External & Internal Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) Lights (Voicemail)

[doorty]

I bought a WE 554 for a phone niche in my 1940s house. I bought the grandstream HT02 and plan to use Callcentric which seems(?) to support a (neon) MWI. I'm new to all this.

My original plan was to buy a simple light from sandman.com that would fit inside the case by drilling a hole, but apparently they just discontinued it. I can't find any other seller for something similar, and I'm not even sure if I could get it to fit inside.

The other options are external indicator lights, like MW1 or Large LED Neon MW/Ring Indicator from sandman.com, or the Viking LPL-1. The problem is these all have a cheap plastic cases to hold the light. I want to keep the vintage look and have something that looks nice.

This is where I need help. Maybe I can just open the case and take the light out of the MW1 from sandman, which looks like the same simple light as the one discontinued. I could wire that directly inside the case.

OR I somehow hide/cover the plastic, run the wires through the wall, and build a retro-looking red lamp/bulb in the niche, maybe with brass or wood elements or a red jeweled lens, etc. I'm having trouble finding any inspiration photos for this online. I can't find any external red light indicators from the past, and apparently the only people using these new boring plastic ones are in offices.

My internet router storage closet with the grandstream is next to the niche so I was planning to run the phone cable up through the attic to the niche. I could run power too but I wasn't planning on it. I like that these sandman options don't require external power. And my primary interest is the voicemail notification more than some of the other features like lighting up when ringing.

If anyone has inspiration photos or technical understanding of how to approach this, I'd love to hear it.

[jsowers]

A beehive lamp external to the phone would be a much nicer option and period correct. You don't want to be drilling holes in an otherwise good phone. Your 554 looks to be all original and you need to keep it that way.

I don't know if this set of two beehives has neon lamps or incandescent, but the price is cheap and the seller may be open to an offer. Maybe someone else will know what type of lamps they are? They aren't red, but the neon will glow orange. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/177945968405

Good luck in your efforts and please post a pic of the phone in the niche when you get the project finished.

[5415551212]

Doorty welcome to the forum,
I have not played around with message waiting lamps, an original neon lamp would be the way to go or if your handy with electronics you could make something equivalent to the sandman part from simple components.
There are a lot of great resources here as you found that old thread, the message waiting voltage seems to be a 80 - 130 DC pulse.
A quick search shows finds
BSP 502-510-100 mentions KS-19572L1 as the standard "Message Waiting" component.
I am not sure the polarity of the signal but I imagine a led lamp could be home brewed with a few basic components something like this:
Ring (-) ---> [Resistor (15kΩ 1/2 Watt) ] --- [Zener diode (75V)] --- [Diode (1N4007)] -- [LED your choice (Anode this side) ] --- [Diode (1N4007)] --->  Tip(+)
Components would be:
~15kΩ Resistor    check the LED you pick make sure it limits current to ~3-5mA at 130V.
~75V Zener this is probably the trick it keeps the LED dark during normal 48V operation.
1N4007 Diode    Blocks the negative half of the 105V AC ring cycle.
LED    any color you want.

I would measure the actual message waiting voltage from your ATA with a multi-meter, or check its data sheet for message waiting voltage specs, but I'd be inclined to match the original BSP spec just in-case you change ATA's.
Looking at that sandman part I am not sure how they would make that LED work in such a small package, possible just a zeener and a resistor under heat shrink. Perhaps someone else who knows more than me will chime in.

[RDPipes]

A beehive lamp external to the phone would be a much nicer option and period correct. You don't want to be drilling holes in an otherwise good phone. Your 554 looks to be all original and you need to keep it that way.

I don't know if this set of two beehives has neon lamps or incandescent, but the price is cheap and the seller may be open to an offer. Maybe someone else will know what type of lamps they are? They aren't red, but the neon will glow orange.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/177945968405

Good luck in your efforts and please post a pic of the phone in the niche when you get the project finished.

I use to have a NOS RED one in my parts, if he'd like it I can dig and see if I can find it?
Free of course.

[doorty]

I use to have a NOS RED one in my parts, if he'd like it I can dig and see if I can find it?
Free of course.

Yes, please! I'm happy to pay shipping and handling. I was concerned the eBay one wouldn't look right.

I have not played around with message waiting lamps, an original neon lamp would be the way to go or if your handy with electronics you could make something equivalent to the sandman part from simple components.

I found this 90-Volt Red "Beehive" Message Waiting Lamp Assembly from telecomwholesalecentral.com. The sandman one actually worked as low as 50V for "modern phone systems." I guess the only way to know would be to check the voltage on mine to see if I'm getting 90V.

[RDPipes]

I'll check today sir, hope I can find it for ya.

[5415551212]

A beehive lamp external to the phone would be a much nicer option and period correct. You don't want to be drilling holes in an otherwise good phone. Your 554 looks to be all original and you need to keep it that way.

I don't know if this set of two beehives has neon lamps or incandescent

The listing says 10V so I'd guess its not neon and wont work for message waiting unmodified. The neon acted like a Zener diode it wont light until it sees like around 80 volts.
One certainly could make a circuit like I described and hide in that thing then a incandescent or LED would work with the right voltage drop resistor and Zener in series.

[doorty]

I'll check today sir, hope I can find it for ya.

Thanks!

The listing says 10V so I'd guess its not neon and wont work for message waiting unmodified. The neon acted like a Zener diode it wont light until it sees like around 80 volts.
One certainly could make a circuit like I described and hide in that thing then a incandescent or LED would work with the right voltage drop resistor and Zener in series.

Right. I'm thinking I'll use the housing for the style regardless of what kind of light source. Did you see my post above about the 90-Volt Red "Beehive" Message Waiting Lamp Assembly as another option? I need to finish restoring the phone before I can check the voltage as I can't seem to find it documented.

[RDPipes]

I'm sorry, I got busier the a one legged man in a butt kick'en contest yesterday but, I'm promise I'll check today and get back to you. My apologies sir.

[5415551212]

I need to finish restoring the phone before I can check the voltage as I can't seem to find it documented.

You could use any working landline phone to check the Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) voltage from the ATA, since its pulsed DC set your multi-meter to DC and capture peak.
Another way to get more info about an ATA is to open it up, id the chips and look up the datasheet for the chips
I think this is the FCC report for your ATA (or a similar one) and I can kinda make out the chips:
https://fcc.report/FCC-ID/YZZHT802V2/5564743
Datasheet for the si32260-61 SLIC
https://www.skyworksinc.com/-/media/skyworks/sl/documents/public/data-sheets/si32260-61.pdf
But alot of that depends on the Grandstream firmware which we cant really open up, in the ATA In the HT202 there should be probably be setting for MWI type or MWI Method, make sure you pick the type 'Neon or Hi voltage' as the other type FSK is a digital signal.

[RDPipes]

Finally, Here it is, if you still want it just PM me with your mailing address
and we'll get'er off to ya.

[doorty]

Thank you sir. Check your DMs

[leejor]

Only a limited number of ATAs/devices support a neon message waiting lamp. These were usually designed for businesses or hotels where the older neon types were already in place. The more common these days is the CLASS LED type, as it simply requires a message be sent, the same type as caller ID. Before you become too deeply invested be certain that the neon lamp will work with whatever source you are using.

[5415551212]

Only a limited number of ATAs/devices support a neon message waiting lamp. These were usually designed for businesses or hotels where the older neon types were already in place. The more common these days is the CLASS LED type, as it simply requires a message be sent, the same type as caller ID. Before you become too deeply invested be certain that the neon lamp will work with whatever source you are using.

Yeah it will be interesting to see if the Grandstream HT's do really pump 90V or whatever out to light a real neon.
My Cisco stuff all does support the 52 volt DC I have never tried it, but I imagine that's why LED replacements mention 50V compatible.