News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

How many of you actually use your antique phones?

Started by BDM, September 21, 2008, 04:19:03 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

So, how many are actually using their phones?

I have no modern phones
several at any given moment
Maybe one hooked up, when I'm in the mood
Hardly ever. Besides, they scare the kids
Heck no! Are you kidding? Display only!!

19and41

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

KaiserFrazer67

Newbie here, responding to the topic with my 2 cents:

I use all of my vintage phones on a regular basis and prefer them to my modern cordless/electronic phones.  What I have working right now are two beige AE 80s, a white AE 90, a black WE 302 with aftermarket chrome handset bands, fingerwheel and dial card ring, a Leich 901 from OldPhoneWorks with an AE dial, and a black WE 554 in the basement.  Current project phone is a black AE 50 which does work, but needs some mild cosmetic attention and diagnosis of a crackling/hissing noise (possible receiver/transmitter element issues?) not present in any of my other phones.  The AE 50 I plan to deck out with brass handset caps, fingerwheel, dial card ring, and finger stop.  I also plan to fit it with a Rotatone unit.  This one is going in my foyer when it's finished and will be my showpiece (my house is an older Victorian-style house with a LOT of oak woodwork, including the entire staircase, so it will look great where I intend to put it).

On the way from OldPhoneWorks is a black metal-body Kellogg Redbar which will have a Rotatone unit.  I have also invested in a Dialgizmo which is still on the way from Australia, for phones which don't have the Rotatone.

I've actually turned off all the ringers on the electronic phones--the bells are SO much nicer.   8)  Brings back a lot of childhood memories.  The electronic phones are basically for screening calls, taking messages and checking caller ID/call waiting when I get a call; I almost never talk on them unless I have to go somewhere in the house (or yard) where there isn't a phone.  The sound quality on some of the older phones is better anyway, and some people claim that they can hear me better on the older ones!  I'm in the process of finding some caller ID/call waiting units online to which I can hook up my rotary phones so I can just look right here on my desk to see who's calling rather than get up and run to another room!  ::)  It's hard to find some of the old caller ID/call waiting boxes, and even harder to find one that actually works--I've had to return one, and had another order cancelled because the lady selling them didn't realize she was out of stock...  :P

I do have a Crosley retro wood wall phone in the garage, with the cheesy fake bells, crank, and touch-tone "rotary" dial.  The only reason it's out there is because the garage is uninsulated and unheated, and the phone has shown to be relatively unaffected by our Wisconsin climate.  I'm not sure how well a regular household rotary dial phone would withstand the winter cold and humid summers we have here.  :-\  Might have to invest in an old pay phone for the garage; those were made for outdoor use, so I know those'll hold up! :D
-Tom from Oakfield, Wisconsin --  My CO CLLI & switch: OKFDWIXADS0--GTD-5 EAX

"Problems are merely opportunities in workclothes." -Henry J. Kaiser

jsowers

Quote from: KaiserFrazer67 on February 28, 2017, 02:35:13 AM
I do have a Crosley retro wood wall phone in the garage, with the cheesy fake bells, crank, and touch-tone "rotary" dial.  The only reason it's out there is because the garage is uninsulated and unheated, and the phone has shown to be relatively unaffected by our Wisconsin climate.  I'm not sure how well a regular household rotary dial phone would withstand the winter cold and humid summers we have here.  :-\  Might have to invest in an old pay phone for the garage; those were made for outdoor use, so I know those'll hold up! :D

I've had an S-C 554 from around 1980 in my garage on the wall for 32 years with no problems yet. It's next to my back door. It wasn't "vintage" when I installed it there, but it is now. It's a phone that was once leased by my local telco, an independent. The sticker is still on it. I got the phone at a yard sale. I hope the original owners bought the phone, but I can't be sure. All I ever did to it was replace the noisy handset cord, and that was done at installation. As long as your garage phone is in a protected place, so rain doesn't hit it, a 554 should be fine.

In NC we have very humid summers, but our winters are not as cold and I don't think it gets much below freezing in my garage over the winter.

Your AE50 reminds me of my grandmother, who had one from about 1955 to 1988. It had to be replaced when they did away with party lines since it had a frequency ringer. I have one in my collection and it reminded the man who fixed my dishwasher of his grandmother too. They're a very unique design and to everyone in my family that is "granny's phone." I even found a spitcup assembly to put on the handset, like hers had.
Jonathan

19and41

Where I work, there are hundreds of t/t phones in service in quite exposed and spartan areas.  The oldest started service in the early to mid '70s.  I am always surprised that they actually work.  They are ITT labeled phones.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

KaiserFrazer67

Quote from: jsowers on February 28, 2017, 12:35:14 PM
I've had an S-C 554 from around 1980 in my garage on the wall for 32 years with no problems yet. It's next to my back door. It wasn't "vintage" when I installed it there, but it is now. It's a phone that was once leased by my local telco, an independent. The sticker is still on it. I got the phone at a yard sale. I hope the original owners bought the phone, but I can't be sure. All I ever did to it was replace the noisy handset cord, and that was done at installation. As long as your garage phone is in a protected place, so rain doesn't hit it, a 554 should be fine.

In NC we have very humid summers, but our winters are not as cold and I don't think it gets much below freezing in my garage over the winter.

Your AE50 reminds me of my grandmother, who had one from about 1955 to 1988. It had to be replaced when they did away with party lines since it had a frequency ringer. I have one in my collection and it reminded the man who fixed my dishwasher of his grandmother too. They're a very unique design and to everyone in my family that is "granny's phone." I even found a spitcup assembly to put on the handset, like hers had.

It can easily get down to -15 to -20 ℉ here in Wisconsin (NOT including wind chill!) and has once this winter already.  Usually it stays below freezing from late December until about now, when it alternates between the 20's and mid-30's ℉.  I have a large old 12" Telechron industrial wall clock with the "art deco" numbers on it hanging in the garage...  it usually loses some time over the winter due to the cold.  I've actually heard it squeal a bit on really cold nights (it doesn't seem to like anything below about +10 ℉, so yeah... not sure what really cold temps would do to a 554 dial's performance, let alone the receiver/transmitter units).  I do have a couple extra WE 554s and had been toying with putting one up in the garage.  Thankfully, the garage is a newer construction (1997) and it is very nice and dry in there.  I may try a 554 in the garage.  Thanks!
-Tom from Oakfield, Wisconsin --  My CO CLLI & switch: OKFDWIXADS0--GTD-5 EAX

"Problems are merely opportunities in workclothes." -Henry J. Kaiser

DARK FATHER

I use almost ALL of mine.  NE Galion, 1934 WE 202, and 1957 WE 500.

HarrySmith

Quote from: DARK FATHER on August 11, 2017, 05:42:23 PM
I use almost ALL of mine.  NE Galion, 1934 WE 202, and 1957 WE 500.

No picture?? Please no external links! Add pictures directly to your post.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

ThePillenwerfer

#292
I use mine as I simply don't like modern 'phones: light-weight things with handsets that are hard to jam against your shoulder, buttons and ringers that make a hideous noise.  In fact I contracted phonitis by fixing up ones to use. 

The newest telephone I've got is from 1992 so I don't think any qualify as "Modern."  That was only connected for use with automatic switchboards where you need to use DTMF to select options or to use on my VOIP line.  As I've now fitted tone converters in a couple of my old ones that no longer applies.

Currently plugged in are two 232s (though neither of them started life as such and also have tone converters), a 332, two 746s (one with tone converter), an early '80s Ericofon and an ATE N1882 — which is basically a 706 without the regulator.  In addition there's a 1936 Bell 1A that rings on the VOIP line.

Contempra

I always use my old phones ..I've never loved the new phones at all, i have no modern phone and i just have a landline that i use with my orange Contempra 1976 .( I have 7 Contempra now ) i like my old 302 NE too . So, if i don't use my old phones, I don't use them at all ;) Have a great day guys ;) I don't write often but I often look at the forum to see what new and new members are doing with their old phones . :)

MMikeJBenN27

We use a 354 in the kitchen, a 5302 in the bedroom, and the 202 Imperial in the back room all the time, as they are our everyday phones.  We don't have any Japanese phones in our house.  They work perfectly.  We also have a 2500 Touch Tone in the living room for those times when they hang up if you don't press this and press that and press here and press there.

Bill Cahill

 :)  I have one working modern phone for computers, 2 500's on line, one I'd like to get on line, and, two antiques I'd like to get connected, but, they have rotted wires, and,   I need adapters to modular, so I can use them. And, I also prefer the real bells.
Bill Cahill

"My friends used to keep saying I had batts in my belfry. No. I'm just hearing bells....."

dlvh

Out of the 10 or so WE 500 model phones that I have, 3 are hooked up and working throughout the house. We have 2 in our bedroom, and one in my office. It is so nice to hear those Real bells ring when a call comes in.

kb3pxr

After having all of my vintage phones disconnected since 2013, I finally was able to find my best 2500 set and hook it up to my Vonage service replacing a rather high end Panasonic corded phone. This however, is just the beginning.

I am currently installing a FreePBX (Asterisk) system with HT502 ATAs, however I can just as easily install the latest Video phones.

As most VoIP using members realize, the HT502 is known for its' compatibility with US rotary dials and bells by default. However, the only reason I selected the HT502 model was the ability to purchase refurbished units inexpensively. Later models will support the same phones with a firmware update.

Once installation is finalized with the bedroom extension, I will be able to place, answer, park, or transfer calls from either my WE 2500 desk phone or from a Rotary Trimline in my bedroom. In addition I will be able to use my fax machine with a dedicated number without tying up my voice line. In the end, with my limited usage, I will actually be paying less than what I'm paying on a promotional rate with Vonage.

Also remember using a rotary phone on VoIP regardless of method (pulse to tone converter, or native pulse decoding) you have the equal of a 1500 type (10 key touch tone) set. A rotary phone will work with any automated service you call as long as you don't need the # or * keys.

RotarDad

HT 502 question:  Will a used one from Ebay (with power supply) be plug and play to connect a rotary phone to my Comcast cable gateway?   Or will I need to do some configuring using a PC?

I haven't been using my old rotarys on the outside line, but this looks like a cheap, easy solution.  I do have a Panasonic 616 that I use for internal phone use, but I thought the HT 502 would be an easy connect to the outside line.....  Thanks for any "tech support"!!
Paul

compubit

Paul -

As long as the HT-502 isn't locked to a carrier and has the generic firmware, it should work.

If you are connecting it to one of the outgoing lines on the 616, then any ATA should work, as I believe the 616 converts all pulse to tone on the outgoing lines.

I've received a new HT-802 (unlocked), but haven't gotten it hooked up, as my internet at home is down, and I'm stuck with checking things on the guest network at work...

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!