Any way to cut telephone crosstalk?

[Allan Adler]

Now a filter sounds like a possibility. Have you got more details
about what I'm supposed to look for?

I don't think I can describe it adequately without running a serious
risk of misleading you. It's a few inches long with phone cables coming
out of both ends, as I recall. I haven't needed it in a few years, so it
isn't too fresh in my mind.

I suggest you just call them up and describe the problem and ask if they
have any ideas for a phone filter. They'll probably want to know whether
it is a regular phone line or a DSL or whatever. I think they do call it
a phone filter. I've never had trouble getting them to answer questions
over the phone. It just cost a few bucks.

 

[[email protected]]

When you say 'cross-talk', is it other people's conversations or
echoes?

Conversations

Does it happen with handset plugged straight into the wall jack?

Yes, and even when I try it outside at the terminal block.

Since it seems like other conversations(and not a radio station or CB)
it looks like a exterior (telephone company ) problem. Using the old
phone would change the load on the line. I had this problem on my phone
lines every time it would rain. I thought it was only me until I heard
the other party mention the crosstalk and the 2nd person said "Oh just
ignore them, they're screwing up my line!" and I said "Uhh actually
it's you screwing up mine." Anyway the phone company finally fixed the
problem.
Richard

 

[Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\]

Wall jack, 4 foot cord, internal modem, 4 foot cord, telephone.

If it is a "newer" phone, the 6 ounce plastic pushbutton kind,
I pick up the handset, dial 1 and listen there is LOUD crosstalk.

If I unplug that and go dig out my ancient old ITT bell rotary 3 pound
desk phone from decades ago and try the same there is NO crosstalk.

(And I think this might be contributing to noise with the modem,
loss of connections now and then, etc)

Any bright ideas about what I might to combat some of this?
Use the cord to make a wrap or two around a ferrite torroid?
Anything else? (cheap new phone is line powered, not wall powered)

Thanks

What _kind_ of crosstalk? Is it your neighbor's conversation? That's
crosstalk. If it's an AM station in the background, that's NOT
crosstalk, that's RFI.

 

[Terry]

I think the OP is answering the question themselves?
a) Old fashioned phones were much less susceptible to interference from
strong radio signals; if this is what the 'Crosstalk' is. Those older phones
were simple, contained very little electronics, were rugged, tested and
designed to the international standards of developed countries for
performance and not that cheap. Time was when one had to get at least one
main phone from the monopoly telco! Then finally the customer could get
their own phone plug it in and just rent the line from the telephone
company.
Saw one case where a customer was trying to dial on a Canadian telephone
line with an 'antique' phone they had brought back from a trip to France
which had a completely different rotary dialing speed and percent make-break
signalling pattern. Wouldn't ring on incoming calls either IIRC. Wondered
why it wouldn't work!
Or b) If the new phone is a cordless type phone with a handset you can carry
around without wires it may be picking up somene else's cordless phone
conversation? Seen that also; kinda funny when you pay the long distance
charges for a call made by that 'other' phone! Not likely though, today with
a good quality digital cordless.
Or c) It's just a cheap and nasty $20 to $30 phone; many horror stories
about those! Some almost tragic. Cheap phones often contain electronic
components that are susceptible to picking up interference. A line powered
phone may well be an indication of internal electronics?
Back in the days of Bell telephone etc. having a monopoly etc. they had
fixes for item a) and felt responsible for all aspects of service.
Today anybody can buy an el cheapo phone not built to any particular
standard and plug it in and somehow the major improvements made to the
telephone networks during the last fifty years manages to cope even if the
phone isn't that good!
But hey ain't competition wonderful?
PS I don't blame the telcos for charging $45+ an hour for dealing with some
of the junk telephone gear that is sold and attached to telephone lines!