Re: Speaking of phones...

["Bob La Londe" <none@xxxxxxxx>]

"NickMark" <nmarkowitz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:0bda3d7a-9eae-48e1-b6a6-dab5781d1d68@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> On Friday, June 15, 2012 1:22:12 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote:
>> I got a call the day before yesterday.  Somebody told a phone system
>> client
>> that I can fix anything.  They have had noise on their phone system since
>> a
>> major power failure several months ago.
>>
>> They'd had another company look at their phones who just told them they
>> need
>> a new phone system.  They might, but I don't think so.
>>
>> I took a look yesterday, and I probably told them how to fix their
>> problem
>> without me.
>>
>> They have AC circuit line noise.  Something on the same circuit as their
>> phone system probably started making more noise on the line after that
>> power
>> failure, and the marginal conditions surrounding it.  Also, somebody
>> added a
>> clean air machine in the office where the KSU is, and whenever the fan
>> for
>> it kicks on their phone system noise increases.
>>
>> Now maybe their power supply could have filtered most of that noise
>> except
>> the AC to the KSU is a piece of romex coming out of the floor bundled
>> with
>> the incoming phone wires and the outgoing extension wires.
>>
>> They pretty much guaranteed that any excess noise on that line will be
>> induced onto their phone lines and extension lines.  Sigh.  I don't know
>> how
>> they ever didn't have noise, but the first thing they needed to do was
>> disconnect that piece of romex, find anyplace else (like the ceiling
>> between
>> floors) its parallel or bundled with and disconnect and abandon that
>> part,
>> and run a new dedicated circuit IN CONDUIT from the breaker panel to then
>> outlets here the KSU is plugged in.
>>
>> What I got was, "Well maybe I can run an extension cord from somewhere
>> else."
>>
>> Sigh,  if they got anything I said all I did was troubleshoot their
>> problem
>> for them for free.  Sigh.  I don't think I'll go back if they call again.
>> I
>> knew it was going to be one of those calls just from the phone
>> conversation
>> before I ever went though.
>>
>> Some things you can't fix... phone systems isn't one of them.
>
> line Noise is one of my specialty  running a 5000 watt AM directional
> station  and all the points you made where valid and are more than likely
> contributing to the problem. I have special filters when neighbors around
> station have problem from time to time. So yes tracking it down and
> killing it can be a real pain.

I suspect fixing the noise problem with their phones would be quite easy in
this case.  Put it on a dedicated circuit as specified by the OEM, and
eliminate the obvious electrical code violations,

The probably have some other noisy motors, and possibly some bad grounds
contributing to the problem, but fixing the obvious stuff that is just plane
wrong would probably fix their problem.