My cordless phone is HISTORY.

[Bill Cahill]

Got tired of dead batteries, tinny sound, lost signals, low volume, etc., so, today I pulled out my case dammaged  1972 WE White 500 dial phone on a 25' cord, and, checked it out. Hard wired, still fairly good quality parts. Someone had wired  a modular adaptor onto the heavy round white line cord. I tried phone. At first, bell wouldn't ring.
Connected yel wire to green wire in plug. Presto!
Bell works, and, phone works great!
I'm using this in living room.
I tried one of my new little beepers I bought from England. Tried it on that phone Calling Dan Panther. Worked just fine.
So, no more cordless phones for me.
I just love the sound of real telephone bells ringing!
Man, it's great!
Bill Cahill

[Dan]

CONGRATS, Bill. I have one left in the house, but it is getting little use, but is part of an answering machine combo. Some day I will be more like you. I have the tone dialer too and use it from time to time.

[AET]

Good for you Bill, once I have my own place, I want to do this too.  I may just keep a 2500 for touch-tone, maybe.  Otherwise, a rotary phone in every room of the house, maybe even a 554 in the bathroom!  Now that's classy!

[bingster]

CONGRATS, Bill. I have one left in the house, but it is getting little use, but is part of an answering machine combo.

I'm in the exact same boat, Dan.   One cordless left, only because it's got the answering machine.  It's rarely used. 

[Ellen]

a 554 in the bathroom! 

No phones in my bathroom, thanks.  That's what the answering machine is for.  There is a time and place for everything!

[Bill Cahill]

  I don't know... Great place to sit, and, shoot the er,, Oh, well.
You know what I mean. 

I'm putting a black dial wall phone in my one repair shop, and, another wall phone in dinning room.
Living room now has the white  dial phone.
Yellow wall phone is in the kitchen.
Not sure what to put in blue bathroom.
Hmm. Maybe the cordless phne until it quits?
Bill Cahill

[HobieSport]

Yellow wall phone is in the kitchen.
Not sure what to put in blue bathroom.
Hmm. Maybe the cordless phone until it quits?

Hey Bill, how does your 1950s kitchen look with the '64 yellow 554?  Got pictures?
And did you find a handset cord for it?

I like the idea of the cordless phone in the bathroom.  When it quits there is a convenient receptacle to deposit it in...

[Bill Cahill]

Not ready for a snapshot yet.
Still having a terrible time finding a longer cord for it. I only have it half mounted on wall. Case not on yet. I have to clean scratches off case.
But, I am using it.
Bill Cahill

[Dan/Panther]

Bill;
Congratulations on your move into the 21st century.
That late 20th century technology will never catch on.
Did you dispose of it in accordance with Federal Law ?

D/P

[AET]

I don't know... Great place to sit, and, shoot the er,, Oh, well.
You know what I mean. 

HAHAHAHAHA!!  That was a good one Bill!

as for the black phones, I always thought they were kinda boring, just like the beige ones, but since I bought a black one and a beige one, I've kinda gotten to like them, especially the Black one!  They're perfect for a shop, and I've got one next to my bed.  It's my only true Western Electric.  I definately plan on getting a wall model for the garage and the basement shop, both in black. 

[HobieSport]

as for the black phones, I always thought they were kinda boring, just like the beige ones, but since I bought a black one and a beige one, I've kinda gotten to like them, especially the Black one!  They're perfect for a shop, and I've got one next to my bed.  It's my only true Western Electric.  I definately plan on getting a wall model for the garage and the basement shop, both in black. 

Well, you know me, Tom; "any color as long as it is black".  I just think that black phones have a classic look, and once shined up really nice with Novus 2 polish, they reflect all the colors around them.  Though I do intend to get a set of colored phones someday, in yellow, aqua and pink, for that classic 1950s color combination.

For wall phones, I think the WE 354s look great, and you can use an F1 or G1 handset on them.  Or, for true 1950s authenticity, how about a WE554 in your choice of color?

[AET]

I know you like them black ones Hobie.  I didn't think I would, but just wanted to have one to have one, since they're such a symbol of the WE500.  I just fell in love with it, the classic style and color.  My brother loves it too, it's his favorite of my phones. 

Also, as I said in my thread today, I came across my 554, which unfortunately is white (my least favorite, even though I have two of them) and very yellowed (just like my other white one) but is my oldest phone being a 58.  Definately plan on getting more colors and some more black phones, including a 554 and a 302!

[McHeath]

We still have the cordless cuz' it's attached to the answering maching, but it gets little use.  Mainly we are using cells or the OldFones, the sound quality on the cells is crappola but they are dang handy.  Speaking of sound quality on cells, my wife has a bluetooth gizmo from some company and it has incredibly good sound quality.  It's like talking to her on a G series handset, clean, loud and clear.  Weirdness, most bluetooth gizmos that I've talked to people on sound like they are in the bottom of a metal trash can on the back of a semi on the Interstate doing 70. 

In the rain.

[Dennis Markham]

The only cordless phone I have is my cell phone.  It is a hassle sometimes when I answer the phone say in the kitchen and it ends up being a family member or something else that will turn into a lengthy call.  I have to say "hang on a minute", set the phone down, run into the other room, pick up the handset, set it down, run back into the kitchen and hang up that phone and then go back to where I will be more comfortable.  I guess that is why cordless phones were invented.

They say that cell phones are safe.  But just the other day I saw another brain expert that says we don't yet know what kind of damage cell phones are doing to our brains.  He said he always uses an ear bud with the cell phone at arms length away from his head.  They also are worried about incidents of brain cancer in children that use cell phones.  Because there hasn't been enough time yet the number won't be available until it's too late for some.  Of course the cell companies and other physicians say it's safe.  So I guess time will tell but it does make me think when I hold a cell phone up to my ear for any length of time.  I had once cell phone that when sitting on my desk next to my computer would cause interruptions/noise on the computer just prior to a call coming ringing in....

If all of that IS true, those Bluetooth gizmos would be the quickest way to fry the brain.  I realize they are convenient but I'm pretty sure I'll never use one (I hate to say never).....I see people wearing them and I can't tell if they're talking to me or someone on the phone.....or they walk through the grocery store pushing a cart and it looks like they're talking to themselves.  But I digress........

[HobieSport]

Like many here, I also have, and use, a cordless, but again, mostly because it is also my answering machine.  Also, it's just convenient to wander around the house during long conversations, make a cup of tea during a chat, etc..  But inevitably, at some point the battery starts to die and I pick up an older regular phone to continue the talk.  I like to "dis" modern phones, but that's because I'm just so tired of all this "throw away" "disposable" and "planned obsolescent" technology, especially now that I've rediscovered the joys of "good old stuff".

My trailer home/workshop is from 1954, and although a little rusty around the edges, is still very sound.  Likewise, all my appliances (toaster, blender, oven/rotisserie, vacuum cleaner, pots and pans, and of course telephones) are also from the 1950s, and they still look nearly new, and are still running perfectly with little or no maintenance.  They were all less expensive on Ebay than buying the equivalent new stuff, plus they have soul and charm, if you know what I mean.  I was born in '57 and I wish I could say the same for myself.

As for cell phones, I simply have no use for one, but I'm glad that my GF has one in case of emergency when she drives long distances alone.  As for the whole "brain rot" cell phone theory/worry, I doubt that we'll ever really be able to answer that one completely objectively.

About ten years ago our small town was approached by AT & T who wanted to put a cell tower on our middle school grounds.  Of course our town put a stop to that, because we really don't know the effects on our childrens tender brains, but as my step-son pointed out, the cordless antenna over our high school for our local internet connections puts out much stronger waves (I could be mistaken about this) than any cell tower. 

Also, our local fire department wanted better cell reception to help save lives.  I actually would have let AT & T put a cell tower on my property, as it would have paid our mortgage, but of course that's never going to happen.  Anyways, cell phones have their place, but yes, it does bug me a little when folks are in the local market chatting away, oblivious to the other customers around them trying to maneuver our shopping carts.

Okay, end of rant.