Ring and Run is driving me NUTS. Please help if you can.

Thread Starter

AMVanquish

Joined Jul 7, 2012
5
Hello, all.

What would be the correct (safest, from an electrical standpoint) parts to use to turn off an intercom speaker? The speaker has the following ratings:

Size: 2.5 inches
Watts: .3 watts
Amps: 0.0816
Volts: 3.674
Resistance: 45 ohms

Purpose: I live in a rental building plagued by visitors who have horrific social skills. It seems that every visitor here thinks along these lines: "We need to see someone in apartment 13 but they're taking to long to answer the door. I know! We'll just ring apartment 2, 3, and 7. Surely someone there will answer us!" My intercom doesn't have a volume control and I have gotten to the point where if I don't install one myself, I may need to begin calling the police.

It is essential that any part I install in the intercom be safe from an electrical perspective. This is a rental, and the potentiometer I use must never cause a fire risk. I will install the pot at point in the present intercom circuit where the wires meet the speakers. Thank you in advance for your replies!
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Do you ever get any visitors of your own? could you just disconnect it? I would.
My thinking is, "it's 2012. Everybody has a cell phone, and people who would be visiting me probably have my number. they can call me and I'll let them in."
 

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
To turn it off, you would use a switch. To reduce the loudness, you would use a 500 ohm audio taper potentiometer.
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
If you don't want to disconnect it as just suggested, I'd consider a small switch in series with the speaker, allowing you to open the circuit and prevent any sound. Just about any switch you can find will be fine and safe - this is a low current application. I suppose you should make sure the current rating is at least 100mA (0.1A). That should be plenty, and will not limit your options much.

A panel mount switch could be mounted in the faceplate after drilling a 3/8" hole in it.
 

THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438
Turn it right down so you can just hear the buzzer (but it's not annoying), then teach your own visitors to buzz a certain "code". Anyone who buzzes without knowing your code you can just ignore.
 
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