Can you help me program my voicemail access

Question

I'll just throw this out there. There may be hope yet.

We've had voicemail from the phone company for I'd say about 15 years. Now I need to reprogram the access number because our region has changed over from 7-digit local dialing to 10-digit dialing. I've got this neat sleek little speakerphone with the big flasher button used to access the voicemail system. The device is as old as our voicemail. It's a "Bell Atlantic AC-150". It has the usual buttons, 0-9, * and #; and it has the access button, as stated. On the side is a little switch with two positions, "PROG" and "OFF". I imagine I need to set that to the PROG position in order to reprogram my voicemail access number to 10-digit format. But I don't have the original instructions, argghh! I've tried everything I could think of, using * and/or # before the access number, after the access number. Just not sure. Nothing seems to work. And I thought I was a first rate geek. Unh-uh!

Please: if anyone dates back that awful far into the past, remind me how this is done. Many earnest thanks in advance!

harrydeem · Accepted Answer

FAQ wouldn't have info about a 15-year old device that Bell Atlantic was peddling as an accessory when mailbox service was offered 15 or more years ago. But okay, I just found the key. It through me off because the unit has built-in speakerphone. But the PROG function only works if the receiver is physically off the hook, I've just found. Simply switch to PROG, pick up the receiver, dial the mailbox access number (which truly connects because your line is live), then put the little programming switch back to OFF.

Thanks!