Who likes landline vintage phones?

itguyinaction

Hi,

There are not too many forums about old wires phones... Is that that noone is interested in them or is there any other reason?

 

Let me also to invite you for a short video about one vintage phone:

 

EN Rum go with Narcyz 270 phone repair (landline telephone produced by Telkom RWT)

*** A somewhat surprising repair of the Narcyz 270 (Narcissus 270) wired telephone. At the same time, you can see how such devices looked like inside and learn a bit about how they worked. Do you want to come back to the 80's for a while? Welcome! ***

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLzEAD7Qcuo

Freddie Mcinerney

Reason why pay for both. Now you can get Internet without having a landline.

itguyinaction

Yeah but I don't mean practical everyday approach. I mean some being collector approach. Different people collect different things. However it looks like that vintage phones are not too popular among collectors...

Ger Roe

My 25 yr old son recently fledged the nest and moved to his new home. I gave him his grandparents first home phone - a 1978 rotary Dial northern Telecom model. As a self confessed tech hoarder, I had kept it myself and on doing a bit of basic rewire to put an RJ11 plug on it, I was amazed to find that modern exchanges can still process break loop dialing and so the phone has a practical use.

He has his broadband incoming on copper pair (FTTC) and so for a pittance payment he also has a landline with unlimited national calls. He uses the phone as a novelty conversation piece for visitors but also to call back home and keep in touch. Sometimes even though you have video internet capability, it is nice to have a nostalgic option. Particularly when it has a strong sense of family history attached - and the old style physical two bell ring still has a quality that no musical ringtone can match.

whisky_galore

Have an old phone with the A+B button coinbox.

And an entire phone kiosk, phone book desk, dialling instructions, requires some assembly though.

HeidiHeidi

I still have the old black A/B phone from my family home, which we had to swap out for the brown/cream updated one.

Nearly everyone who comes into the house says "oh, the phone!!!!" , followed by "does it still work???".

Sadly it's not connected to anything, I wish I could connect it but I presume it's not possible (never actually properly investigated it).

ETA - no idea how to straighten that up!!

Tabnabs

We have an old 1930s Danish rotary phone that has been updated to work on the modern system. Sound quality is poor and the receiver is heavy, but that's all part of the experience, I guess.

Of course now we've ditched the landline and it's just an ornament in the hall...

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118147048#Comment_118147048

If the phone still functions, it is possible to connect it to a line. As my experience has shown, the exchanges are still able to process break loop dialing. I have heard people assume that they don't, but I have checked my phone on three different area exchanges in Dublin, Wicklow and Offaly and they still do.

itguyinaction

Yeah, impulse dialing is still being accepted by most exchanges.

Moreover I'm so happy I've started the subject which brings so many emotions and memories. :)

Esel

It's called Pulse Dialling (as opposed to Tone Dialling).

Sam Russell

I have a very old rotary dial phone (probably 1950 bakelite job) but the carbon mike is missing. It was taken out as it was not working but has been lost since.

Where can I get replacement or a circuit for an electret type microphone?

MrMusician18

Worth noting that pstn phone networks are being switched off in Ireland from September 2023 and the entire network will be voip by 2025.

Old rotary phones (and touch tone ones as well) will need adaption in order to continue working.

Sam Russell

I did not know PTSN was being switched off.

I also have an old switchboard that can handle ten extensions and I think two exchange lines. It can handle DTMF and pulse dialling.

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121115446#Comment_121115446

Any idea what adapter device will be required?. I have a rotary dial phone that I would like to keep operating.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121117420#Comment_121117420

https://www.dialgizmo.com/buy_online.html or similar. Basically pulse dialling still works on most exchanges even though I'm fairly sure Eir would not officially support it in any way, and very very few ATA (analogue to IP adapters) support it. So you will need a pulse to DTMF adapter before an ATA in most cases.

SajanZayn

 Looking forward to taking a trip down memory lane with your video.

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121235288#Comment_121235288

That's an interesting yoke alright, thanks. The rotary pulse dial phone I have is still working and I have checked it in various locations around the country. The pulse to tone converter would be a good way of keeping it operating when pstn is finally closed down.

Shakyfan

Had to buy a new phone a couple of years back and found this one in Argos!

stylers

Not sure if there's another boards thread on vintage P&T / Telecom Eireann / Eircom stuff but does anyone know where one would find a good technical history of the Irish phone networks and exchanges etc. ? books / articles etc. There's probably a lot of older people out there who worked for the P&T in technical roles, but has anyone ever condensed their knowledge ? Or even the current fiber network.. who knows how it's all put together now ? When the POTs network is finally killed off soon, it'll probably be all pulled out and with it will go the knowledge and history..

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122485950#Comment_122485950

This is a great read…. in the true geek sense.

https://www.dubraybooks.ie/product/connecting-a-nation-pb-9781910820872

The Ging and I

I have a working white Erricksons bakelite from 1960s.

stylers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122486424#Comment_122486424

Many thanks Ger, will check that out.. they are out of stock currently but I'm sure there's probably a copy knocking about somewhere !

CalamariFritti

Fritzboxes like the 7530 which have been traditionally routers as well as mini home phone switches still have an RJ11 a/b port which will support pulse dialling. Now I haven't actually tried that but I'm 99% sure that port can be mapped to your VOIP 'landline'. So if you're into your retro/nostalgia phones they can be kept alive like that.

Shakyfan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122500494#Comment_122500494

Presuming this is the same book (the previous link isn't showing anything for me!). A couple of copies for sale…. https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?cm_sp=SearchF--home--Results&ref_=search_f_hp&sts=t&tn=Connecting%20A%20Nation

cml387

I worked for a communications equipment company in the midlands during the eighties. We made the "Shannon" push button phone and other electronic circuit cards for telephone exchanges. It was a busy time because of the Great Leap Forward that was required to upgrade the antiquated phone system.

For example, direct dial to the UK was only introduced to some exchanges in 1983. Major work was required in all the exchanges to swap out the old Strowger gear. The big advantage we had was that we could in some cases go straight from the Strowger to fully electronic (an intermediate mechanical design was the crossbar switch).

stylers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122515893#Comment_122515893

nothing showing up there now but have managed to find a copy on Amazon - be quick there's only two left now ! thanks for the leads folks..

stylers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122528826#Comment_122528826

Ericssons ? I'd say it was busy.. could imagine it was a huge advantage going direct from Strowger to fully electronic as there was no other stuff that was done in between to also figure out..

Strumms

my Dad has a couple of Bakelite phones one from the very early 1980’s. One of the above, same colour I think there were Ericsson or maybe Siemens ? Also another one dating back to the TE days….

This in white…. Sound was shît I recall, always a hissing on the line..

D8 boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122486424#Comment_122486424

Just discovered this thread. Thanks for mentioning my book @Ger Roe !

D8 boy

@stylers - did you manage to order a copy ? If not, Kenny's have it: https://www.kennys.ie/shop/Connecting-a-Nation-The-story-of-telecommunications-in-Ireland-Fay-Deryck
If you live in Dublin, Hodges Figgis have it in store.