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[Geewiz]

DS7000 phone line connects into the house phone line connected to the Vonage V-box. 

I've not been able to get the alarm console to dial my cell phone.  However, if I use another phone to listen in I can hear the dial tones from the console.  If I open the line using the extension phone before the console begins dialing, the console dials and the call goes through.

It appears then that the console does not open the line on its own.  I've tested this repeatedly with the same results.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

[FloridaGuy]

This problem seems to still exist.  I just switched to Vonage VOIP with Florida Cable internet service.  I've done a lot of checking to no avail.  It still comes back to the inability of the DS7000 (actually two different consoles with the same problem, both purchased in about 2008); they both work fine with our previous CenturyLink line.
If I pick up a second phone on the VOIP line at the same time the console alarms, I can hear the dial tone generated by the DS7000 as it successfully dials my cell phone.  I've tried connecting the DS7000 to the phone 1 line directly on the Vonage ATA and no calling occurs.  I did listen on the DS7000 ear bud and could hear faint number dial tones, but they are not recognized by Vonage.
My fax machine dials out successfully, and also received faxes.
I've tried various setups with splitter, no splitter, and house wiring, all to no avail.
It just seems to come around to the DS7000 not being able to generate an off-hook signal.
Vonage has not be able to offer an help other than make changes to the line more favorable to data even though I reminded them that the problem was not data as faxing work.  Vonage personnel didn't seem to understand any of the technical aspects of going off-hook.
X10 tech didn't have an answer by phone, either.

[Brian H]

Not sure if this will give you any assistance.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Voice_Dialers_And_VOIP

[FloridaGuy]

No help at all as it appears to address data transmission issues and not dialing issues.  I've searched a lot and have not found any answer directly responding to the dial tone issue and a fix for that specific issue.  There are several unanswered posts on this very same issue--all with specific technical responses.

[dave w]

Unplug all phones, and fax from the house phone line and try the 7000 again. Does it get the V-box to go off-hook then?

[FloridaGuy]

I've already tried all of those options.
I'm looking for information from someone who actually had the same problem and then found a technical reason and a solution.

[Brian H]

Well if someone with a multimeter and the proper knowledge to safely do it.
Measuring the On and Off Hook voltages on the phone jack the DS7000 is connected to. Would give information on the problem.

I hope you can find someone with a fix for the DS7000.

[dave w]

I've already tried all of those options.
I'm looking for information from someone who actually had the same problem and then found a technical reason and a solution.

Yeah, good luck with that. This forum has a long history of DS7000/Vonage problems.

[FloridaGuy]

Actually, I was hoping there was an electrical engineer or some other tech person from X10 or the manufacturer who understood the off-hook technical data for the system and phone dialers in general.
Based on similar unanswered issues since 2009 or so, however, I don't expect a real solution.

[Brian H]

Since this is a user to user style forum. I would not count on any official X10 responses here.

On hook {no phones in use} my phone has 46.5 volts DC on the red to green wire.
Off hook {phone in use} one phone lowers it to 6.5 volts DC and my phone line tester to 7.5 volts DC.

The caution is. If the phone starts ringing. The ringing voltage can be 80 or more volts AC at usually 20 Cycles. That can give you a nice surprise bite. 

I don't know if the consloe can sense the On Hook voltage to determine if another phone is Off Hook. If the On hook voltage is too low and the console can sense that. It may not try and dial over what it thinks is a phone using the line already.

Picking up another phone at the sametime may cause the phone interface to see the off hook the console didn't provide and then seize the line and the console dials out.

[Brian H]

OH Almost forgot the KISS {Keep It Simple Stupid} theory.
If you don't have four phone numbers to call. Did you fill all the four positions with the same number so none are blank?

[FloridaGuy]

Thanks, Brian.  Voltage values are interesting.  Now, if only we had some real technical information about the console and dialing routine.
I already had all four numbers entered, and the system worked well with a land line.
As I mentioned initially, the console does actually dial the number even though there is no dial tone.  I can faintly here the dial tones in the ear bud.  It's like the dialer does its thing to attempt to get a dial tone but has no circuitry to hear or detect a dialtone; it just waits a predetermined time and then dials even if there is no dial tone.
I had called X10 support and talked to a gentleman there who showed some interest and gave suggestions already in the forum; he said he actually does monitor some activity in the forum.  Now, if only we had a design engineer monitoring problems.....

[Brian H]

X10 has closed their factory in China and is having some devices made by other factories.
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=26297.0

I don't see the DS7000 console on the list of products being produced. Only the SC1200.
I am not too sure if X10 is going to put any effort into finding fixes.

I doubt any technical data is publically available on the console.

[FloridaGuy]

When I talked to X10 support a couple days ago I was told that the DS7000 no longer available and the "replacement" is the SC1200; supposedly, the previous sensors are compatible with the new console.  There is no assurance that the SC1200 console has a different dialer, however.  I also suspect that there is no public information available on the DS7000; if so, someone likely would have posted it somewhere to be discovered on the internet.
I'm no really expecting a solution.  Dialing our cell when we were out didn't do much good anyway as listening in doesn't give a clue as to which sensor triggered the alarm.  The only alarms we ever received happened to be false alarms, generally because of a low battery in a motion sensor.  At least it still works when home at night in case an intruder gets in--hope it never happens.

[Brian H]

The older security sensors from the DS7000 age are 100% compatible with the SC1200 as are the modern security sensors from the SC1200 kits with the old DS7000.
Even the Radio Shack 49-1000 OEM SC1200 devices are all interchangeable.

The SC1200 is a completely different device and I doubt the phone interface circuitry is the same as the DS7000s.