond my budget, they do far more than I need, and it says they require one phone with a built-in display so you can program them.

You don't need the proprietary phone for what you want to use it for.  I have the proprietary phone with a Panasonic 308, but I just use it in the default mode.  I mostly use it for testing phones I've bought.  It can easily be used for an intercom in the default mode, you just dial the 2-digit number of the extension, e.g. if the phone you want to dial is on extension 12, you just dial 1-2.  You can have fun plugging in several phones and they will all ring in cascading numeric order for incoming calls.  Can't remember what I paid for mine, I bought if from another forum member, I think it was around $30.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILUvbF62yB4