Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!gryphon!vector!telecom-gateway From: KLH@nic.ddn.mil (Ken Harrenstien) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Trivial Ring Detection? Message-ID: Date: 18 Nov 89 02:11:49 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Lines: 19 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 521, message 7 of 10 Here's a simple problem: I'd like to put together a system such that when a telephone call arrives, specific light fixtures will flash throughout the house. What's the most elegant solution? A few small companies oriented to the hearing-impaired make stuff for this purpose, but it tends to be suboptimal in several ways (incompatible, expensive, hard to find, and hard to fix), so I'm trying to use more common off-the-shelf components. So far my best idea involves using the BSR X10 power controller system (recently taken over by Radio Shack, which calls it their "Plug 'n Power" system -- sigh) and hooking a ring detector to an R.S. Universal Interface (often used as a burglar alarm). I'm not quite sure how to rig up the detector, though; nothing seems quite elegant enough. If anyone can think of a trick that will avoid the need to touch a soldering iron, I'd be delighted. --Ken