Default line I had programmed for my phone to pick up on line 1 automatically, but I want to know how to take it off, and pick up the first line that is available. If I pick up the phone, and someone is on line 1, it has a busy signal, and we have 3 other lines that are available for me to pick up on.

That's correct.

Actually, you have a Panasonic TD phone system and a 7420 phone, but no matter. The feature you have is probably "idle line preference" or "preferred Line Assignment-Outgoing". In TD systems by default, you select lines from highest to lowest. If you only have 2 lines and PLA is set, you get line 2 then line 1. You can change it to get line 1 first, or chage the trunk access order. The first is something you can do from each phone, the second requires access to system programming. The bad thing about the first solution is if line 1 is busy, you won't get any line. The second will give you the entire trunk group.

Anyway, from each phone without picking up the handset, press PROGRAM 99 and dial 1301 STORE. That will give you line 1 when you pick up the handset. Just so you know or can change it, 11 is none, 12 is idle line, 13xx is specific line and 1+the intercom is intercom. Pick up the handset and drop it back down to exit programming.

As far as the noisy line, it's probably a central office issue. It's hard to test as that line is the outer pair of the jack that plugs into the phone sytsem (RJ-14 pair 2), but you can probably take a regular phone and test it at the demarc point.

Carl

Changing prime line access on a Partner system is done on either ext 10 or 11.
At one of those ext's press the feature key and "00"
Next press the left hand intercom twice
The display should say system programming

Press the right hand intercom once. The display should say Centralized Programming.

Enter in the extension number that you want to program.

Press ** then the lines in the order you want to access them.
press ** when your done the line access
Press feature "00" to logout

Well, there is a lot of things to do.

First, here is how to do Auto Line Select.

Is it only 1 phone that should be making outgoing calls? Or is it not place any outgoing calls ONLY on line 3?

This system will have to be programmed to allow line 1 to ring on that particular set. When you pick up line 1 now and it dials out it is dialing the last number you called from the phone.

Line ringing preference on our NEC phone

Do not get outside line, just press:
#7579 to turn on, #7576 to turn of
Then press SPKR to exit

From extension 10 or 11
Press feature 00
LEFT INTERCOM
LEFT INTERCOM
RIGHT INTERCOM
Enter the extension number of the extension you need changed.
press ** (start, star)
then the order you want the lines to get picked up (if you want to grab line 4 then 3 then 2 then 1, upon going offhook, press "** line 4 line 3 line 2 line 1)
Then ** (star, star) when done

When finished, press feature 00 to get out of programming.

Sounds like you have two seperate line groups programmed in the system, Program 32 " Automatic Preference " controls the lines the phone will automatically be connected to when the telephone handset is taken off hook or the Spkr button is used.

only when you have call foward from one line to the othe when in use. so lets say line 1 is in use then line 2 will ring but now line 1 is open and its ringing (activate forward ) and will go to line 2 and be able to be picked up.

Let's see if I understand you correctly. You want to lift the handset and automatically have it pick up line 1 to make an outside call but it's picking up your last phone line first (example: line 8 if you have 8 lines) This feature cannot usually be changed unless you restrict what lines the specific phone is allowed to use. This is because there is always a chance that a call is coming in but it has not had a chance to ring yet. In an office environment where people are constantly using the phones people would end up answering calls more than you think before the call had a chance to ring. The phone system would think the line is still free. Systems are set up to use the last available line to drastically reduce the chance of that happening.