[Billzz]

wrote in message
...
On 31 Jul 2006 07:20:19 -0700, "Larry Bud"
wrote:


Scott en Aztlán wrote:
"Dave" said in misc.consumers:


"nr" wrote in message
oups.com...
Wondering if anyone knows why a non-cordless phone would require
batteries for the caller-ID function to work. Forget about any other
features (time, etc.) Isn't the signal from the phone company enough
to display the incoming call's information?

My guess, so that you can customize the display, and the customization
won't
be lost if you move the phone to another jack or disconnect it
omentarily.

A battery backup would only require a small rechargeable cell, or
maybe a watch battery - not 4 AAA's.

I suspect the real reason is that there's not enough current present
on the phone line to power the device until AFTER the phone is taken
off-hook, which of course is too late to actually read the Caller*ID
data. Plus you would be unable to review your calls list, etc.,
without first taking the phone off-hook.

Current doesn't just magically appear when you take the phone off hook.
The way a phone works is that when you talk, the current in the line
fluctuates. This is what carries your voice.

The answer to the OP question is that a telephone is expecting a
certain voltage depending on the on-hook and off-hook state. If you
tried to use the line voltage, it would cause an impedence mismatch and
in effect "short-circuit" the audio, or cause distortion.

There's always current in the lines. I know this because last year I
lost my job and could not pay my electric bill. When they shut off my
power, I just connected a large diode to my phone line. Then I added
a huge capacitor for stability. After the capacitor, I placed a
circuit that caused the DC to be converted to an 60 cycle AC, along
with a voltage regulator. I ran this to my breaker panel and wired it
to the incoming main cables, which no longer went to the power company
because the electric meter was removed. I had lights in the house,
but found they were dim. Measuring the voltage showed I had about 60
volts going into the house wiring. A step up voltage doubler
transformer solved this problem and I ran my entire house from the
phone lines. The one problem I had was that I could not make phone
calls when I ran the electric dryer, range, or air conditioner. I
always had to shut those devices off when I made a phone call.
I also noticed that the retrace lines on my tv set would get harmonics
which fluctuated according to my voice when I talked on the phone and
tried to watch tv at the same time. I just learned to live with that
small annoyance. All of this worked great until I turned on the range
top, range oven, and the air conditioner at the same time. All of a
sudden my phone line overloaded and melted where it connects to the
house. When the phone company came they noticed the heavy load on my
lines and refused to re-connect me until I removed my equipment. I
removed it, they reconnected me, and after they left I hooked it all
up again. I have been more careful since then not to overload the
wiring.

I pity the fool that thinks there will be an actual answer in USENet.

On the other hand, everyone gets an A+ for creative writing.

[HotRod]

imagine running a whole house off of 24 gauge wire. Amazing. Not sure why we
install 14+ gauge in our houses. I've hears of ideas like this before they
are right up there with "perpetual motion"




"Billzz" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
On 31 Jul 2006 07:20:19 -0700, "Larry Bud"
wrote:


Scott en Aztlán wrote:
"Dave" said in misc.consumers:


"nr" wrote in message
oups.com...
Wondering if anyone knows why a non-cordless phone would require
batteries for the caller-ID function to work. Forget about any
other
features (time, etc.) Isn't the signal from the phone company
enough
to display the incoming call's information?

My guess, so that you can customize the display, and the customization
won't
be lost if you move the phone to another jack or disconnect it
omentarily.

A battery backup would only require a small rechargeable cell, or
maybe a watch battery - not 4 AAA's.

I suspect the real reason is that there's not enough current present
on the phone line to power the device until AFTER the phone is taken
off-hook, which of course is too late to actually read the Caller*ID
data. Plus you would be unable to review your calls list, etc.,
without first taking the phone off-hook.

Current doesn't just magically appear when you take the phone off hook.
The way a phone works is that when you talk, the current in the line
fluctuates. This is what carries your voice.

The answer to the OP question is that a telephone is expecting a
certain voltage depending on the on-hook and off-hook state. If you
tried to use the line voltage, it would cause an impedence mismatch and
in effect "short-circuit" the audio, or cause distortion.

There's always current in the lines. I know this because last year I
lost my job and could not pay my electric bill. When they shut off my
power, I just connected a large diode to my phone line. Then I added
a huge capacitor for stability. After the capacitor, I placed a
circuit that caused the DC to be converted to an 60 cycle AC, along
with a voltage regulator. I ran this to my breaker panel and wired it
to the incoming main cables, which no longer went to the power company
because the electric meter was removed. I had lights in the house,
but found they were dim. Measuring the voltage showed I had about 60
volts going into the house wiring. A step up voltage doubler
transformer solved this problem and I ran my entire house from the
phone lines. The one problem I had was that I could not make phone
calls when I ran the electric dryer, range, or air conditioner. I
always had to shut those devices off when I made a phone call.
I also noticed that the retrace lines on my tv set would get harmonics
which fluctuated according to my voice when I talked on the phone and
tried to watch tv at the same time. I just learned to live with that
small annoyance. All of this worked great until I turned on the range
top, range oven, and the air conditioner at the same time. All of a
sudden my phone line overloaded and melted where it connects to the
house. When the phone company came they noticed the heavy load on my
lines and refused to re-connect me until I removed my equipment. I
removed it, they reconnected me, and after they left I hooked it all
up again. I have been more careful since then not to overload the
wiring.

I pity the fool that thinks there will be an actual answer in USENet.

On the other hand, everyone gets an A+ for creative writing.

[CRaSH]

Billzz wrote:

On the other hand, everyone gets an A+ for creative writing.

April 1st was 4 months ago!

[zeez]

On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 10:11:09 -0500, "CRaSH"
wrote:

Billzz wrote:

On the other hand, everyone gets an A+ for creative writing.

April 1st was 4 months ago!




You would be lucky if you could get a 5 black and white TV barely
running with the current supplied by the line.