Phone Ringer

[henny]

never use a real phone circuit, the time delay before it rings is variable enough to make cueing difficult. As previous posters have said - get a proper ringer that works when you push the button - well worth it.

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and if some one calles that line from elsewhere at the wrong time ect,well ........

[henny]

never use a real phone circuit, the time delay before it rings is variable enough to make cueing difficult. As previous posters have said - get a proper ringer that works when you push the button - well worth it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

and if some one calles that line from elsewhere at the wrong time ect,well ........

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

see

 

http://wandel.ca/homepage/phonering.html

 

a verry diffrent way

[bakelite]

Is is not possible just to run a long extension lead from the nearest phone socket to the stage? You can get extension leads about 25m long for about a fiver.

 

 

Also, not everywhere has

A) A nearby phone socket

B) More than one phoneline.

 

In our venue, it's impossible to get to a phone jack without going throughthe back wall of the stage, into the lighting store and then swapping it out for the backstage phone. Then we only have one phone line for the building...so it's not a viable option in some venues

 

I know this an old post but can anyone recommend a good cheap ringer that will be able to drive an old bakelite telephone? Thanks in advance Karen

[Ynot]

We should have a ringer box sitting in our store cupboard available for hire - where are you based? Your profile is rather lacking in detail...

[BoogieBear]

Hi there

 

I think you might find this will do the job

 

http://www.m2cshop.co.uk/store/Geemarc-Cle...ator-p-226.html

 

Check with them first though before you buy

 

Or use a soundFX and pipe it to a small self powered (Active) monitor such as a Fostex 6301B concealed close to the phone on stage and adjust the volume accordingly

 

Here is the SFX: http://stashbox.org/168416/English_bell_phone_746.mp3

 

Cheers

Anton

[Simon Lyall]

The way I have done it in the past is using a second hand military telephone (PTC 405: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Field-phone-Operatin...p3286.m14.l1318 ) should cause the phone to ring when you 'ring it' on the telephone. Other advantage is that it stops ringing when you pick up the phone. Disadvantage is that you have to do the 'ring' (there is a slide switch which if you push into the 'ring' position, will just ring continually).

 

Simon

[KevinE]

The actual ring signal used for telephones is 50v AC

 

You'll find its more 75V rms 25hz from BT though the voltage will drop with the length of the local loop.

 

Some BT-supplied REN boosters work by a simple changeover relay oscillating at 25Hz (you could use a simple astable) and switching via its contacts a +/- rail created from a small centre-tapped step-down transformer/diodes/capacitors in a split rail-type PSU. It's easy to knock one up! A standard GPO wired bell telephone such as 300 (bakelite) or 700 (plastic) will have a 1kohm or so ringer, (ren 4) & one converted (properly) to a BT plug-socket will have a REN 1 which is roughly 4kohm. So a DIY ringer unit must supply this impedance. You'll have to switch it off as soon as the phone is picked up or you may get a 'grrr' noise in the earpiece (disconnect it?) which will be audible to the audience. Connect the ringer supply to terminals 2,5 in a master socket or 3,5 in a secondary.

 

Many tone ringers will work on 50Hz and as low as 24V, but it'll be trial and error, you've no choice with an ac bell.

 

Online auctions often sell second hand analogue phone system CCU's (PABX wall boxes) which offer a convenient and working point-to-point private phone system, incorporating ringing generator and speech circuits for as little as 25 quid. It could even be mounted on the wall for future productions!

 

You could also (I think's been suggested) trawl your carboot sale for a hand magneto from a field telephone (or ebay?) but bear in mind they can generate 100VAC or more if you crank them hard and you dont want to electrocute (!!) your valiant thespians.

[adamharman]

If you can't get a ringer with sufficient output, a lower power one with a REN booster should do the job.

Such an obvious idea, I never thought of it until I read Kevin's post!

[SophieAnn]

Gradav do hire, I'm not sure on their prices though.

Absolutely DO NOT use a live line, very unreliable.

The rythm of the phone ring is always debated by every company, everyone has a different opinion.

[d_korman]

EVery old and new style phone and GPO Bell unit I've ever tried ( and I have loads, ranging from the old black bakelite, through plan 7 right up to present day) works pretty well on 50V 50hZ AC. You just need to adjust the gongs on the bell. No director has ever said that it does not sound right.

[lightsup]

Just spent a few rehearsals messing with a relay, 24vac and a microchip development board to get the timing right. Trying to get a phone to interrupt the actor partway through a sentence was a pain in the proverbial. Eventually settled for a matt black painted 2inch "naked" speaker suspended from the lighting rig above the phone, connected to an mp3 player and amp and a free telephone ringing sample from the net. Advantage of this is I could cut the sound immediately on pickup too. Audience couldn't believe it wasn't the phone actually ringing. The power of the human mind means that you see the phone, you hear a phone ringing and the actor reacting to it: it must be the phone actually ringing.

[Robin Pratt]

As several others have pointed out, most phones will respond to a 50Hz ringing supply, even though 25Hz is expected. Risk assess this one for yourself, but I have in the past sucessfully used a centre tapped 110v site isolation transformer (NOT an autotransformer!) to obtain the 55v 50Hz supply with plenty of current available

[kerry davies]

http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=62 Bit more info on an old forum here.

 

Tony (Ynot Hmmm tm) should be able to discuss the relevant differences between 50 and 25HZ but all I know is that older linesmen had notched ears from the ringing current when climbing through open copper wires. I am one of the first generation of PO techs not to suffer the permanent damage caused when the blast caused one to jerk ones head and slash the lobes on the wire.

 

Had a few belts but "I'm hard, me!"

[David Duffy]

For any of the Aussie members, I now have telephone ringers available now.

[timtheenchanteruk]

Just spent a few rehearsals messing with a relay, 24vac and a microchip development board to get the timing right. Trying to get a phone to interrupt the actor partway through a sentence was a pain in the proverbial. Eventually settled for a matt black painted 2inch "naked" speaker suspended from the lighting rig above the phone, connected to an mp3 player and amp and a free telephone ringing sample from the net. Advantage of this is I could cut the sound immediately on pickup too. Audience couldn't believe it wasn't the phone actually ringing. The power of the human mind means that you see the phone, you hear a phone ringing and the actor reacting to it: it must be the phone actually ringing.

 

its ok for a tone type phone, but Ive never been happy with a recorded sfx for a bell phone, you just dont get the "ring on" after its been answered. ok, if you can get the talent to lift the receiver at a prescribed point (ie not mid ring) you can just about get away with it, but if not, it sounds carp IMO.