Good information!  I will wire my plate accordingly and try it out, tonight.

Thanks very much!  I will let you know how it works.

Richard

I just finished trying to replicate the conditions you had listed and most of it seems to work - the only exception I found is in the first line: TEL 1 > OUT 4.

Unless I am mistaken, if ANS 1 has continuity only with TEL 2 and OUT 4 (as stated in two ways; also OUT 4 > ANS 1 > TEL 2), TEL 1 should not have continuity to OUT 4 (otherwise, TEL 1 would be continuous to TEL 2 and ANS 1, as well).  It does not seem to follow.

Then again, perhaps I misinterpret the designations you use.  I am assuming OUT 1 is the first contact on the plug end (retainer tab up), or the black conductor in the set with the order of: black, red, green, yellow; and for ANS and TEL, it would be the reverse order (1 would normally contact 4, etc.).  Am I correct?

Would you mind re-checking the contacts for continuity to TEL 1?

Thanks again - I remain hopeful we can make this work!

TEL 1 > OUT 4
TEL 2 > ANS 1
TEL 3 > ANS 4 
TEL 4 > OUT 1

ANS 1 > TEL 2
ANS 2 > OUT 3
ANS 3 > OUT 2
ANS 4 > TEL 3

OUT 1 > TEL 4
OUT 2 > ANS 3
OUT 3 > ANS 2
OUT 4 > TEL 1

The revised chart seems to make more sense.  After my first attempt of wiring my plate to match, the Beotalk would still not give a cue nor remove the dial tone when using the message record sequence; still not recording.

I have not had a lot of time to look at this but will check everything over again soon.  I will post another message here, to indicate what I find.

Thanks, once again, for all your effort!

Yes;  I believe I have arranged the wires so the pair in the middle (# 2 and # 3), coming from the wall socket, would go through the answering system first, then to the handset (out of "ans" # 1 and # 4, into "tel" # 4 and #1).

Seems simple enough but I can make all kinds of errors when I'm in a hurry!  I still haven't had time to re-check, unfortunately.

Thanks, again.

Where I wrote:  "out of "ans" # 1 and # 4, into "tel" # 4 and #1" I should have indicated: into "tel" # 3 and # 2 as I had it wired.  The handset does get the phone line signal (dial tone works; can dial out and complete calls, etc.) with the wires arranged this way but still no cue to record a message when following the sequence.  The handset does not get the line signal when the answering system plug is removed from the "ans" socket; I think this would indicate the interconnection is right.  The answering system allows the signal to bypass but does not interupt it to exchange directly with the handset.

In any event, after checking everything again, no success.  No fault of yours, PL (pardon the pun); thanks to you for your attention and going out of your way in trying to help.

 The possibility of an internal fault seems high.  When I received the unit, I had found old batteries in the back-up compartment which were leaking and there were obvious signs of corrosion at and around the terminals.  This was cleaned up, as well as possible without opening the base enclosure (the means to which were not obvious).  There is a circuit board partially visible, when viewing the unit with the battery compartment open, but I cannot access it to check it out.

I'll look for instructions for disassembly now, I suppose, but am wondering if the problem may be with some irreplaceable component on a board that is no longer available.  A magic "reset" button would be a nice thing to have here . . . 

 Thanks again.