BT Digital Voice

[AlanNM]

I have just switched to BT's 'Digital Voice'. My handset works OK, however my BT extension bell has stopped working. This extension bell located in our hallway is the only way we can hear when our phone is ringing if we are not in close proximity to the handset.........we have a large house. Is there a solution to this problem?

[Keith_Beddoe]

@AlanNM 

You need to connect your extensions to the phone socket on the back of the Smart Hub 2, instead of your master socket.

[AlanNM]

Hello Keith

Many thanks for information. Will your suggestion work for my extension bell..........which is (of course) not an extension phone.........only an extension bell.

Alan

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@AlanNM wrote:

Hello Keith

Many thanks for information. Will your suggestion work for my extension bell..........which is (of course) not an extension phone.........only an extension bell.

Alan

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Yes it should, but if its a mechanical bell, its likely to need more power, but I do not know what the REN (Ring Equivalence Number) of the phone port on the home hub is.

If its an electronic bell, then it should be fine.

You may just have to try it and see. Which bell is it?

[AlanNM]

Hello Keith

The extension bell is an old BT mechanical bell (probably 30 years old). If a now require to replace this with a digital extension bell, are these available from BT........ or will I have to source from private suppliers..........if from private suppliers........ do you have any suggestions as to where I should look on the internet? 

Thanks

Alan

[Keith_Beddoe]

The BT Bell 50E is the only one I am aware of, but its no longer for sale, but you may find one second-hand.

Not sure if anything replaces it.

You may find the old bell works fine, they were quite sensitive as they used a balanced armature with fixed magnets. I would try that first.

TLC electrical do a Loud Waterproof Phone Sounder, but that has a REN of 1.5.

Do a Google search for phone sounder.

CPC also do a Telephone Call Alert Ringer Amplifier with Flashing Light - CEA40

Also one on Ebay for under £5, so take your pick.

[AlanNM]

Hello Keith

Most helpful......many thanks.

I will check to internet to see if anyone has a BT Bell 50E for sale.

Also, will ask an ex BT Telephone Engineer I know to use your advice and try to get our existing BT mechanical Bell to work again

Regards

Alan 

[Keith_Beddoe]

@AlanNM 

The mechanical bell will probably  have a separate "bell" wire, as it does not have an internal capacitor, that function is part of the master socket, and is not reproduced on the home hub socket, which is just a two wire presentation, as far as I am aware. 

Microfilters, like used on ADSL, have a capacitor built in, so if you plug a microfilter into the rear phone socket of the home hub, then connect the bell into the "phone" side of the microfilter, then the ringing current will come out of pin 3. You do not use the other output from the microfilter.

Its important to make sure that all three wires of the bell are connected. That would be the A wire, the B wire, and the ring wire.

The internal coils within the mechanical bell, are connected between the ring wire and the A wire (sometimes called ring return). So the bell will only work if its connected the right way around. 

[Keith_Beddoe]

You probably have one of these https://www.britishtelephones.com/qfbells.htm

These pictures take me back to 1968, when I first started work with the GPO. Now retired after nearly 42 years.

[licquorice]

Or alternatively, just keep the cordless phone with you so you don't have to rely on a fixed bell.