This topic

Old extension bell on digital phone service

99scouser — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 16:30:01 GMT

Have an elderly friend who is hard of hearing, he has a good old fashioned extension bell on his line, he moved to Digital phone service, he was told the bell will no longer work.

Any one had this issue and have a work around?

Thx

Scouser

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

WSH — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 17:17:36 GMT

I’m not sure if it helps but sometimes very old phones won’t ring on DV (Digital Voice) because it lacks the old ring wire.

While a microfilter is not needed for DV, some of the old filters simulate the ring wire and connecting through one has fixed the problem with those phones not ringing. I say some as not all filters simulate the ring wire.

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

chrisjp — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 19:55:05 GMT

Yes, microfilters will often make older phones ring on DV. But this question seems to be about whether a standalone extension bell can be made to ring. Presumably these were connected in parallel with the telephone using the ring wire and one of the other wires, and relied on the ~50volts from the exchange to ring. So I do have my doubts on whether they can be made to ring on a digital voice connection.

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

WSH — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:11:37 GMT

Yes, I did say I didn't know whether it would help or not. Extension bells is not something I have experience with, if I'm honest.

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

licquorice — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:20:20 GMT

Is the bell hard wired or does it plug into an extension socket? If the latter, it might work with a DV adapter and filter. Only one way to find out.

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

WSH — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:24:59 GMT

Yes, I've just seen something similar on Amazon. Forum rules prevent me posting a link to a commercial product but search for CEA-40 on Amazon.

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

99scouser — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:25:08 GMT

Yes chrisjp

This is about a standalone bell and you are correct in your connectivity assumption. I have installed loads of these back in the day!

(off topic) the weirdest phone I ever installed weighed about 10Kgs, made of steel, spark/fire-proof for an oil terminal.

I was hoping maybe someone has used the Phone jack on the rear of the Hub to extend an electronic buzzer or ?

See pic.

Thx

ScouserHub Phone Jack

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

99scouser — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:34:02 GMT

The bell is currently not connected to anything as BT disconnected it from the landline when switching to DV.

WSH the CEA-40 = telephone call alert & ringer amplifier with flashing light looks really interesting, wonder if it will go into the analogue phone port on the back of the router. The unit is line powered so that is a big bonus!

Many thanks everyone.

Scouser

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

99scouser — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 09:14:18 GMT

Thanks everyone for your input.

I came across this video on youtube, it explains everything in detail, basically you can connect the old internal wiring to the RJ11 on the back of router ( but you MUST remove the old income wiring from the street first) at the main jack. He even tries an old fashioned bell on the old wiring and it works fine. There is a limit to the number of bells/ringers on the router output so beware.

Add this suffix to the youtube url

watch?v=Id_KGXMcJHk

Thx

Scouser

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

licquorice — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 10:14:03 GMT

It's actually a BT 431 socket not RJ11 at the rear of the hub.

Be aware you obviously can't disconnect the incoming wires if on FTTC rather than full fibre.

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

WSH — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 11:06:32 GMT

As Licquorice says, if you are on part fibre/FTTC/VDSL you need those incoming wires but what you can do is move your internal extension wiring from the master socket to the socket on the back of the SH2, to make the extensions work again.

I’d be surprised if that socket produced enough voltage/current to work an extension bell powered solely from it but, as I said, it’s not an item I have any experience with.

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

99scouser — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 12:11:47 GMT

WSH, yes that is correct , if your are on FTTC or FTTP you can isolate the internal wiring and plug it into the back of the HUB by splicing a phone cable into a terminal block.

If you are on FTTP you must remove the dead access wires so they can't send external voltages/shorts into the HUB via the 431A

The YouTube video at watch?v=Id_KGXMcJHk at 17:35 he connects the old extension bell.

Another easier method to connect a phone/tone is using the free BT wireless Voice Adapter, youtube vid

watch?v=V2n1yJyXMak

I wonder if i can plug the old bell into a Voice adapter...mmmm

Scouser

Re: Old extension bell on digital phone service

licquorice — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 15:59:37 GMT

As suggested in message 5