I was at a site today for a customer (small prison) that has what looks to be a Radio Shack box with 12 DPST toggle switches that they use to turn the inmate phones on and off from the main control room.
They've asked me to come up with something more professional-looking and compact, but I don't know of anything like that that is commercially-available.
In the past, I've encountered this requirement in other prisons and even hospitals so that SLTs can be turned on/off on the fly, but they were larger and I just used modified ComKey message waiting consoles with 40 locking buttons.
This application is much smaller, so I was hoping for something small, inexpensive and simple. Any ideas?
Ed,
How about the Decora electrical LV switches that pulled contactors for high volt lighting? Has a nice cover and fits right into a box.
The other would be using "door box" relays and dial the code from a phone.
Or throw in an old KXTA 624, put the SLT as stations, set DAY as normal, set NIGHT as restricted....no outgoing calls. Push the NIGHT button any time and shut them all off.
Just a couple of thoughts.......
Remember that there is beauty in simplicity. Rocker switches don't require power and the ON/OFF status is readily apparent.
Mike
What about a 2-gang box, with a blank cover (Stainless Steel would look "purdy") & mount your 12 dip switches on it?
Ed, are you looking for something that would be on a wall plate and could be installed flush in the wall? There are a couple of companies that will make custom plates (I don't mean electrical type plates) that the commercial audio industry among others go to for specials. They will make anything that you can sketch out. I would use rocker switches and there are many to choose from in electronics catalogs.
-Hal
How about a single rocker switch to operate a 24VDC relay with multiple NC contacts that would open up the tip lead going to the 2500 set. Use a split 66 block to keep the wiring from getting too messy. Go a little farther and put the relay on a timer switch for automatic on/off at a specific time of day/night.
This would be surface-mounted. At present, they just have a plastic "project box" with a blank aluminum cover mounted on the cinder block wall. Flush mounting won't be an option. Holes were drilled to accommodate the eight toggle switches.
Bob, they need the ability to control each phone individually, so the multiple relay pole idea won't work for this scenario. I thought about using an off-the-shelf power failure relay unit until they told me they need separate control.
I do like the idea of using Decora switches. I know that they make duplex ones, but I think I've even seen triple ones. If that's the case, three of them would work nicely with a three-gang plate and an FS box. I'll have to see if there are any that allow the feed source to be separated between the switches, like receptacles allow.
Thanks for the ideas so far!
Ed, Leviton part number for three single pole Decora switches in a 1 gang housing is 1755-W (white)
I just called my local supply house, they have them, so they do exist
Jeff, Ed was wondering whether that part allowed for three different (individual) supply leads, not just one supply that provided the "hot" to all three switches.
Justin
It is three separate single pole switches. Three separate hots, at least that's what I gathered.
He needs 2 pole single throw- you have to disconnect both tip and ring. Those are just three single pole single throw switches on a single yoke. I would have to look for the part number but the 2 pole version would normally be used for a 220 volt circuit since you have to switch both sides.
-Hal
Actually Hal, I can get away with single pole switches. There's no concern for causing an imbalance on the T/R since that would occur only when the switch is off, so who cares?
I agree that it isn't likely that a triple switch will allow for three separate feeds, but I'll have to check them out further.
Ed, remember the old Despard switches where you could put three individual switches in one housing?
These are the replacement for that...the only thing is that it only has one neutral.
Dang, that brings back memories, Ed. I installed inmate systems for most of tha State of Va. Many nights I sat up soldering leads on toggle switches and drilling wall plates.Back in those days that was hi- tech enough.That was back in the 90s when MCI took over inmate systems.Boy oh Boy, working in those places was a blast.
There's no concern for causing an imbalance on the T/R since that would occur only when the switch is off, so who cares?
Yup, as long as these are dedicated CO lines for each phone.
-Hal
Originally posted by gelehu:
Dang, that brings back memories, Ed. I installed inmate systems for most of tha State of Va. Many nights I sat up soldering leads on toggle switches and drilling wall plates.Back in those days that was hi- tech enough.That was back in the 90s when MCI took over inmate systems.Boy oh Boy, working in those places was a blast.
This one is at the Stafford Diversion Center (formerly known as the Stafford Detention Center). The name of the place was changed to make it more P.C. as the surrounding residential growth demanded that it sound "prettier" that a prison was just down the road. I'll bet it is exactly one of the sites you mention.
Oh and yes, these places are still just as much fun. I have about a dozen of them to deal with throughout the state, but their money is green so I endure.......
Pass & Seymour has a nice quad one
Here 4 single pole switches. Tamper resistant is available.
I dont recall doing that one, think there were about 50 locations throughout the state, kinda became a blur after a while.Our first was at Greenville where the chair(Old Sparky) is.The inmates found out before hand that the state was making money off their calls and they had limitations on who and how many calls they could make.None too happy inmates,scary situation. Im just kept repeating " Im just a contractor" but we finally had to lock ourselves in a mechanical room till they got everyone locked up in cells.
I also put regulsr phone systems in 10 prisons,
mostly Richmond and West.Every phone mans dream, put one in Goochland at the Womens prison.
We have that womens prison now (Pocahontas). We replaced their Comdial about ten years ago. That place is far from a "dream" in my book!
Ed, I called my supplier and you guys are right. It's one hot wire coming in and each switch has its own output. Doesn't look like it will work.