Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Switching => VOIP, Asterisk, C*NET, NPSTN, XLink, etc => Topic started by: Phonegal on December 16, 2020, 01:35:24 PM

Title: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: Phonegal on December 16, 2020, 01:35:24 PM
I find myself forced to switch from my longtime traditional telephone line to voice-over internet, which is digital of course. As we know, old rotary dial phones won't work with a digital line unless there's an adapter. I've been looking at (Cisco) AT adapters and, in addition, another adapter to convert pulse to tone dialing. I would welcome any suggestions anyone might have or directions to a thread about this topic. Thanks and good holidays to all - and STAY SAFE.
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: phonium on December 16, 2020, 01:46:43 PM
I dont have a landline myself, but from what others have said rotatone is a good one
https://www.oldphoneworks.com/rotatone-pulse-to-tone-converter.html
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: RB on December 16, 2020, 01:59:40 PM
I use an omi.
works well, and accepts rotary dialing
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: LarryInMichigan on December 16, 2020, 02:34:48 PM
I am using Ooma phone service and a DialGizmo pulse-to-tone converter.  I am not thrilled with the Ooma service.  It lacks a number of features which it really should have, calls are often suddenly disconnected, and there is a serious latency in the sound (which is probably mostly Comcast's fault).  Also, the Telo box that it uses barely provides enough ringing current to ring two ringers.  The DialGizmo mostly works well, but it is necessary to pause between dialing digits, it often generates tones on slight voltage glitches on the line, and the '*' and '#' dialing do not work.

Larry
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: Stormcrash on December 16, 2020, 05:02:15 PM
The Grandstream HT802 ATA supports pulse to tone conversion. Several people I know are quite happy with it and use it with Voip.ms as their service provider.

For myself my current setup is an Obi200 with google voice as my service provider. The Obi doesn't do pulse so I'm using a Panasonic KX-TA824 Hybrid PBX (which does do pulse to tone) as my home phone system with the Obi as the outside line.

Have you already made the swtich or are you just starting to look?
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: shadow67 on December 17, 2020, 09:52:33 AM
I have used an X Link BTTN to good affect in order to use a rotary phone on VoIP service. Good luck.
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: MMikeJBenN27 on December 18, 2020, 06:18:42 AM
Hope they don't force me to go to VOIP.
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: Jim Stettler on December 19, 2020, 01:46:23 AM
Quote from: Phonegal on December 16, 2020, 01:35:24 PM
I find myself forced to switch from my longtime traditional telephone line to voice-over internet, which is digital of course. As we know, old rotary dial phones won't work with a digital line unless there's an adapter. I've been looking at (Cisco) AT adapters and, in addition, another adapter to convert pulse to tone dialing. I would welcome any suggestions anyone might have or directions to a thread about this topic. Thanks and good holidays to all - and STAY SAFE.

An x-link  will blue tooth your rotary to your cell phone for around $100.

A panasonic  hybrid pbx  like a 616 can be a home phone system with intercom that also supports rotary.

for your first phone go x-link, Later you can get a small pbx and still use the x link as an outside line.
Search x-link and panasonic 616 for overviews,
Jim
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: markosjal on December 20, 2020, 10:20:13 PM
better yet use asterisk and UT Starcom IAN-02EX ATAs , connect it to Google Voice by way of a Obi200 and you have it all
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: Marco99 on February 04, 2021, 02:58:06 PM
 My experience with numerous ATA's and classic phones hasn't been great.
Most phones have a low transmit level (people I call complain of low volume from me). I have other modern phones connected to same ATA and the volume is OK.
Does anyone have a similar experience?
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: markosjal on February 04, 2021, 07:09:14 PM
Quote from: Marco99 on February 04, 2021, 02:58:06 PM
My experience with numerous ATA's and classic phones hasn't been great.
Most phones have a low transmit level (people I call complain of low volume from me). I have other modern phones connected to same ATA and the volume is OK.
Does anyone have a similar experience?

Marco99,

Regarding low transmit levels.....
Most ATAs have a transmit gain adjustment (except Ooma) , so this is a non issue. More than likely you have some mics with packed carbon granules. My suggestion is always use an Automatic Electric phone for a reference transmit gain, as it is less likely to suffer from packed carbon granules.

Also carbon mics do not produce the same quality as other mics and there are direct drop in replacements that emulate carbon mics.

Transmit volume is something i check on most any phone but especially on Western Electrics!  I have seen the same issue on Ericcssons and Indetels (ATT Own a phone , Viva) as well

I have more low volume mic modules than I can count . It is sad when I have  a phone where all parts show '57 as the year but then I need to replace the mic with a non '57
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: Marco99 on February 04, 2021, 11:57:24 PM
markosjal

Yes, the ATA's I have allow TX gain adjustment but this isn't a good solution when using other phones connected to the ATA that don't need the extra gain.

The drop in replacement sounds like a better solution for me, can you recommend one for a 500 set?
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: markosjal on February 05, 2021, 01:49:06 AM
Marco99 ,

Check out the following threads:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=15950.0
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=23321.0

there are many users on C*Net and NPSTN using ATAs with old phones.
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: Marco99 on February 15, 2021, 12:06:45 AM
Thanks, I think the EMS-94 might work for me

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=19704.msg214856#msg214856
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: Babybearjs on February 15, 2021, 04:07:45 PM
I refuse to chgange! I went with cable VOIP service 3 years back only to discover the cable modem could not be adjusted to drop the line voltage after a call was abandoned and my KSU used to get locked into a false hold cycle. I had to add a reset putton to the phone line in order to get the line to reset, used to hate it as it had to be done manually.... I went back over to a analog phone line as I don't need super fast internet and the cable company didn't have the features that Centurylink Telecom offers. One being the NO SOLICITATION announcement which comes in extremely handy for robo calls and other nonesence phone calls. Sparklink just can't offer these options.... so, since the price was no different, I switched back.... alawys be sure to examine the prices between prividers.... most of the time you package deals are the same.... its thge taxes that are the hard part.... cable doesn't charge so much....
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: markosjal on February 16, 2021, 12:55:54 AM
Quote from: Babybearjs on February 15, 2021, 04:07:45 PM
I refuse to chgange! I went with cable VOIP service 3 years back only to discover the cable modem could not be adjusted to drop the line voltage after a call was abandoned and my KSU used to get locked into a false hold cycle. I had to add a reset putton to the phone line in order to get the line to reset, used to hate it as it had to be done manually.... I went back over to a analog phone line as I don't need super fast internet and the cable company didn't have the features that Centurylink Telecom offers. One being the NO SOLICITATION announcement which comes in extremely handy for robo calls and other nonesence phone calls. Sparklink just can't offer these options.... so, since the price was no different, I switched back.... alawys be sure to examine the prices between prividers.... most of the time you package deals are the same.... its thge taxes that are the hard part.... cable doesn't charge so much....

As is often the case when dealing with service provider hardware. Forget that route get your own hardware and a provider . You can select the features you need in the hardware, and the plans from the provider. You can use polarity reversal and the like on most ATAs to ensure proper call disconnection. If however the device comes from the provider you probably do not have access to those settings, they will be locked down
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: Babybearjs on February 16, 2021, 03:06:11 PM
on the cable modem, that was the problem. I didn't kjnow at the time how to set the unit and there were certain settings that were locked.  I was really disappointed because I wanted to buy the modem, but Cableone want way too much for it and after I lost my roommate, I went ahead and changed back to centurylink. at least I know their system works with mine, so its compatable. I bought my DSL modem so thats mine now, and I understand how to change the features on it.... Plus, the phone companies system is self resetting.... so when a call gets abandoned, the system just times out....
Title: Re: Analog Telephone Adapters
Post by: markosjal on February 24, 2021, 07:02:34 PM
babybearjs

Please give me a call at +15034897870 That is NOT Centurylink that you hear(But I now have the centurylink recordings to make it sound exactly like Centrurylink.) , but it does the same thing. Additionally I can use NoMoRobo and other solutions together with it.

That is a Raspberry Pi running Asterisk that make and receives calls via an obi202 connecting to a free google Voice account. Monthly Cost = $1 for 911 nothing more

Also I can use ANY ATA that I choose for connecting phones so I can use a pulse compatible ATA where necessary.

And BTW much like my brother's Centurlink Copper line once you start having issues they will never fix it. You will get sales pitch and special offers for Fiber while they dink around with it as their current techs have no idea how to fix it.  My brother is years into his woes now and finally is starting to believe that I can do just like Centrylink does with the anti spam, and in fact better.

Here is also why my own anti spam is better

Here are some "old school" prefixes in the Portland area
(503)22X
(503)77[1457]
(503)66[1345679]

Any old school prefix on my system is pre-authorized. Why? Because Spam and robo calls almost never use these old school prefixes. I can also choose to whitelist your number a range of numbers or area code and prefix, just as I have many Old school numbers from much of Oregon and SW Washington.


I have ONE number that I give to people that is a google voice number that I can rout to the Google Voice App and other numbers as much as I want . Answering on Obi device gives me high quality VoIP quality and answering on Google Voice App gives me digital Cell voice quality. Of course calls routed to PSTN numbers do suffer higher latency and more likely to have quality issues.

WHen on a trip on my cell if I do not want to be bothered with calls no problem I disable forwarding to the mobile app.

Soon I will be porting my brothers line for him (as I did with an Aunt and uncle recently) to Google Voice

Only issue I have with Google Voice uis the dicey delivery of caller ID name which sometimes works but often does not. The numbers are there yes names no but apparently Obi is selling a service to overcome this and most likely it is Obi blocking name delivery.