Chapter 7 Answering Machine Hookup
How the hookup operates
While you are out, all of your incoming calls will be answered by your answer- ing machine and its outgoing message will play. Voice callers can leave a mes- sage. During this time, your fax machine will quietly monitor the line. If your fax machine detects a fax tone or a duration of silence equal to four seconds (called "Quiet Detect Time"), it will take over the line and begin reception.
Your fax machine listens for a duration of silence because some transmitting ma- chines do not send a fax tone when the fax is sent manually (this means that the person faxing uses the handset to dial and then presses their Start key after listen- ing to your outgoing message). Pressing the Start key in this case causes the line to go silent. The timing for fax reception is shown below.
0 sec. | 10 sec. | 14 sec. |
Fax machine rings
Outgoing message (10 sec. max)
Quiet Detect Time (Initial setting: 4 sec.)
Answering machine | Sender presses | Fax reception |
answers | start key | begins |
| (Line goes silent) |
|
Testing for proper operation
If needed, test the operation of the hookup as follows.
1
2
Call your fax machine from an outside phone line. Cover the mouthpiece to ensure that no sounds are transmitted to the fax machine.
Your should hear your outgoing message, the beep to leave a message, and then a fax tone four seconds later (four seconds is the initial Quiet Detect Time setting). If you hear a fax tone, the hookup is operating properly.
3 If the line is disconnected before you hear a fax tone, lower the Quiet De- tect Time setting to three seconds and then call your fax machine again.
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