Rotary phones

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NiteWulf

Golden Member
Jan 3, 2003
1,112
1
0
I remember a few years ago some talk about everyone in Michigan having to get a touch-tone phone because the rotarys would no longer work with the phone network or some such.

Maybe it was just Ameritech, maybe it was something else... but it happened, I tells ya!
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
My parents do. I couldn't understand why, but I think it's because they got it right after they got married. They still use it a lot too... Best part is that it keeps working if the power goes out, unlike cordless models.

They have touch tone phone like that too....Bell Princess model FTW though :)

Dialing is still pulse based in it's depths. The basis behind the red box in phone phreaking was a nickel played a sound, a dime the sound twice and a quarter 5 times. The payphone just checked for at least one coin physically in place sometimes. The trick was not to throw down 50 quarters in 20 seconds and get an Operator on your a$$.

I have a little coin chute I can attach to the phone, I am applying for a patent on it; may have got Ms. Bell Hell off your tail. ;)

 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: FatJackSprat
Why do all automated answering systems still ask you to stay on the line if you have a rotary phone? I guess know why they do it, my real question is how many people still have them.

Actually they don't...the current solution is after 3 or so missed responses they direct you to an op. Unfortunately some decide it's just better to disconnect you.
 

boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
18,883
641
126
There will always be rotary phones.

When theyr'e gone, how will my phone company (Verizon) justify my paying $2 a month for "touch tone access". Oh wait, they'll just roll it into the bill.

I'm not kidding, I pay extra for the service.
 

marvdmartian

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2002
5,442
27
91
Hey, if you want a rotary phone, check the touch tone phone you probably have in your house. A lot of them still have the switch on the bottom to choose between rotary & touch tone, and it's highly likely your phone system will still take the rotary signal.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrup! Dadadadadadadada!! Man, I can still remember the sound of real rotary dial phones, when you'd dial them. Took a minute to dial a long distance number!! ;)
 

boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
18,883
641
126
Originally posted by: marvdmartian
Hey, if you want a rotary phone, check the touch tone phone you probably have in your house. A lot of them still have the switch on the bottom to choose between rotary & touch tone, and it's highly likely your phone system will still take the rotary signal.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrup! Dadadadadadadada!! Man, I can still remember the sound of real rotary dial phones, when you'd dial them. Took a minute to dial a long distance number!! ;)
Some still do, but I just can't force myself to wait that long anymore. Yes, I'm paying it willingly. Doesn't mean I like it though! ;)
 

jersiq

Senior member
May 18, 2005
887
1
0
Originally posted by: marvdmartian
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrup! Dadadadadadadada!! Man, I can still remember the sound of real rotary dial phones, when you'd dial them. Took a minute to dial a long distance number!! ;)

It was even better when you got to the second to last number, and misdialed.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: MichaelD
Originally posted by: Rob9874
I think you'd be surprised at how many people in rural areas still live in the past. My ex-wife's aunt just got indoor plumbing 4 years ago. They live in rural PA, and used an outhouse till 2002. So rotary phones are probably very common there.

OMFG...hicks much? Rotary phone, I can understand, but OUTHOUSE? No indoor plumbing? They grow or hunt all their own food too, I'll bet.

I'm all for camping and using an outhouse at a hunting shack...but damn...

I'm going to guess... Appalachia
 

Midlander

Platinum Member
Dec 21, 2002
2,456
1
0
I still have one in my basement. I don't dial with it, but if the phone rings when I'm down there, at least I have a good phone to answer. :beer:
 

boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
18,883
641
126
Who here remembers party lines? This'll seperate the whiskered from the peach fuzzed.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: marvdmartian
Hey, if you want a rotary phone, check the touch tone phone you probably have in your house. A lot of them still have the switch on the bottom to choose between rotary & touch tone, and it's highly likely your phone system will still take the rotary signal.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrup! Dadadadadadadada!! Man, I can still remember the sound of real rotary dial phones, when you'd dial them. Took a minute to dial a long distance number!! ;)

yep. My beloved hardline with a White Westinghouse phone sitting in front of me confirms it.

You can take that kind of voice quality from my cold dead hands.
 

McCarthy

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,567
0
76
Originally posted by: boomerang
There will always be rotary phones.

When theyr'e gone, how will my phone company (Verizon) justify my paying $2 a month for "touch tone access". Oh wait, they'll just roll it into the bill.

I'm not kidding, I pay extra for the service.

A lot of phone companies have that charge. Why people pay it is the odd part, especially people who very rarely make outgoing calls with their home phones. Most every phone I've run across can be set to work with pulse dialing.

Back when I still had a land line I canceled the touch tone dialing. Ended up costing me maybe 30 seconds a month in extended dialing time - so that two bucks was $240 hourly rate for touch tone! :)
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: boomerang
Who here remembers party lines? This'll seperate the whiskered from the peach fuzzed.

Like 1-900-Meet-???

If your are talking shared phone lines then your are separating the bald and crippled from the whiskered :)

I loved phone bridges though in the 80's and 90's.

 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: McCarthy
Originally posted by: boomerang
There will always be rotary phones.

When theyr'e gone, how will my phone company (Verizon) justify my paying $2 a month for "touch tone access". Oh wait, they'll just roll it into the bill.

I'm not kidding, I pay extra for the service.

A lot of phone companies have that charge. Why people pay it is the odd part, especially people who very rarely make outgoing calls with their home phones. Most every phone I've run across can be set to work with pulse dialing.

Back when I still had a land line I canceled the touch tone dialing. Ended up costing me maybe 30 seconds a month in extended dialing time - so that two bucks was $240 hourly rate for touch tone! :)

I only had Calc II and Matrix theory...how does $2 extra per month for 30 secs additional time add up to a $240 hourly rate.

cleaning up head assplodes here. The paper towel does nothing.
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
36
91
I still have a rotary phone for a home phone.

My rotary phone:

- Has no static at all
- Has better sound quality than any cordless phone I've ever used
- Is built like a brick
- Still works

The last one is the big one. Why would I replace something that still works?

ZV
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I still have a rotary phone for a home phone.

My rotary phone:

- Has no static at all
- Has better sound quality than any cordless phone I've ever used
- Is built like a brick
- Still works

The last one is the big one. Why would I replace something that still works?

ZV

then why have more than one car.

Seriously, my landline is only used to call overseas. She wants cordless. If you have a cheap cordless phone you will have problems...current ones are just as good esp considering you are probably at a distance that 25' cord you bought is stretching.

My cordless has been dropped by myself and my cats several times. Works fine.

 

ebaycj

Diamond Member
Mar 9, 2002
5,418
0
0
Originally posted by: SonnyDaze
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
My parents do. I couldn't understand why, but I think it's because they got it right after they got married. They still use it a lot too... Best part is that it keeps working if the power goes out, unlike cordless models.

:confused: This comes as a surprise to you?


One small UPS will run a cordless phone for weeks. (The smallest one they make for a computer, prolly around 300VA.)
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: ebaycj
One small UPS will run a cordless phone for weeks. (The smallest one they make for a computer, prolly around 300VA.)

Or they can not have that clutter and have a hardwire. Plus the battery in the UPS will be dead quickly.

I'll take my phonecalling hardline quality superb never down service thanks.
 

McCarthy

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,567
0
76
Originally posted by: alkemyst
I only had Calc II and Matrix theory...how does $2 extra per month for 30 secs additional time add up to a $240 hourly rate.

cleaning up head assplodes here. The paper towel does nothing.

I'm saying that even though it's a time wasting inconvenience, paying $2 to save thirty seconds over the course of a month only makes sense if I value my time at that rate. I was also trying to illustrate that while it's just two bucks it's a feature that is exceedingly pricey for the value it offers. (of course it depends how many calls you make, how many seconds per call you waste which will vary by your dialing pattern, etc)

Originally posted by: ebaycj
One small UPS will run a cordless phone for weeks. (The smallest one they make for a computer, prolly around 300VA.)

Not that long, but the actual time doesn't matter since I'd turn the UPS off long before to get it to stop beeping.
 

ebaycj

Diamond Member
Mar 9, 2002
5,418
0
0
Originally posted by: alkemyst
Originally posted by: McCarthy
Originally posted by: boomerang
There will always be rotary phones.

When theyr'e gone, how will my phone company (Verizon) justify my paying $2 a month for "touch tone access". Oh wait, they'll just roll it into the bill.

I'm not kidding, I pay extra for the service.

A lot of phone companies have that charge. Why people pay it is the odd part, especially people who very rarely make outgoing calls with their home phones. Most every phone I've run across can be set to work with pulse dialing.

Back when I still had a land line I canceled the touch tone dialing. Ended up costing me maybe 30 seconds a month in extended dialing time - so that two bucks was $240 hourly rate for touch tone! :)

I only had Calc II and Matrix theory...how does $2 extra per month for 30 secs additional time add up to a $240 hourly rate.

cleaning up head assplodes here. The paper towel does nothing.


$2 * 2 (30-second blocks in a minute) * 60 minutes per hour.

$2 * 2 * 60 = $240

Was it really that tough?
 

knightc2

Golden Member
Jul 2, 2001
1,461
0
0
Originally posted by: spidey07
Not all phone switches may have been upgraded to tone dialing.

I'm sure there are some out there.

If you want to learn something really neat, look up on how rotary dialing worked in the central offices of the phone network. Amazing really. What's even more amazing is it is exactly how the internet works today, same concept.

My Mom still has rotary service and she also has DSL. Go figure.

Who here remembers party lines? This'll seperate the whiskered from the peach fuzzed.

One of my friends had one growing up. I hated it. We always had to wait to use the phone until the ladies were all done with the daily gossip.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: ebaycj
One small UPS will run a cordless phone for weeks. (The smallest one they make for a computer, prolly around 300VA.)

Or they can not have that clutter and have a hardwire. Plus the battery in the UPS will be dead quickly.

I'll take my phonecalling hardline quality superb never down service thanks.

Seriously you must not be in any hurricance or disaster area.

Wireless/Cordless does need a wired access point somewhere.

If your trunk has been funked, then you are not making outgoing calls unless you have a sat-phone.





 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Phones I'd like to see:
1) Cordless rotary phone
2) Rotary cell phone :D

there are cordless phones with pulse dialing. The rotary dial is not needed.

cell phone technology is different...however; I am sure a rotary cell would sell some for shock value.