Telephone extension point woes

[LONESOMESOUND]

Some time ago, I needed the use of a telephone upstairs, so, being of the lazy persuasion, just ran an extension cable from an existing downstairs socket. The phone connected to this extension worked fine, except that it didn't ring, so I had to rely on hearing the phone ringing downstairs. When we got the place redecorated, the electrician ran the cable (presumably back to the master socket), installed a socket, and any phone connected to it worked fine - and even rang! Great.

However, I relocated the upstairs socket, and in doing so had to detach the cable from the socket. So I noted which wires went to which terminals, moved the socket and reconnected the cables as before. Result: no dialtone, nothing. The wires were connected as follows...

terminal two : white with blue bands
terminal three : white with green bands
terminal five : white with orange bands

(note that all three solid colours with white bands weren't connected at all).

Obviously I was somewhat confused that, in essence, just attaching and re-attaching the cables didn't result in a working phone, so I tried connecting cables as they *should* be:

terminal two : blue with white bands
terminal three : orange with white bands
terminal five : white with blue bands

Thus connected, I had a dialtone, wa-hey! Unfortunately I am now back to the position whereby any phone connected to this upstairs socket doesn't ring. Incidentally, the phone has a red light on it which hitherto has always flashed when the phone is ringing, or upon picking up/replacing the receiver. Now however it flashes only dimly when the phone is ringing, and is permanently on when the receiver is off the hook.

I just want my phone working and ringing as it should... any ideas?!!?!?! Many thanks in advance...

 

[fireman22]

open other end at master socket and just copy colours. then it doesn`t matter that he hasent used standard colours

 

[LONESOMESOUND]

Good thinking! I followed the cable back to an existing socket (not the master) and checked the connections. Strangely, the cables connected were the three solid-coloured ones, and the mainly white ones were twisted together unused. This I found very surprising because as I said, in the socket upstairs, only the three white ones were connected, and it was the three solid-coloured ones that were twisted together! Anyway, I brought them into line and everything's working. I'm slightly confused, but sod it, it's working and at least I've learnt a little about telephone cabling - and as we know, a little knowledge is... very useful . Cheers!

 

[jime17]

just for info, 2 and 5 should be the blue/whites (not polarity consious) and the bell wire on terminal 3 is orange/white. The colour code for which wires are used in which sequence are blue/orange/green/brown/slate.

so your main socket should use the two blues and one orange for incoming and outgoing to the extn.

But as fireman22 said, as long as the same colours are used everywhere then it shouldnt matter unless you are fault finding.

hope this helps?

 

[jtaunton]

The phone not ringing can be caused by a high resistance and not supplying enough current to ring the phone. Use the three spare wires to 'double up' the three connected wires, halving their resistance.

 

[breezer]

The phone not ringing can be caused by a high resistance and not supplying enough current to ring the phone. Use the three spare wires to 'double up' the three connected wires, halving their resistance.

although what you say is true, its a bit pointless doubling up the cores for a phone socket,

Q how did the phone get ther in the first place?

A along miles of 2 wires

 

[jtaunton]

I hear what your're saying, but I know from experience that it works. The ringing requires a lot more current that the voice/data signals - By ringing, I meant the ringing sound, rather than the ringing signal, as I used to have an answerphone that wouldn't ring, but would pick up after 5 rings, and was solved as above.

Maybe I should have said 'If you find you have wired up your house extensions with low quality, high resistance, cable because it was 10p a metre cheaper then .....'

I also believe that only pin 2 & 5 are relevant these days - The pin 3 is some relic of the old days when you had to ring an actual bell. I think 3 & 4 have some purpose in business telephone networks, but not for doemstic. Don't quote me on that though.

 

[salem2000]

This may help.

Click for diagram

Salem.

 

[Lectrician]

The line is on 2 and 5. This can be fed in any colour, but always use a pair. (ie blue/white and white/blue).

3 is the ringer, ac supplied to this terminal via the master socket to make any phones ring.

Some phones such as faxs/answerphones/cordless phones do not need the ringer connected as they can sense the ringing on the line. These phones have their own PSU powered from the 240v wall outlet to create the ring (and make other features work). If your phone is a basic telephone with no other PSU, it will need terminal 3.

 

[breezer]

the ringer actually comes from the exchaange as a pulse down the line, but i have never bothered to meter it to find out what voltage the pulse is The duration of the pulse is the same as the ring you get (for instance if you use "ring back" you get a differnt ring)

 

[Lectrician]

Ringing is an AC 'pulse' on the DC line. typically 50v.

Just googled this

Interesting.
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