Is this possible to do?

[SparkyCal]

That's worth doing. Thank-you. I will have to see if I have one.

Is it possible to use some sort of tri-color LED that would shine a different color depending on how much voltage it receives?


P.S. I have a bunch of Diodes. How would I know if a diode is a Zener?

 

[crutschow]

s it possible to use some sort of tri-color LED that would shine a different color depending on how much voltage it receives?

Depends upon what connections are available to the tri-color LED.
Likely, using a Zener, you could get one to light dimly when off-hook and two to light simultaneously when on-hook.

I have a bunch of Diodes. How would I know if a diode is a Zener?

Look up its part number.
Otherwise, apply a voltage in series with a 10kΩ resistor in the reverse direction and see at what voltage it breaks down.

 

[Externet]

It would be better if it were the other way around, but it still works and is useful.

Put a red? > 50mA led in series to either one MagicJack wire ? That I have not tried. Should lit when in use; off then not. -no zener- Come back with results/findings...

 

[SparkyCal]

Thank-you. I have already built this and now its wire is snaking through my desk. I will try a different build next time I rearange my desk. It would be difficult to retrieve at this point.

 

[crutschow]

Put a red? > 50mA led in series to either one MagicJack wire

That's a good idea.
The LED will light when the phone is off-hook, and it will take no power when the phone is on-hook.

You could use a smaller LED (such as 20mA rated) in parallel with a resistor (say 100Ω) to keep the LED current below its rating.

 

[SparkyCal]

Attached is what I believe to be a multi coloured LED. I don't know anything about how to hook these up. Is it possible to use this LED to flash a different color when the phone is on hook as opposed to off?

 

[Audioguru]

Of course the 4-wires LED can produce different colors at different times because it has 3 LEDs (red, green and blue) inside. You can even activate 2 or 3 colors at the same time to make many more colors. You can connect the activating circuit to your "Magic jack" but not to an ordinary phone line.

I have a wireless phone (with answering machine) that has a "line in use" LED on its base station but not on the portable handset.

 

[crutschow]

Attached is what I believe to be a multi coloured LED. I don't know anything about how to hook these up. Is it possible to use this LED to flash a different color when the phone is on hook as opposed to off?

Need to know how the LED connects internally to the leads.

 

[SparkyCal]

@AG- mine handset has a Line in Use text, but it is so DIM that is hard to see. That's why I sought another solution.

@crutschow- I think the LED I posted was part of a beginner's electronics kit that I have long discarded. Thus, I have no specs on it.I plan to look up some YouTube videos once I have a chance

 

[bertus]

Hello,

@SparkyCal , The led you show looks like the led on this page:
https://arduinogetstarted.com/tutorials/arduino-rgb-led


Bertus

 

[SparkyCal]

Bertus. I think you are right in that it came with an Audrino kit

 

[SparkyCal]

So, is this a matter of splitting the + lead three ways and giving each lead a different step down resistor according to Ohms law?

I want to be careful cause I only have one of these.

 

[SparkyCal]

Thought more about this. As the voltage changes when the phone is off hook, I probably need only one resistor to the + lead, but it has to trigger a different colour when the phone is picked up. It doesn’t matter to me which colours but I’d prefer blue and red.

 

[SparkyCal]

Great video.

 

[crutschow]

Below is the LTspice simulation of a circuit that should work for you using two colors of the tri-color LED.
The blue LED draws about 2mA when the phone is on-hook [green trace low], (which shouldn't affect the MagicJack operation), and the red LED draws about 10mA when off-hook.
(Note that this assumes the LED is common cathode, which needs to be determined.
The circuit can be easily modified to accommodate a common anode LED if needed.)

 

[SparkyCal]

Thank-you. I have out this on my list of things to get to.