Ooma Forums

Ok, you are talking about the connection between the scout and the handset base. I have some extra silver satin and can make another end with RJ-11 with the wires crossed. My thinking is it won't work at all - since that would reverse the send/receive - but I can try it.

All I know is the problem follows the scout. I have called tech support - and they saw our discussion while I was on the phone with them. He was going to forward the link and info to Bobby B and the engineers to investigate. I just have not heard anything from any of them.

- Mark

MarkHofmann wrote:Ok, you are talking about the connection between the scout and the handset base. I have some extra silver satin and can make another end with RJ-11 with the wires crossed. My thinking is it won't work at all - since that would reverse the send/receive - but I can try it.

Actually all the phone base is using is the center two wires - what we call Tip and Ring (because on the old manual switchboards the wires were connected to the tip and ring of a 1/4" plug). The ooma mimics the telco and supplies "talk battery" to carry the analog voice signal. The DC voltage polarity is not critical for the voice but it may cause some problem for clearing the message waiting on some phones. I know it's a long shot, but sometimes long shots pay off.

[quote...The DC voltage polarity is not critical for the voice but it may cause some problem for clearing the message waiting on some phones. I know it's a long shot, but sometimes long shots pay off...[/quote]

I remember reading that for sure a reversed DC voltage can cause message waiting lamps not to light on certain phones. I don't think your idea is such a long shot at all, and may be the reason why a lot of things don't work.

I believe you can purchase an inexpensive polarity tester for checking phone line DC

Ok, just to confirm -

Should I test switching the two wires polarity between the scout and the hub -AND- then between the scout and the handset base?

I can switch the polarity on the hub to scout connection without too much trouble. Just flip the wires on my wall jack.

The scout to handset base, I will have to make another RJ11 end on a standard RJ11 silver satin phone cable. Not a big deal either, really, since I have a crimper and can re-do the cable with the wires switched.

- Mark

Should I test switching the two wires polarity between the scout and the hub -AND- then between the scout and the handset base?

No - leave the wiring between the hub and scout as it is. That connection uses HPNA and is a digital connection that is NOT polarity sensitive.

The connection I suggest reversing is the one between the scout's "phone" jack and the cordless telephone. You can so that easily by taking two jacks and wiring the red of one to the green of the other, and the green of the first one to the red of the other. Then insert a phone line cord from the scout's "phone" jack into the new thing you just wired and another cord from the new jack assembly to the the cordless telephone. This in effect will change the polarity that the cordless phone sees.

If it works, then you can easily make a crossover cord yourself with an existing cable, a new connector, and a crimp tool. You might even be able to do it at a Radio Shack using their crimp tool if you bought a pack of connectors. If you do make one, make sure to flip the plug on one end.

Ok, I did the test last night. No dialtone when I flip the polarity on the wires from the scout to the handset base. They must be straight through to work.

Thanks for the suggestion, anyway. I do know that I'm not the only person with this problem and the scout.

- Mark

There is almost no way that you should have lost dialtone with the reversed wiring between the scout's phone jack and the cordless phone's base. Are you sure you connected the two jacks as I suggested and that both cords were OK?

southsound wrote:There is almost no way that you should have lost dialtone with the reversed wiring between the scout's phone jack and the cordless phone's base. Are you sure you connected the two jacks as I suggested and that both cords were OK?

Yes. I even toned both of the wires out to make sure they were correct. You can give it a shot yourself, but with them reversed on mine, I get no dial tone. This was with flipping the green and red on one side of the cable.

- Mark

MarkHofmann wrote: I even toned both of the wires out to make sure they were correct. - Mark

That's a new one for me. Sorry that it didn't work.

ok i just figured it out plug the uniden into the main hub NOT a scout press talk to cycle the phone when you hear the dial tone hang up note the indicator is not flashing now plug the uniden back into the scout for normal use. Problem solved.

I have a uniden 6.0 direct with 4 headsets this solved my vm indicator light flashing for no reason light good luck.