I would say, unless the Amazon Ring has improved in the last year or so, the
quality of the audio is pretty poor. It seems the Google/Nest one is better
according to reports. Being a bit of a stick in the mud, and not needing the
video, then I have still got my old door phone.
Your issue does seem a little odd. Are you saying that the unit has in fact
got an output that can operate something else already built in?. The
description you give seems to be a very complicated way they have made it
work. All they really needed to do was make a supply capable of driving a
relay.
Brian
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We've got one of the old Friedland 'ding-dong' chimes- it was fitted when
we bought the house and, as strange is it seems, we love it. It isn't
electronic, just a nice, pure, 'ding dong'. Plus, it works like a Rolex-
it just keeps going. I assumed for years it ran off transformer until
someone used it when the power was off and I don't recall even even
changing the batteries. We bought the house in 1997 so they've not done
badly. I do check they aren't corroding etc now I know it isn't mains
powered!
From the above, the reasons we'd like to keep the chime should be obvious.
I also don't want to mess around charging the battery in the Ring Unit
but, it seems, in theory, you can (sometimes) keep the old chime and
charge the Ring Unit- if you have a transformer bell which is compatible.
However, as Ring is really aimed at the US market, compatible for an older
chime seems to mean a chime than runs off a higher voltage than many UK
ones- including ours- the Ring wants 16-24VAC, our chime is more like 8VAC
as far as I can tell.
I've an idea how to solve this- a relay which runs of, say 18-24VAC which
the Ring 'sees' as the bell with the contacts acting as the bell push for
the existing chime, running off 8VAC.
Looking on the Internet, it seems others have done this and it works BUT
as I suspected, there is a problem. The resistance of the relays is higher
than bell coils so the standing current through the relay (to charge the
Ring battery, causes a problem. I suspected this - I'd worked done some
calculations using a best guess of the standing current drawn by the Ring
unit.
It seems this problem crops up elsewhere (not sure where) as Ring can
supply a 'box' which you would connect across the relay coil. (I assume
when used normally, ie not in 'work around' set ups, it would go across
the chime coil).
Said box obviously provides, in simple terms, an alternate current path
for the standing current to charge the Ring unit. I suspect it is no more
than a simple resistor, probably wire wound, able to handle the power etc.
Needless to say, the box has a fancy name the "Ring Pro Power Kit".
I get the impression they supply these boxes free if you need one but I'm
not adverse to buying one- the Ring itself isn't cheap and a few quid more
for a box, especially as I need to buy other bits etc, isn't an issue.
HOWEVER, I'd like to understand exacting what is in it, especially as it
seems I'm not using it quite as intended (even though someone else has has
the same idea and used the box etc.)
So, my question to the group, or at least anyone who has fitted a Ring and
used the "Ring Pro Power Kit"- What is in it? It seems to be (about) the
size of a large match box and has 2 wires.
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