Ringing Phone Light Flasher

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I have received several emails asking how to connect up some lights so that when the phone rings, they flash. This is very useful in a situation were there is lots of noise and it is impossable to hear the phone, such as a workshop. Here is such a device. The ring detect part of this circuit came from http://www.hut.fi/Misc/Electronics/circuits/telephone_ringer.html.

Schematic

Parts

Part	Total Qty.	Description	Substitutions
C1	1	0.47uF 250V Capacitor
R1, R2	2	10K 1/4 W Resistor
R3	1	1K 1/4W Resistor
D1, D2	2	20V 1/4W Zener Diode
D3	1	1N4148 Diode
Q1	1	2N3904 NPN Transistor	2N2222
U1	1	4N27 Opto Isolator
RELAY	1	Solid State Or Regular Relay (See Notes)
MISC	1	Case, Wire, Board

Notes

You may need to use a lower voltage zener for D1 and D2.

You can use a regular relay instead of a solid state relay, but the arcing accross the contacts may destroy it pretty quickly.

Be very sure that you have not accidentally connected 120V to the phone line when building and installing this circuit.

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Comments

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anonymous Ringing Phone Light Flasher Wednesday, November 21, 2018 8:47:57 AM

The 2 zenners D2, d2 are wrong connected, they should be indeed series but anode to anode connected, as here http://www.epanorama.net/circuits/telephone_ringer.html

John Ringing Phone Light Flasher Tuesday, February 27, 2018 7:56:40 PM

If you want the light to follow the ring cadence instead of flickering, place a filter capacitor between pins 4 and 5 of U1 to filter the 20 Hertz pulsed signal. To increase the voltage used for the relay, adjust R2 and R3 to ensure the current flowing is not too high for U1 and Q1. If using a mechanical relay, place a snubber diode across the coil of the relay.

anonymous Ringing Phone Light Flasher Saturday, June 27, 2015 12:19:18 PM

I have modified the circuit to work in my situation. A pair of 110 volt regular light bulbs come on each time the phone rings. The ring voltage was too low to work with this circuit after I installed MagicJack so I needed to make a more sensitive circuit. Also, the circuit here is an always-on diagram. I need one that comes on only when the phone rings.You may write to me and I will send you the diagram. I also have a couple of good-working circuits that I designed.

MeIsHere Ringing Phone Light Flasher Thursday, January 31, 2013 8:52:50 PM

Thank you for the circuit , I was tested this circuit , and it works good . 68

TONY Ringing Phone Light Flasher Tuesday, November 13, 2012 4:45:46 PM

Can you substitute the +5V dc with +12V dc for the relay side of the circuit, as I cannot find solid-state relays that works with less than 12V dc.

AbiG Ringing Phone Light Flasher Sunday, July 29, 2012 6:13:27 AM

Thank you for defining this circuit; I was able to make it work...but I notice that the Relay chatters or turns On/Off while Ringing. Normally, Telephone Ring is not continuous – it produces ringing tone once in 2 seconds…then the Relay also turns On/Off proportionately. I believe adding a Capacitor to delay the turn OFF won’t work in this circuit as it works in Negative going pulse. Is it possible to replace the circuit with PNP transistor? OR Is there any standard way to turn the Relay ON continuous ?

AbiG Ringing Phone Light Flasher Saturday, June 02, 2012 11:21:12 AM

Telephone Ringing. Telephone Ring is not continuous – it produces ringing tone once in 2 seconds…then the Relay also turns On/Off proportionately. I believe adding a Capacitor to delay the turn OFF won’t work in this circuit as it works in Negative going pulse. Is it possible to replace the circuit with PNP transistor? OR Is there any standard way to turn the Relay ON continuous ?

Phil Ringing Phone Light Flasher Sunday, May 06, 2012 12:45:14 PM

Well it does work butit works wrong the transistor is a npn so the relay is on until the phone rings., great if you are using a double pole relay not so great if your not . And yes the triac trik will work but why not use a solid state relay which has an inbuilt opti in it anyway so its just a cap one diode 1 resistor and the solid state relay

Michael Ringing Phone Light Flasher Wednesday, January 18, 2012 9:14:26 AM

Working on an offshore platform, I put this circuit in our emergency-phone, using 2 LED´s instead of D3 & U1 (Otherwise i used the spcified components), so the operators easily can identify when someone is calling on that line..Thanks :-)

John Stancliff Ringing Phone Light Flasher Monday, January 09, 2012 9:36:16 PM

Schematic show a external voltage of 5 Volts.... no reference given in notes concerning this..... why?
(Editor's notes: It is assumed the reader will make up a 5V supply. Or just use 3 1.5V batteries in series.)

Laguna Ringing Phone Light Flasher Monday, December 19, 2011 8:20:41 PM

Sir, i have prepared every part of the circuit and constructed it diligently according to the schematic but nothing happened. Please help me solve about it. I may have missed some details of the circuit.

C N Dhavan Ringing Phone Light Flasher Saturday, November 22, 2008 3:50:46 AM

AS per the above electronic drawing, we have prepared the circuit with all specified components. But the circuit is not working. Please advise us next corrective action.

Diego E Pomeranec door bell chimer Light Flasher Friday, October 24, 2008 1:11:59 PM

I am deaf since i was born. I have moved to a new house where there are four bedrooms. I am getting difficult of getting a new door bell with flasher. I am living in argentina south America where there is not enough upgraded technology. I am wondering if you do have some knowledge about this technology and I am willing to purchase the items to develop my own door bell with RF flasher/chime. What I need for my new home is : -one wire door bell button for the front door (already have one installed) - one main door bell chime with RF sender and a flasher (wireless) (for the kitchen where there is already a wire door bell phone) -four wireless RF receiver with flasher and chime (one for each room)(I don’t know how far can RF receive the signal from the RF sender as maxium and remember that my house is too big like that 20 meters away X 20 meters away) Door bell button --> main wire bell chime with RF sender / Flasher --> 1th wireless RF receiver / Flasher-chime / RF sender --> 2nd wireless RF receiver / Flasher-chime / RF sender --> 3th wireless RF receiver / Flasher-chime / RF sender --> 4th wireless RF receiver / Flasher-chime / RF sender I hope you could get some time for make it up and thanks for your time Regards Diego E Pomeranec

Paul Ringing Phone Light Flasher Thursday, September 11, 2008 4:08:56 AM

Hi! Please tell me why we need the two Zener Diode?

tbode Ringing Phone Light Flasher Wednesday, August 27, 2008 4:12:44 PM

I used this circuit on a analog extension off my plant phone system so I can open a gate at a remote facility when someone calls me without going out to the gate.

vergel Ringing Phone Light Flasher Tuesday, May 20, 2008 12:03:16 PM

project works done.anybody can help us to convert int a triac insted a relay? pl's send it ti my email. vergel at the philippines

thejus mathew thomas Ringing Phone Light Flasher Sunday, May 11, 2008 5:51:01 AM

hi can u plzz send me the complete details of ringing phone lighe flasher plzzzz. THANK YOU

Shaunak Ringing Phone Light Flasher Sunday, May 04, 2008 2:09:27 AM

A possible substitute for the 4N27 Opto Isolator is: CNY17 IC. I tried it, it works well. Also, Plastic capacitors of the required value are fairly easy to find, you could possibly use those instead. They are sold in bright orange packaging and are rectangular.

jhong Ringing Phone Light Flasher Friday, January 25, 2008 2:08:32 AM

gudday sir..... i cant find the value of 0.47uF 250 volts becoz the value of 250 volts are very too high.. can i bypass the capacitor instead???? how can i do that???

anonymous Ringing Phone Light Flasher Thursday, January 17, 2008 11:31:15 PM

i need full description about this

jhong Ringing Phone Light Flasher Friday, January 11, 2008 4:00:24 AM

gudday sir.. can i ask question about the capacitor.. i can't find the value of 0.47microfarad 250volts.... is there a replacement for that capacitor???

anonymous Ringing Phone Light Flasher Sunday, December 02, 2007 5:41:10 AM

This is for POTS lines not mobile phones. As for generating a +5v rail that's up to you to supply/build that on the ohter side of the circuit. Someone has suggested using a triac instead of a relay, this would work better and you can supply some opto's with an AC supply. This however is not a circuit for the beginner. If you don't understand how! buy a plug in flash unit. Mains kills...

suma Ringing Phone Light Flasher Thursday, November 22, 2007 1:09:05 AM

its very nice. do you have the circuit for mobile phones also.

John carter Ringing Phone Light Flasher Saturday, October 20, 2007 12:07:10 AM

I would like to build one of these for use in my shop but I don't understand what the two 5v. inputs are and where they come from. Could someone explain that please. Thanks, John

arjun Ringing Phone Light Flasher Friday, September 14, 2007 7:57:11 AM

i would ike 2 know dat how is it possible 2 supply frequency 4 this circuit do v have 2 use a mobile phone or is there any other alternative

nasrul Ringing Phone Light Flasher Monday, September 03, 2007 9:30:04 PM

thaks a lot for sharing the circuit. My new project involve this designing area.

evans thank u very much Friday, July 06, 2007 5:31:18 AM

I thank u very much for all what u have done for me now thank u byeee

anonymous Ringing Phone Light Flasher Thursday, June 14, 2007 10:25:37 PM

I would suggest that by using a Triac to replace the relay, so that will not have arcing and contact problem.

vishnu Ringing Phone Light Flasher Wednesday, June 13, 2007 7:58:48 AM

pls connect a 10uf/25 v capacitor accross the base and ground of transistor q1. so that you can avoid relay chattering and arcing of contacts.

anonymous Ringing Phone Light Flasher Sunday, June 10, 2007 5:10:45 PM

I have a phone that has neon bulbs connected directly to the phone line and they flash when the phone rings.

bidemi As my project Friday, June 01, 2007 12:51:06 PM

good day to u sir, I saw this topic Ringing Phone light Flasher and am so interest in it. Iam in my final year and i want to constructed it as my project ,therefore i need ur assit how to get some important information on particular on this topic like the circuit daigram and how to construed it .thanks i need ur replyto my box. thanks

Jesse Gonzalez Ringing Phone Light Flasher Monday, May 21, 2007 12:43:52 AM

I am not much into electronics. Is there any way some "pro" could build it for me and then sell it to me for a very reasonable price. The ones out in the "market" are too expensive and I cannot afford them. I need it for my mother. She is 79 years old and very hard of hearing. Thank you for any and all responses and assistance on this request.

John M. Rowland Ringing Phone Light Flasher Thursday, April 26, 2007 7:08:36 AM

Where may I buy a Printed Ckt. Board for the phone flasher ?? Would really like to build it,mhowever I would like a board for a more permanent type of constrution and installation..... John..

Kevin S. Brady Ringing Phone Light Flasher Sunday, April 08, 2007 5:35:56 PM

I built this exact circuit more than 10 years ago. I used a mechanical relay, albeit one rated for high current. It still works great. I put a single 120V outlet on the side of the box so I could plug anything in to it. The key to using a mechanical relay is to limit the 120V load. That will ensure long contact life. I use a single 25W bulb, but if you want it to get your attention you could plug in a string of Xmas lights. Thanks for posting this schemo!

Ibrahim Ibrams Ringing Phone Light Flasher Tuesday, March 13, 2007 4:07:26 AM

.its avery nice circuit and its usefull in industreyal zones and factorys

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anonymous	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Wednesday, November 21, 2018 8:47:57 AM
The 2 zenners D2, d2 are wrong connected, they should be indeed series but anode to anode connected, as here http://www.epanorama.net/circuits/telephone_ringer.html
John	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Tuesday, February 27, 2018 7:56:40 PM
If you want the light to follow the ring cadence instead of flickering, place a filter capacitor between pins 4 and 5 of U1 to filter the 20 Hertz pulsed signal. To increase the voltage used for the relay, adjust R2 and R3 to ensure the current flowing is not too high for U1 and Q1. If using a mechanical relay, place a snubber diode across the coil of the relay.
anonymous	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Saturday, June 27, 2015 12:19:18 PM
I have modified the circuit to work in my situation. A pair of 110 volt regular light bulbs come on each time the phone rings. The ring voltage was too low to work with this circuit after I installed MagicJack so I needed to make a more sensitive circuit. Also, the circuit here is an always-on diagram. I need one that comes on only when the phone rings.You may write to me and I will send you the diagram. I also have a couple of good-working circuits that I designed.
MeIsHere	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Thursday, January 31, 2013 8:52:50 PM
Thank you for the circuit , I was tested this circuit , and it works good . 68
TONY	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Tuesday, November 13, 2012 4:45:46 PM
Can you substitute the +5V dc with +12V dc for the relay side of the circuit, as I cannot find solid-state relays that works with less than 12V dc.
AbiG	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Sunday, July 29, 2012 6:13:27 AM
Thank you for defining this circuit; I was able to make it work...but I notice that the Relay chatters or turns On/Off while Ringing. Normally, Telephone Ring is not continuous – it produces ringing tone once in 2 seconds…then the Relay also turns On/Off proportionately. I believe adding a Capacitor to delay the turn OFF won’t work in this circuit as it works in Negative going pulse. Is it possible to replace the circuit with PNP transistor? OR Is there any standard way to turn the Relay ON continuous ?
AbiG	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Saturday, June 02, 2012 11:21:12 AM
Telephone Ringing. Telephone Ring is not continuous – it produces ringing tone once in 2 seconds…then the Relay also turns On/Off proportionately. I believe adding a Capacitor to delay the turn OFF won’t work in this circuit as it works in Negative going pulse. Is it possible to replace the circuit with PNP transistor? OR Is there any standard way to turn the Relay ON continuous ?
Phil	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Sunday, May 06, 2012 12:45:14 PM
Well it does work butit works wrong the transistor is a npn so the relay is on until the phone rings., great if you are using a double pole relay not so great if your not . And yes the triac trik will work but why not use a solid state relay which has an inbuilt opti in it anyway so its just a cap one diode 1 resistor and the solid state relay
Michael	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Wednesday, January 18, 2012 9:14:26 AM
Working on an offshore platform, I put this circuit in our emergency-phone, using 2 LED´s instead of D3 & U1 (Otherwise i used the spcified components), so the operators easily can identify when someone is calling on that line..Thanks :-)
John Stancliff	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Monday, January 09, 2012 9:36:16 PM
Schematic show a external voltage of 5 Volts.... no reference given in notes concerning this..... why? (Editor's notes: It is assumed the reader will make up a 5V supply. Or just use 3 1.5V batteries in series.)
Laguna	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Monday, December 19, 2011 8:20:41 PM
Sir, i have prepared every part of the circuit and constructed it diligently according to the schematic but nothing happened. Please help me solve about it. I may have missed some details of the circuit.
C N Dhavan	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Saturday, November 22, 2008 3:50:46 AM
AS per the above electronic drawing, we have prepared the circuit with all specified components. But the circuit is not working. Please advise us next corrective action.
Diego E Pomeranec	door bell chimer Light Flasher	Friday, October 24, 2008 1:11:59 PM
I am deaf since i was born. I have moved to a new house where there are four bedrooms. I am getting difficult of getting a new door bell with flasher. I am living in argentina south America where there is not enough upgraded technology. I am wondering if you do have some knowledge about this technology and I am willing to purchase the items to develop my own door bell with RF flasher/chime. What I need for my new home is : -one wire door bell button for the front door (already have one installed) - one main door bell chime with RF sender and a flasher (wireless) (for the kitchen where there is already a wire door bell phone) -four wireless RF receiver with flasher and chime (one for each room)(I don’t know how far can RF receive the signal from the RF sender as maxium and remember that my house is too big like that 20 meters away X 20 meters away) Door bell button --> main wire bell chime with RF sender / Flasher --> 1th wireless RF receiver / Flasher-chime / RF sender --> 2nd wireless RF receiver / Flasher-chime / RF sender --> 3th wireless RF receiver / Flasher-chime / RF sender --> 4th wireless RF receiver / Flasher-chime / RF sender I hope you could get some time for make it up and thanks for your time Regards Diego E Pomeranec
Paul	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Thursday, September 11, 2008 4:08:56 AM
Hi! Please tell me why we need the two Zener Diode?
tbode	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Wednesday, August 27, 2008 4:12:44 PM
I used this circuit on a analog extension off my plant phone system so I can open a gate at a remote facility when someone calls me without going out to the gate.
vergel	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Tuesday, May 20, 2008 12:03:16 PM
project works done.anybody can help us to convert int a triac insted a relay? pl's send it ti my email. vergel at the philippines
thejus mathew thomas	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Sunday, May 11, 2008 5:51:01 AM
hi can u plzz send me the complete details of ringing phone lighe flasher plzzzz. THANK YOU
Shaunak	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Sunday, May 04, 2008 2:09:27 AM
A possible substitute for the 4N27 Opto Isolator is: CNY17 IC. I tried it, it works well. Also, Plastic capacitors of the required value are fairly easy to find, you could possibly use those instead. They are sold in bright orange packaging and are rectangular.
jhong	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Friday, January 25, 2008 2:08:32 AM
gudday sir..... i cant find the value of 0.47uF 250 volts becoz the value of 250 volts are very too high.. can i bypass the capacitor instead???? how can i do that???
anonymous	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Thursday, January 17, 2008 11:31:15 PM
i need full description about this
jhong	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Friday, January 11, 2008 4:00:24 AM
gudday sir.. can i ask question about the capacitor.. i can't find the value of 0.47microfarad 250volts.... is there a replacement for that capacitor???
anonymous	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Sunday, December 02, 2007 5:41:10 AM
This is for POTS lines not mobile phones. As for generating a +5v rail that's up to you to supply/build that on the ohter side of the circuit. Someone has suggested using a triac instead of a relay, this would work better and you can supply some opto's with an AC supply. This however is not a circuit for the beginner. If you don't understand how! buy a plug in flash unit. Mains kills...
suma	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Thursday, November 22, 2007 1:09:05 AM
its very nice. do you have the circuit for mobile phones also.
John carter	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Saturday, October 20, 2007 12:07:10 AM
I would like to build one of these for use in my shop but I don't understand what the two 5v. inputs are and where they come from. Could someone explain that please. Thanks, John
arjun	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Friday, September 14, 2007 7:57:11 AM
i would ike 2 know dat how is it possible 2 supply frequency 4 this circuit do v have 2 use a mobile phone or is there any other alternative
nasrul	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Monday, September 03, 2007 9:30:04 PM
thaks a lot for sharing the circuit. My new project involve this designing area.
evans	thank u very much	Friday, July 06, 2007 5:31:18 AM
I thank u very much for all what u have done for me now thank u byeee
anonymous	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Thursday, June 14, 2007 10:25:37 PM
I would suggest that by using a Triac to replace the relay, so that will not have arcing and contact problem.
vishnu	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Wednesday, June 13, 2007 7:58:48 AM
pls connect a 10uf/25 v capacitor accross the base and ground of transistor q1. so that you can avoid relay chattering and arcing of contacts.
anonymous	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Sunday, June 10, 2007 5:10:45 PM
I have a phone that has neon bulbs connected directly to the phone line and they flash when the phone rings.
bidemi	As my project	Friday, June 01, 2007 12:51:06 PM
good day to u sir, I saw this topic Ringing Phone light Flasher and am so interest in it. Iam in my final year and i want to constructed it as my project ,therefore i need ur assit how to get some important information on particular on this topic like the circuit daigram and how to construed it .thanks i need ur replyto my box. thanks
Jesse Gonzalez	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Monday, May 21, 2007 12:43:52 AM
I am not much into electronics. Is there any way some "pro" could build it for me and then sell it to me for a very reasonable price. The ones out in the "market" are too expensive and I cannot afford them. I need it for my mother. She is 79 years old and very hard of hearing. Thank you for any and all responses and assistance on this request.
John M. Rowland	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Thursday, April 26, 2007 7:08:36 AM
Where may I buy a Printed Ckt. Board for the phone flasher ?? Would really like to build it,mhowever I would like a board for a more permanent type of constrution and installation..... John..
Kevin S. Brady	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Sunday, April 08, 2007 5:35:56 PM
I built this exact circuit more than 10 years ago. I used a mechanical relay, albeit one rated for high current. It still works great. I put a single 120V outlet on the side of the box so I could plug anything in to it. The key to using a mechanical relay is to limit the 120V load. That will ensure long contact life. I use a single 25W bulb, but if you want it to get your attention you could plug in a string of Xmas lights. Thanks for posting this schemo!
Ibrahim Ibrams	Ringing Phone Light Flasher	Tuesday, March 13, 2007 4:07:26 AM
.its avery nice circuit and its usefull in industreyal zones and factorys