High audio levels can lead to Touch Tone (DTMF) recognition problems, echo, and distorted sound.
Our Modular Fixed Value Attenuators come in 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 dB values. They are very useful for reducing echo on a phone line or station port.
Connects in-series between the telephone line or analog station port with RJ-11 jacks.
You can add multiple Fixed Value Attenuators in-series with each other to add attenuation. A 1 dB Attenuator and 8 dB Attenuator would give you a total of 9 dB of attenuation.
There are two components to a telephone line. The DC talk battery, and the AC audio. Other devices like our Loop Current Regulator and Loop Current Attenuator only affect the DC voltage and loop current of the phone line. They're specifically made to NOT lower the AC audio on the line, since that would cause "Can't Hear" problems as you lower the loop current.
If you insert too much loss, and bring the loop current below 23ma, you'll create other problems on the line like cut-offs, answering and dialing problems. You should be watching the loop current on your meter or Loop Current Tester as you attenuate the line, to make sure you don't go below 23ma. The loop current will drop by about 1ma for every 1db of attenuation you add to the line.
NOTE: Don't put in more than 1 or 2db of loss in-front of a VoIP system. Putting too much loss in the line can make an impedance mismatch worse, creating echo (rather than fixing it). It will only take a minute or two to see if a little attenuation will help echo problems on a VoIP phone system or line.