Device to allow temporary phone disconnection?

I've tried searching for this without much luck. For all I know, I might just be using the wrong search terms. What I want is a device that temporarily disconnects the phone line (or since my family has a set of DECT phones, disconnecting the power to the base unit would probably also work) and automatically reconnects it after a set time, so that I can avoid getting interrupted during a meal, without having to worry about remembering to manually reconnect. Kind of the inverse of a normal timer switch.

While searching for such a device, I came across this patent:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6599139.html
which seems close to what I'm looking for, but 1. I don't know if anybody has actually built a device like that and put it up for sale, and 2. it seems like that is only pre-programmable by time of day, but I don't want the line disconnected if one of my family is in the middle of a phone call just before a meal.

If somebody knows where to get such a device, please let me know. Thanks in advance.
 

menetlaus

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Good luck.

I highly doubt you will find anything (at a reasonable/consumer price) that can monitor a phone line to see if active and as long as the phone is not in use to disable it at certain times.

You could dumb it down big time and use a timer switch to kill the power at set times.
 


The fun part about POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) is that twisted pair telephone cables are themselves powered. In the event of a power failure the cables themselves provide enough power to operate basic phone mechanics as long as the central office to which they are all connected has a backup power supply. The same is not true for digital telephony (which is modulated over unpowered coaxial cable) which is why cable phone modems have a built in battery. As a result, unplugging a telephone will typically only inhibit the digital components such as call display, leaving the actual transceiver fully functioning. This may work for some cordless phones including DECT, but YMMV. This can be determined experientially using a second line or a cell phone.

If unplugging the base station does indeed render the phone inoperable, you can use a light timer to disengage the power during your dinner time. These can typically be found in most hardware stores.
 

makkem

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Hi
You could fit a remote controlled socket .
This is a wireless controlled socket that you would plug into the outlet and then the DECT base unit into that.
You could then switch the socket using the wireless remote.
i could give you examples if you are in the UK.
 


I wasn't really expecting something that could monitor the phone line, but I've seen wall switches that can be twisted a variable amount to keep a light or fan on until the timer runs out (usually up to about 60 minutes). I was hoping for the inverse of that, so that it would keep the power off until the timer runs out, then let it back on. Perhaps my initial explanation of what I wanted wasn't very good. :( It's hard to even find outlet timers that are 60 minutes instead of 24 hours; seems like the 60-minute timers are only available for wall switches.



I'm in the US, but that might be a decent fallback, especially if I can get one with multiple remote controls so that any of us could re-connect the power from his/her desk when we notice the "check base unit" message.

@Pinhedd I'm aware the twisted pair cables are powered (I've had simple phones that didn't require any other power). At the moment, the phone is AT&T U-Verse VoIP, but in a previous location, I used the same phones on a basic landline, and I'm fairly sure they didn't work during power failures. I'll double-check later though.
 


If cutting the AC does indeed work, some of the following may suit your need

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/tools-hardware/electrical-tools-accessories/electrical-supplies-parts/timers.html
 
Sorry to take so long to get back to this, but I was hoping for more responses. Pinhedd, I confirmed that cutting the AC works, but it looks like the timers in your link are all 24-hour or even 7-day timers. If that's the best I can do, I'll check with my family and possibly get one at a local store (preferably closer than Canada...), but I'm really hoping for one where I can start the timer manually for about 1 hour, then have it automatically re-enable the AC once the hour is up.

I found this that looks like it might do what I want, but it's way too expensive: http://www.coleparmer.com/Product/Analog_interval_timer_60_minutes_120_VAC/UX-08620-00
 

menetlaus

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