I'm interested in buying an old Panasonic PBX where the phones ring in a cascading or aviary effect. In other words, not all phones ring simultaneously at the exact same time. Instead, they ring one after the other. I bought a 616 assuming it would do this based on what I read in another forum, but it didn't. Are there certain models, or maybe even software versions, that this ring type occurs on?
The 616 should cascade. There are four ring groups. Extensions 11, 15, 19 and 23 ring at once, then 12, 16, 20, and 24, and so on.
I believe it has to be programmed to do that. The manual is on here somewhere.
From my experience the cascading ringing is a default to the system programming, on both my KX-T30810BE and KX-T61610BE...
What does the BE stand for?
Quote from: Mmg577 on March 23, 2017, 06:22:15 PM
What does the BE stand for?
IIRC, that indicates the unit made for use in the UK. Slightly different programming code and the ring of a BE unit is US style while the US unit rings in UK style. Both manuals are available from multiple sources on the internet, just search for "kx-t61610be manual" or "kx-t61610 manual."
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=7160.msg93558#msg93558
Quote from: HarrySmith on March 23, 2017, 03:17:35 PM
I believe it has to be programmed to do that. The manual is on here somewhere.
Here is the Forum link for panasonic 308/616
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?board=62.
It is very helpful when you want to learn about these units.
JMO,
Jim S.
Quote from: Mmg577 on March 23, 2017, 06:22:15 PM
What does the BE stand for?
I usually assume it meant "British Edition", but could be anything, but as mentioned, they're basically the same with some minor differences, the UK one has the internal calls that ring in the US 2-4 cadence between extensions, the date display on system phones is in Day-Month-Year, and the programming defaults to pulse-dialling instead of DTMF when reset (which confused the heck out of me before I got my KX-T7130E phone to program it), other than that, pretty much the same hardware... :)
I have both 308 & 616, they both cascade ring as a default.
Gary, do you know what software version they are?
Asking the opposite question... Is there a way to make all the extensions ring at once? I can do it on a BT Revelation, but don't seem to be able to do it on a 616.
The ringing is staggard to lessen the load on the unit
I have a KX-T61610 V1 and my phones cascaded the first time after plugging it in on the default programing. No programing had been saved from the previous owner as it didn't come with a backup battery.
It works just as mentalstampede says.
Quote from: mentalstampede on March 23, 2017, 03:15:44 PM
The 616 should cascade. There are four ring groups. Extensions 11, 15, 19 and 23 ring at once, then 12, 16, 20, and 24, and so on.
The cascading ringing occurs with single line telephones. Most of us have 0 - 1 proprietary phones connected.
Quote from: Mmg577 on March 30, 2017, 01:03:37 AM
So, I'm really confused. I bought another KX-T61610 V1 off eBay. The first one I bought was a V3. This new one still doesn't ring in a cascading style. It only does it if I use a non-proprietary phone. The proprietary phones I have are KX-T7736. Is it the phone sets themselves that create the cascading effect. For example, could I achieve the cascading ring with an older phone like ae KX-T61620?
Proprietary telephones don't cascade. Why would they? The proprietary sets don't use the A.C. ring signal at all. They ring on digital command by the CPU. The reason for cascading the analog phones is to spread or average the electrical load of ringing over time to avoid the higher instantaneous power consumption.
The ringing of proprietary stations is accomplished with the telephone speaker in the telephone base, requiring much less power.
Quote from: unbeldi on March 30, 2017, 07:51:29 AM
Proprietary telephones don't cascade. Why would they? The proprietary sets don't use the A.C. ring signal at all. They ring on digital command by the CPU. The reason for cascading the analog phones is to spread or average the electrical load of ringing over time to avoid the higher instantaneous power consumption.
The ringing of proprietary stations is accomplished with the telephone speaker in the main unit, requiring much less power.
Thank you for clarifying the operation. That is what I thought was the reason and it makes perfect sense. And as poplar1 said, only those who want to program a 616/308 own the correct proprietary phone. The rest just use these systems to test phones or activate their collections. So, now we know.
Quote from: Mmg577 on March 30, 2017, 01:03:37 AM
The proprietary phones I have are KX-T7736. Is it the phone sets themselves that create the cascading effect.
That must be it. The cascading ring is done with non-proprietary phones to ensure there is adequate power to operate mechanical ringers. It makes sense that it would not be necessary to do so with the electronic ringers present in the proprietary sets.
I really appreciate all the responses. It's definitely a mystery. I know for a fact the older Panasonic PBX and proprietary phones did this. My family had one (I wish they had never gotten rid of it), but it was a KX-T1232 with the KX-T123230 phones. Given this, I wonder if it has something to do with those really old proprietary phones. I only have KX-T7130 and KX-T7736 to test. I guess it might be worth buying an old one of eBay.
Mine are version 3. I only have old phones hooked up. That may be the issue.
Quote from: oldguy on March 31, 2017, 12:02:06 AM
Mine are version 3. I only have old phones hooked up. That may be the issue.
When you say you only have old phones hooked up, do you mean old proprietary phones like the kx-t61620 or kx-t123220? Or old non-proprietary phones? Here is a pic of the phones I am thinking of.
No, I mean WE 500s, 2500s, princess, trimline, etc.
Quote from: Mmg577 on March 30, 2017, 10:30:08 PM
I really appreciate all the responses. It's definitely a mystery. I know for a fact the older Panasonic PBX and proprietary phones did this. My family had one (I wish they had never gotten rid of it), but it was a KX-T1232 with the KX-T123230 phones. Given this, I wonder if it has something to do with those really old proprietary phones. I only have KX-T7130 and KX-T7736 to test. I guess it might be worth buying an old one of eBay.
I think the 1232 is altogether a different animal than the 308 and 616.
Quote from: Phonesrfun on April 19, 2017, 03:18:25 AM
I think the 1232 is altogether a different animal than the 308 and 616.
The 1232 systems indeed use a different design strategy. They are modular so that a customer can start with a system of small configuration and expand it as need arises in a growing business, without having to replace the entire telephone system, and without having to buy a full system at first that has mostly unused capacity. System replacement times are critical times for vendors, because it opens the possibility that they lose the customer to another vendor by comparison shopping. With an expandable system, the upgrade cost and learning curve, etc, are kept at a minimum and the customer is locked in.
The modularity in design requires changes in logistical layout of the system. The line cards now come in groups of eight ports (IIRC) and each group adds additional CO lines. This changes not only the way the station numbering is arranged, and how ringing groups work, but also things like power-fail cut-through from the CO lines to the stations. On the smaller systems, the CO lines cut through to the first group of stations directly, but in the 1232 the CO lines cut through to stations on their respective line card, so it is not the first 'n' stations of the system.
But the basic technology features, the semiconductor base, are the same in them.