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Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM)
QCOM 177.78-2.2%Jan 9 9:30 AM EST
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To: Kenneth V. McNutt who wrote (23645)3/2/1999 8:50:00 PM
From: Drew Williams  Read Replies (4) of 152472
 
OT -- Phone LED's

I don't remember the exact numbers anymore, but individual telephones consume relatively little power. Therefore, the phone company does not put much voltage on the line into your house, because it does not need to. Makes a big difference in the conglomerate.

The phone company usually puts enough power into the average house to power six phones that use the same amount of power as the old Western Electric dial phones with real bells for ringers. If you plug in more than six phones, the ringers will stop working, because there will not be enough line voltage to power them.

For that reason, every telephone device has a Ringer Equivilance Number (or REN). It is usually printed on the label on the bottom of the phone. An answering machine might have an REN of 1.5. A phone might be .8. As long as these add up to less than 6, you are probably OK.

This is a long way of saying that most phones with Line Status Indicators (the LED's) are designed to draw their LED's power from an AC adaptor -- NOT from batteries! The batteries are there only as backup in case the AC goes out.

So, I suggest you go to Radio Shack and spring for an AC adaptor. Take the phone with you so they can sell you the correct one the first time.

End of lecture.
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