Bt Pathway Lightening Damage?

[Steady]

Hi All,

We have a BT Pathway installed and never had any problems with it.

We have 2 analogue lines installed (Line 1 & Line 2) and 6 extensions.

(I think the machine we bought allows up to 4 external lines.)

Following on from some severe lightening in the area last week, we have lost the ability to use lines 1 and 2.

By rewiring the analogue lines, I see that I can use line 3 but not line 4.

So out of 4 possible analogue line positions, I am only able to get an outside line using line 3.

Someone said there was a slight smell of burning just after the lightening.

Do you think the system is fried? Anything I can do to get two lines working again?

I do have an unused extension card which allows a couple of new external lines to be added, but when I install it, it doesn't seem to recognise line "5" and line "6" ar all. I'm not sure if there is a way to get these working or if I don't have the right base board.

Can anyone help or is it a new system that's needed?

Also, is there anything we could have done to avert this damage?

Best regards,

Colin

[Lectrician]

Hi All,

We have a BT Pathway installed and never had any problems with it.

We have 2 analogue lines installed (Line 1 & Line 2) and 6 extensions.

(I think the machine we bought allows up to 4 external lines.)

Following on from some severe lightening in the area last week, we have lost the ability to use lines 1 and 2.

By rewiring the analogue lines, I see that I can use line 3 but not line 4.

So out of 4 possible analogue line positions, I am only able to get an outside line using line 3.

Someone said there was a slight smell of burning just after the lightening.

Do you think the system is fried? Anything I can do to get two lines working again?

I do have an unused extension card which allows a couple of new external lines to be added, but when I install it, it doesn't seem to recognise line "5" and line "6" ar all. I'm not sure if there is a way to get these working or if I don't have the right base board.

Can anyone help or is it a new system that's needed?

Also, is there anything we could have done to avert this damage?

Best regards,

Colin

Sounds like the line card is fried. Often, other cards could be, but may not show at first.

Have you moved the lines across phyiscally to 3/4, or have you swapped the card positions?

If you have swapped the twp line pairs from 1/2 to 3/4 and left the card where it was, I suspect that line 4 was left "unequipped" in programming previously when they system was used as a 3 line system (did you purchase it second hand?). If this is the case, when you dialled 9, every so often you would access the empty line 3.........so no dial tone?

System programming default password 1111, go to lines, and then equipped lines. Equip line 4.

You could also swap the two line cards over, and put the wiring back to lines 1/2 to see if this works.

System programming can be accessed quickly by lifting reciever and dialling ##1111

[Steady]

Thanks for the reply.

I have now had another play around with it and at first I got no joy.

I rewired the lines in many various ways and "equipped" them etc. as necessary. I could only get the "line 3" terminals to work.

I read somewhere on the net about a guy with an inspiron who was advised to remove all cards from the system, "unequip" the lines etc and turn back on again. Then turn off, reinstall the cards etc, then turn on again and then equip the lines.

Would you believe that this worked and the system now seems to be working perfectly!!!

Something in the box must have been affected as there was a slight burnt smell (as reported by someone), following the lightening hit.

However, all seems to be working fine.

Not a clue why though

[Simon_B]

Thing is - if you have taken a hit - something is going to fail again soon.

Most probably will just be a 2-Line card (circuit board), easily and cheaply replaceable.

Simon