Telephones

[Fewdyshen]

Why do some UK purchased telephones not work in France?

Pat

[Richardbk]

LAST EDITED ON 13-Jul-04 AT 08:33 AM (BST)

Because many UK phones use a 3 wire system with a bell circuit which needs a 'ring capacitor' to enable the bell/ringer to work. This is a perculiarity of the UK phone system (almost no other country has the same system.

In order to get the phone to work you need to buy an adapter. I previously posted a link

E.g http://www.solwise.co.uk/telesun.htm sell products ( I have no connection).

You want a UK-US adapter (with bell capacitor)RJP/BTS which will connect the UK telephone to a US style plug (RJ11). E.g On this site the product would be "RJP/BTS - with ring capacitor"

This RJ11(US plug) will then plug directly into a US-French adapter plug, which you get either in France(usually in the computer/telephone hardware section of the stores) or from the same site(product ADAP-FRANCE, 2.80).


Alternatively you could buy a UK master socket and connect this to the French line or for just 29p buy just the capacitor and wire it in yourself, e.g http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/wiring_info.htm


regs

Richard