On 28 May 2007 03:34:32 -0700, Daljit wrote:

Hi there

I have just bought a flat that has a very old door entry system that
isn't working properly. The following functions work fine: buzzer
rings when visitor arrives; visitors can hear me speak; i can let
people enter the building; and privacy switch works. However,

What does the privacy switch do? I would think the normal state of
affairs is that people at the front door can't hear what is going on
in your flat. Why do you need more privacy than that?

visitors can't hear my voice.

I had a look at a neighbours entry phone which works perfectly and i

Talking to the same entrance???

found it had a small black box (about an inch square) with two wires
in the casing. The box seemed to be added-on (perhaps as a result of
a repair or modification) as is wasn't securly fastened. The two
wires were hooked to the system.

Other than this box, the wiring in my phone is identical to my
neighbour's.

What do you have in your box? I would expect to see a speaker (from
the rear) and a microphone (from the rear). How many wires in the box
go to devices on the front panel of the box? In addition to whatever
wires go to the switch, four?? If so, two go your speaker and two go
to your microphone.

How does thiis compare with your neighbor's? It may be that your
mike has failed, and it may be that your n'bor's mike failed to, so it
was replaced with the black box you see. How many wires does he have
going to the face plate. Or better yet maybe, look at a 2nd
neighbor's box. Are there board meetings where you could ask, or
where you could learn of someone who knows these things already?

So you could need a mike, like his, or, otoh, never forget the
possibility that a wire is broken. If the box was opened too many
times, there might be a broken wire at the mike itself or in the box
that goes to the mike. The break could be hidden by the insulation.
If you have someone listen at the door and you wiggle the wires while
talking into the mike, that might disclose a broken wire.

But a whole mike won't be expensive. I don't know what kind of stores
they have in the UK, but I"m sure someoen sells it. If you can get
one more like the one that it has already, maybe you can affix it to
the front plate, but otoh, as you see, it works fine as your n'bor has
it.

I know this description is really vague, but does anyone have any
suggestions what this little black box does, and more importantly,
what it's called?

A mike or microphone.

thanks

Daljit