Mobile rotary phone

[sideburn]

Hey guys,

I converted one of my rotary phones into a cell phone and thought I'd share it on here. Here is a blog I posted about the build http://rotocell.blogspot.com

On a side note, I need some bolts for the base plate of some of my phones and I don't know what the threading is. It's the same as ITT phone at the bottom of the blog. I also need to know what the threading is on a Western Electric 302. I'd like to get some thumb screws so I don't need a screwdriver to remove the cover from the base plate.

Does anyone know what the threading is and the length of the bolts?

Thanks,

-Tavis

[twocvbloke]

I guess that conversion was based on this product's parts:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/286

I'm not electronics-inclined, but it looks like a fun project for a phone that had a bad network, but I wouldn't know where to begin to mush it all together into a working lump...

[sideburn]

I guess that conversion was based on this product's parts:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/286

I'm not electronics-inclined, but it looks like a fun project for a phone that had a bad network, but I wouldn't know where to begin to mush it all together into a working lump...

It works in a similar way but it doesn't share any of the same parts as that one.
It took a couple weeks. The worst part was near the end when I connected the dial to it and tried to place a call and it was randomly mis-dialing. I panicked a little hoping it wasn't all a big waste of time!

[twocvbloke]

It's still a pretty cool project, I wouldn't know where to begin to do such a thing...

[sideburn]

Yeah, it was a fun project and I learned a lot. The random mis-dialing was the little switch on the rotary that makes the pulses happen was bouncing onthe way up before you let go and let it dial. I solved it by putting a delay in and just stopped "watching" the switch for a few milliseconds while you spin up the dial. It seems pretty solid now. No more prank phone calls 

[Mr. Bones]

Sideburn,

     What a very cool project! I am deeply intrigued, and have great admiration for what you've done! Speaking for myself, although I'm fairly certain that others will be interested, I'd just love a components list, and wiring diagram. Try and Sesame Street me through it, though; I'm just an Electrician... ie.: (Type s l o w l y, use small words, and lots of pictures!)

Best regards!

[twocvbloke]

Try and Sesame Street me through it

You mean hire Katy Perry to play dress ups?

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

[sideburn]

Sideburn,

    What a very cool project! I am deeply intrigued, and have great admiration for what you've done! Speaking for myself, although I'm fairly certain that others will be interested, I'd just love a components list, and wiring diagram. Try and Sesame Street me through it, though; I'm just an Electrician... ie.: (Type s l o w l y, use small words, and lots of pictures!)

Best regards!

Thanks,

There are not a whole lot of parts to it because I am buying the dc-dc booster from a third party so I don't have to make them. I started out making that too but then I found I could buy one for a few bucks. I did the same with the GSM/GPRS module. I bought that ready to go. But I may start buying the gsm chip by itself to save money. The rest is the controller part that I made. That has about 12 or so parts on it.. a couple transistors, a few diodes, a few resistors, and then the micro controller. The micro controller has about 500 lines of code i wrote in c in it though..

Theres a pretty steep learning curve when it comes to figuring out how to program those microcontrollers and successfully burn the code onto the chip. The rest of it, you need some basic electronics skills so you inderstand what transistors, resistors, diodes, votage and current are all about.

I am currently finishing up a final board design and will be getting some PC boards printed up. I should have them in a couple of weeks.
If you want I can send you one and then all you will have to do is buy the parts stuff them into the board, and solder it all together.
I can send you a board and a chip pre programmed with the firmware in it.

[Greg G.]

Apparently Sparkfun has discontinued their portable rotary.  Only other one I found was this one:  http://www.dvice.com/archives/2011/06/rotary_smartpho.php

[sideburn]

Apparently Sparkfun has discontinued their portable rotary.  Only other one I found was this one:  http://www.dvice.com/archives/2011/06/rotary_smartpho.php

And that ones just a concept idea.. I think its a 3d rendering.. I am thinking about making something like that that actually works.

I think mines nicer than the ones sparkfun had because it's got a dialtone and the pulsing sound when you dial.. Dialing 1,1 redials the last number dialed. Dialing 1,2 redials the last incoming call, and soon you will be able to store phone numbers by peoples first name or initials and then dial by name so you won't have to dial (or remember) peoples phone numbers.

It also seems to be holding a charge long. I am testing it now and I'm at about 2 and a half days so far without needing a charge. I wouldnt be too surprised if it lasts for 4 or 5 days. And the charging port on mine is a mini USB jack instead of needing a wall adapter.

[Phonesrfun]

There is a (relatively) small solid state ringing generator that runs off 12 volts DC that will ring the bells of that 500 just like the real thing.  I can look it up if you are interested.  They are pretty cheap and available.

[sideburn]

There is a (relatively) small solid state ringing generator that runs off 12 volts DC that will ring the bells of that 500 just like the real thing.  I can look it up if you are interested.  They are pretty cheap and available.

Sounds interesting. For this project it wouldn't work out because a 12 volt battery would be too big and i'd have to step it back down to run the electronics. I'm doing the opposite here and stepping 3 volts up to 34 when the bell needs to ring. And then I have a timer with delays that pulse the power on and off at the same rate and length of time a normal phone rings. I just kind of did it by ear but I got it pretty close. Rings for a couple seconds and then pauses for about 3 seconds.. Does it about 4 times or until the connection is lost..

Heres a video: http://sideburn.com/rotarycellphone/incomingcall.MOV
The pause is a little short there.. I added another second..

Heres another: http://sideburn.com/rotarycellphone/incomgincall2.3gp

[sideburn]

I just finished adding a message server inside of it so you can program numbers into it by texting it. Now you can dial by name! This phone just got MUCH more useful. I can place calls faster than I can on my iphone now even with siri. I just keep the names short. Bill, Bob, Joe, Lee.. And I no longer have to remember or write down phone numbers.. Check out the snapshot of the text messaging to see how it works. Its pretty cool!