I. Items needed to make an RC4 W-DIMm3 ring a Bell telephone

A. W-DIMm3

B. A small tool like a small bent paper clip

C. Screw driver

D. Bell telephone

E. Step up center tap transformerCenter tap transformerA transformer is an electrical power component consisting of two coils of wire wrapped around an iron core.  A basic transformer has four wires: the two ends of each coil.  If additional wires are added to points within one of the coils, these are called taps.  A tap in the middle of a coil is […]
Read more »

1. Here is a list of suitable transformers available from Digikey, an online electronic parts supplier.  (If Digikey changes their system and breaks this link, please let us know at support@rc4wireless.com.)

2. This is a transformer that is used in simple power supplies that deliver + and – voltages

a. By injecting low voltage into the secondary (low voltage) side of the transformer, high voltage will come out of the primary (high voltage) side

F. The W-DIMm3 will produce alternating current that will be stepped up to ring the telephone

G. Set up is shown in this diagram:

II. Configuring the W-DIMm3 dimmer to ring a telephone

A. In the example, the unit starts in default mode

B. Special dimmer curves are hidden at a low end of the Enhanced OneTouchOneTouch™RC4 OneTouch™ uses DMX channel levels to represent channels and curves, which are then adopted by a dimmer when a single small button is pressed. Back in 1993, James David Smith, chief product designer at RC4 Wireless, envisioned a day when wireless dimmers would be so small that there would be no room for rows […]
Read more » process

C. Enhanced OneTouch uses a tight matrix of all available dimmer curves starting at a DMX channel level of 20 (not 20%, the actual level of 20 out of 255)

1. A DMX level of 30 selects the AC wave generatorAC wave generatorAn AC wave generator creates alternating current (AC) using direct current (DC) electronics and special software.  In RC4 Series 3 dimmers, this is done using two 2 DC dimmers in tandem.  AC power is needed to make a telephone ring, or make EL wire light up.  It is the kind of power that comes from a regular […]
Read more »

D. In this example, the telephone will ring on DMX channel 25 using RC4 Enhanced OneTouch

E. On the console, set DMX channel 25 at a DMX level of 30 (not 30%) for the AC wave curve

F. This should be the only channel up on the console

G. Using a small tool like a bent paper clip, tap and release the Set A ButtonSet A ButtonAll RC4 dimmers have Set buttons for each individual dimmer output. The first button is the Set A button. On a 2-channel device these are Set A and Set B buttons. A 4-channel device adds Set C and Set D. The most common use of the Set button is to assign a DMX channel and […]
Read more » on the W-DIMm3

H. A pair of LEDs on the W-DIMm3 will being dimly flickering

1. As the level is increased on the DMX channel, the flickering LEDs on the W-DIMm3 will become brighter

III. Wiring in the transformer

A. Bring the DMX channel down to zero

B. On RC4 dimmers, the common on the output is positive

1. The center tap will go to the positive side

C. Each of the outside wires go to the negative sides of the two ganged dimmers

D. On the RC4 dimmers, this is typically three wires in a row, with the common positive in the center

IV. Wiring the phone

A. An RJ-11 plug can be used on the phone (standard telephone cord)

B. An RJ-11 jack can be used at the transformer

C. In this example, non-standard connectors are being used on the transformer and phone

D. Connect the telephone plug to the transformer jack

E. Bring up channel 25

F. The phone will ring

1. The cadence of the ring is controlled via the DMX channel

2. Typically the level will be brought to full for a strong and even ring

G. In a typically wired stock telephone, the bell will stop ringing when the handset is picked up

1. This is part of the internal mechanics of the phone itself