Principles
Almost all standard single line telephones in use in the world only use two wires. In
the USA it's the red (Ring, or "-") and green (Tip, or "+"). In other
countries the wire colors will vary, so you will need to determine which two you need to
use. I will always refer to these as L1 and L2.
Adapting the 4-prong plug
If your North American Ericofon is equipped with the old "4 prong plug", you will need to either replace the plug or
purchase an adapter. It's very easy, all you
need to do is open up the 4 prong plug and put the yellow
and red wire to the same terminal. Move the yellow to red terminal, not the other way
round. Doing this will enable the ringer to function.
Wiring
Wiring your Ericofon is a bit more involved than most phones. There are a
number of possible configurations. I hope I have made these pages easy enough for the
average person with a screwdriver to follow so they can get their phone up and
running. Those that are a bit more savvy with wiring may wish to go straight to the
wiring diagrams.
The first thing you need to do is identify your chassis (the
"guts" of the phone). Take the chassis out of the case and look at the front
right corner. There you will see a white lettered model number starting with a 'K'. Click here to see an example of this
model number. I don't have all the possible models covered here, but what I do show
represents a vast majority of the Ericofons out there. If you have a model that is not
covered, or you can't find the model number on your chassis, just look through the
instructions for each model of chassis and find the one that looks most like your
Ericofon. When working on your Ericofon, remember that these are tiny parts in a small
area. Be careful not to bend any terminals so that they short out against other parts.
Also make sure your wire terminals don't touch.
Important.... The cracks you see in the
faceplates of Ericofons are the result of over tightening the four mounting screws. When
you put the chassis of your phone back into the case, only snug the screws enough to hold
it in place. Use very little pressure when doing this or you will crack your faceplate.
