No ring with US > UK phone adaptor

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: May 04, 2004 Posts: 8

I'm using my Motorola ATA in the UK, and it's great, everything works fine.... except, three phones that I've tried don't ring. I have everything hooked up as normal, but with a US > UK phone converter in the Line 1. The phone works normally except for it doesn't ring.

I was using the service in the US with a US phone and it rang fine every time with various different phones, so I don't think there's a problem with my ATA, I think it must be something to do with the pin out of the US > UK converter.

Anyone got any ideas? What should the full pinout of a US > UK converter be?

Thanks

Posts: 183 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: May 05, 2004 Posts: 183

Why not just bring a cheap US phone with you to the UK?

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: May 04, 2004 Posts: 8

yeah, that would have been a great idea, wouldn't it. Unfortunately now I'm in the UK and don't have any trips planned for a while. I'm also curious as to why this happens anyway.

Posts: 183 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: May 05, 2004 Posts: 183

Hmm, first, here's an adapter that mentions "With ring circuit which enables the phone to ring." They also have "ring capacitors," that may be a clue.

http://www.solwise.co.uk/telesun.htm

Googling...

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/freshwater/rj45.htm
http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Wiring/UK_telephone/uk_telephone.html

That last includes this:

That help? Your ATA has the "A" and "B" wires, it looks like you'll need a resistor and capacitor to get those UK phones to ring.

More:

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/788/signalling/ukphone-ringfail.pdf

Should be a simple project, good luck!

Posts: 183 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: May 05, 2004 Posts: 183

Oh, you will NOT need any kind of surge suppressor in your circuit, that's for lightning induced surges in landlines. If your ATA ever produces a phone killing surge, well, it must've been zapped to death itself. All you need is the resistor and cap.

Posts: 183 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: May 05, 2004 Posts: 183

Another thing (not trying to pack my post count, just can't edit): Don't bother with the resistor, all you need is the capacitor. The resistor is for the technician to do line tests on the house wiring only, not needed for your application.

Also, on that capacitor, make sure you get a non-polarized cap (NOT an electrolytic or other capacitor with +/- polarity). It has to survive with about 90 volts AC and a polarized cap. won't do that for long.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: May 04, 2004 Posts: 8

Ahhhh, it's the old master socket problem.. I remember coming across that before when I worked in an electronics shop, thanks for the links gary, really appreciate it.

Summary for anyone else with the same problem:

UK phones don't have the ringer circuitry *in* the phones like they do in other countries including the US, the ringer circuitry is in the master socket. Easiest solution I think is to pick up a master socket, like this one:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Products/Module.asp?CartID=040506163043529&ModuleNo=889&MR=N

(from www.maplin.co.uk )

And chop up any cable with an RJ11 on it to go into that.

If I do this, I'll post back if it's successful. From the Cisco document 'A and B' are 2 and 5 respectively.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: May 04, 2004 Posts: 8

oh yeah, where is the Edit button?

my last sentence might not have been clear, A and B on the diagram in the post correspond to pins 2 and 5 from the RJ11 on the ATA.

Posts: 29 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Aug 12, 2003 Posts: 29

Good luck! I had similar hassles using UK-type phones with callback autodiallers a couple of years back. Hope Vonage gets this sorted out before it launches in the UK.

Posts: 183 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: May 05, 2004 Posts: 183

I'm sure they can. Since UK house wiring is three wires instead of two, they'll have to have a UK version ATA built that feeds those three wires, with the ring capacitor built into the box.