Phone socket wiring

[DavidW]

Hello,

I have an old extension phone socket to which there is only one wire attached
at present. The phone that plugs into it only has two pins with metal on them
(the outside ones) plus the large plastic pin that goes into the plastic socket
that is offset from the centre. (There is provision for a third pin inside one
of the outside ones, but the phone plug doesn't have that.) The one wire
attached is green, on the outside pin on the plastic socket side. In the cable
there is another green wire, a red wire and a bare wire unattached. What wiring
do I need to do to make the phone work?

 

[atec7 7]

DavidW wrote:

Hello,

I have an old extension phone socket to which there is only one wire attached
at present. The phone that plugs into it only has two pins with metal on them
(the outside ones) plus the large plastic pin that goes into the plastic socket
that is offset from the centre. (There is provision for a third pin inside one
of the outside ones, but the phone plug doesn't have that.) The one wire
attached is green, on the outside pin on the plastic socket side. In the cable
there is another green wire, a red wire and a bare wire unattached. What wiring
do I need to do to make the phone work?



Legally you make a repair

but 48v dc

 

[atec7 7]

DavidW wrote:

Hello,

I have an old extension phone socket to which there is only one wire attached
at present. The phone that plugs into it only has two pins with metal on them
(the outside ones) plus the large plastic pin that goes into the plastic socket
that is offset from the centre. (There is provision for a third pin inside one
of the outside ones, but the phone plug doesn't have that.) The one wire
attached is green, on the outside pin on the plastic socket side. In the cable
there is another green wire, a red wire and a bare wire unattached. What wiring
do I need to do to make the phone work?



oops

legally you can't make a repair

but 48v dc

 

[DavidW]

atec7 7" <""atec77\"@ hotmail.com wrote:

DavidW wrote:
Hello,

I have an old extension phone socket to which there is only one wire
attached at present. The phone that plugs into it only has two pins
with metal on them (the outside ones) plus the large plastic pin
that goes into the plastic socket that is offset from the centre.
(There is provision for a third pin inside one of the outside ones,
but the phone plug doesn't have that.) The one wire attached is
green, on the outside pin on the plastic socket side. In the cable
there is another green wire, a red wire and a bare wire unattached.
What wiring do I need to do to make the phone work?



oops
legally you can't make a repair

Of course I promise not to touch it. I'd never do that, no way.

but 48v dc

What? So it's not clear from the colours what the other wire would be?

 

[Mark Harriss]

DavidW wrote:

atec7 7" <""atec77\"@ hotmail.com wrote:
DavidW wrote:
Hello,

I have an old extension phone socket to which there is only one wire
attached at present. The phone that plugs into it only has two pins
with metal on them (the outside ones) plus the large plastic pin
that goes into the plastic socket that is offset from the centre.
(There is provision for a third pin inside one of the outside ones,
but the phone plug doesn't have that.) The one wire attached is
green, on the outside pin on the plastic socket side. In the cable
there is another green wire, a red wire and a bare wire unattached.
What wiring do I need to do to make the phone work?



oops
legally you can't make a repair

Of course I promise not to touch it. I'd never do that, no way.

but 48v dc

What? So it's not clear from the colours what the other wire would be?

In the good old days of dial phones, the outside two pins as far from
each other as possible were the ones to connect to. There are 2 pins
either side of each of the three plastic lugs so you want the pin on
the outside top lug and the pin on the outside bottom lug. Also some
phones had three wires with the third for the bell circuit connected
via a jumper under the screws to one of the outside pins. You may have
to play with the polarity to get it to function but it won't kill the
phone.

 

[Pete]

Mark Harriss wrote:

In the good old days of dial phones, the outside two pins as far from
each other as possible were the ones to connect to.

Not quite - the two outside pins would be 1 and 6, but you need to
connect to pins 2 and 6. Legitimate plugs and sockets usually have the
pin numbers marked on them.

phones had three wires with the third for the bell circuit connected
via a jumper under the screws to one of the outside pins.

Very unusual for the last twenty or thirty years. Electronic bells with
anti-tinkle circuitry and tone dialling have made the third wire obsolete.

You may have to play with the polarity to get it to function

Again, that would be very unusual.

Peter

 

[Pete]

I have an old extension phone socket to which there is only one wire
attached at present. The phone that plugs into it only has two pins
with metal on them (the outside ones) plus the large plastic pin
that goes into the plastic socket that is offset from the centre.
(There is provision for a third pin inside one of the outside ones,
but the phone plug doesn't have that.) The one wire attached is
green, on the outside pin on the plastic socket side. In the cable
there is another green wire, a red wire and a bare wire unattached.
What wiring do I need to do to make the phone work?

I think there are pins missing in what you have. Or, you're describing
something other than a standard Telstra 600 series plug and socket.

The cable between the phone and the plug will have two wires. Often,
these will be red and green. Red would normally be wired to pin 2, and
green to pin 6, but the polarity really isn't important.

If there's a third wire, the phone is likely ancient. I don't
understand why the third wire would be bare - do you mean it has no
insulation at all, or just that it has no connector on it?

Telstra's connection from the street to the socket is two wires, usually
blue and white, and again, they're connected to pins 2 and 6 in the
socket. I don't recall, but I believe the standard was white to pin 2,
blue to pin 6, but again, polarity really doesn't matter any more.

There may be a metal joiner tag between pins 2 and 3 of the socket,
which used to be used "in the old days", but it's irrelevant nowdays.
I've seen plenty of sockets without this joiner.

If the plug of your phone only has metal on the outside two pins, then
something is wrong, because that would be pins 1 and 6. It sounds to me
like what you're describing as a missing pin on the inside of one of the
legs is pin 2, and needs to be there.

Peter

 

[DavidW]

Pete wrote:

I have an old extension phone socket to which there is only one wire
attached at present. The phone that plugs into it only has two pins
with metal on them (the outside ones) plus the large plastic pin
that goes into the plastic socket that is offset from the centre.
(There is provision for a third pin inside one of the outside ones,
but the phone plug doesn't have that.) The one wire attached is
green, on the outside pin on the plastic socket side. In the cable
there is another green wire, a red wire and a bare wire unattached.
What wiring do I need to do to make the phone work?

I think there are pins missing in what you have. Or, you're
describing something other than a standard Telstra 600 series plug
and socket.

The cable between the phone and the plug will have two wires. Often,
these will be red and green. Red would normally be wired to pin 2,
and green to pin 6,

The 'pin' I'm describing is the thing that goes into one of the three
rectangular holes. Looking at it again, there is provision for two contacts on
each side of those holes, so six altogether.

but the polarity really isn't important.

I was already surprised that the thing works with two wires. This is another
surprise.

If there's a third wire, the phone is likely ancient. I don't
understand why the third wire would be bare - do you mean it has no
insulation at all, or just that it has no connector on it?

The light wasn't good. I think now that it's dark brown.

Telstra's connection from the street to the socket is two wires,
usually blue and white, and again, they're connected to pins 2 and 6
in the socket.

It's the red one (though it now looks more like orange).

I don't recall, but I believe the standard was white
to pin 2, blue to pin 6, but again, polarity really doesn't matter
any more.

There may be a metal joiner tag between pins 2 and 3 of the socket,

Yes.

which used to be used "in the old days", but it's irrelevant nowdays.
I've seen plenty of sockets without this joiner.

If the plug of your phone only has metal on the outside two pins, then
something is wrong, because that would be pins 1 and 6. It sounds to
me like what you're describing as a missing pin on the inside of one
of the legs is pin 2, and needs to be there.

I'm guessing that I'm using the wrong terminology ('pin' instead of 'leg').
There is an outside leg, then the larger plastic leg, then a gap, and then the
other outside leg. Each of the outside legs has a metal strip on one side - on
the outside side of the leg beside the plastic pin and the inside side of the
other one (so both metal strips face the same direction).

The socket is now repaired and it works. Thanks to those who helped.