Sound f/x Wireless Telephone Ringers

mrtrudeau23

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Premium Member
Anyone know of a place that would sell a wireless telephone ringer? I imagine there is such a thing, and I would guess that it operates like a wireless doorbell. I just can't think of anyplace that would sell something like it.
Scenario: We have the phone onstage, and it will probably be a rotary style, but the director doesn't want any wires onstage running to a remote ringer.
Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!
 
There is the Tele-q, but its not wireless. It takes a good amount of voltage to ring a phone. If you want to go wireless, you could somehow rig something to a tele-q. Run the wire, gaff over it, paint the tape, done.
 
I should mention that it can't stay onstage because it isn't used in all scenes and later in the show, the deck floods with water. Water and electricity don't mix well. Hence part of the reason it needs to be wireless.
 
I'm confused how the wireless is better than the wired. If the bare wire is covered within the phone and run off stage (elevated), then there should not be any worries. I understand that actor safety is paramount, but in terms of continued use, the chance of shorting is higher.

Back to the original post: Straight up DIY components! You could have a motor that would hit the bells as it rotated within the phone... Battery, motor and a small receiver should do it. Past that I am of no further help, Sorry.


-Cameron Stuckey
 
Is there any reason why you can't just run a telephone sound effect through the sound system?

I agree. One Q for the ring, one Q for the pickup with .2s fade on the ring and you're golden. And it's easier to just place a motivated speaker. Sometimes simple is good. At least that's what my wife tells me. As she pats my head. Patronizingly. . .
 
I agree. One Q for the ring, one Q for the pickup with .2s fade on the ring and you're golden. And it's easier to just place a motivated speaker. Sometimes simple is good. At least that's what my wife tells me. As she pats my head. Patronizingly. . .

i was told that i shouldn't do this, only as a last ditch effort.
it's supposed to be directional and none of the loudspeakers i have placed would give me the right effect.
thanks to all responses so far. i appreciate the ideas.
 
I personally prefer to have phones hooked up if at all possible. No sound effect sounds right to me at least. See what you can do, I think you can get a cable there. Just because a cable is running through water does not mean it will be shorted out. Just be sure to get cable that is rated to be put under water. I also assume that the phone does not have to ring when the stage is flooded?

You might be able to do the RC car rip apart thing on this one, but thats going to take a bit more time. Going pure mechanical with it might be a way to go as said before, but you might have issues getting the right sound. People know what a "Bell" style phone sounds like, its hard to fake it.
 
I have a Samsung a630 Cellphone that has a conventional bell style ringer as one of the ring tone options.

Why not see if you can find a cell or wireless phone with a ring tone that suits and hide it in the "Real" phone or somewhere near it then just call the number of that phone on cue when needed.

Alternatively take a standard bell ringer phone and see if you can rig it to be triggered by a Garage door opener.

I couldnt find any commerciallly available wireless ringers but there is a patent filed for one
 
I have a Samsung a630 Cellphone that has a conventional bell style ringer as one of the ring tone options.

Why not see if you can find a cell or wireless phone with a ring tone that suits and hide it in the "Real" phone or somewhere near it then just call the number of that phone on cue when needed.

Good idea! But Murphy's Law states that someone WOULD call this phone during a performance!
 
Good idea! But Murphy's Law states that someone WOULD call this phone during a performance!


Agreed it would need the phone to be on a number that wasnt known by others. Maybe a cheap pay as you go phone that is kept specifically for that purpose.

OK maybe not ideal or necessarily the most economic, just trying to be a little creative here ;)

The more I think about it the more I think the Garage Remote, or similar wireless switch, connected to a ringer should be doable and relatively simple.

Edit

Found some interesting Wireless Switches here

http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/pro17.pl?ref=lightningonlineorder1867&ct=21931&rdf=go

Also found this

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00012ZFBQ/?tag=controlbooth-20

Which might be able to be

And then there is this which woudl be great of it didnt need mains voltage

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006HPFKM/?tag=controlbooth-20

This book looks like it might hav some usefull circuit as well.

http://books.google.com/books?id=PDKYUrseeqUC
 
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The catch with cell phones is that they don't always ring through right away, and timing the cue may prove difficult to impossible.
 
Two options come to mind. My home phone has a base unit and three wireless phones, that can be called as intercoms from the base unit. conceal one of the phones in the table under the prop phone and call it from the base unit.
second option would be to use a Tele-Q and parallel the contacts of the push button switch with a garage door type receiver. The tele-q is battery powered and could be placed beneath the phone with the RF reicever.. Carl's electrics has 2 and four channel units for very reasonable prices. We have used them for the windmill motor in "Oklahoma" for sign lites in "All shook up" and for motors that collapse the stone table in "The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe". I even tied the transmitter buttons into a DMX to analog 0-10 convertor and run the signals fromt the board.
 

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