No dial tone during a power cut
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No dial tone during a power cut
16-08-2018 12:22 PM
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Many moons ago, when I worked for Post Office Telephones, DC power was supplied down the wires so that a standard wired phone could work even if you had a power cut. I have also seen helpful hints that say you should have a standard phone handy as any DECT phones will be useless in a power cut.
So last Friday when the power was off for near enough 12 hours I dug out an old phone and plugged it in but there was no dial tone. Now the power is back on it works ok. I wonder if the wiring for VDSL (fibre broadband) effects this?
My primary concern is for a number of aged Veterans in our British Legion Branch who have emergency call buttons and I worry that they may be isolated during a power cut.
Re: No dial tone during a power cut
16-08-2018 1:34 PM
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I'm sure all cabinets have backup power, so your line should've worked! Hopefully plus.net will be able to ask Openreach to see what's going on.
Re: No dial tone during a power cut
16-08-2018 1:54 PM
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@Anglo wrote:
Many moons ago, when I worked for Post Office Telephones, DC power was supplied down the wires so that a standard wired phone could work even if you had a power cut. I have also seen helpful hints that say you should have a standard phone handy as any DECT phones will be useless in a power cut.
Welcome to the forum.
Quite a few moons since I left too, but what you say still holds.
VDSL shouldn't come into it, as you still have a continuous copper pair to the exchange for telephony. All exchanges, even the small rural ones, now have battery backup and a diesel generator. If the exchange was out of service for any length of time one would have thought it would have been reported in the local media.
All of which means that your lack of dial tone is somewhat mysterious. Did you perchance try the master test socket behind the faceplate?
Zen FTTC 40/10 + Digital Voice FRITZ!Box 7530
BT technician (Retired)
Re: No dial tone during a power cut
16-08-2018 1:58 PM
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I can't remember where I read it, but I've seen it twice where I am sure the cabs do. I believe they have a battery backup, which is only short term.
I am not sure how long a phone line will last without cabinet power though - 12 hours seems long.
Could have been running on battery within that time.
Re: No dial tone during a power cut
16-08-2018 2:41 PM
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@Alex look at the response above.
The VDSL cabinet is battery is for the VDSL signal, not dial tone which comes from the exchange.
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