Rotatone installation photos

[j.bridwell]

I have finally restored a WE202 with 684A (my first) which works nicely, but I would like to call out.  I bought a Rotatone, but can't quite make sense of their instructions.  Apart from the three connections to the 4H dial, I'm not sure what else to disconnect/connect.

Does anyone have any installation photos of a Rotatone into a 202?  Thanks!

j.bridwell

[Phonesrfun]

I have never dealt with a rotatone before, but I am sure it can be done.  Do you have a way to post the instructions from the Rotatone so I can translate it to the way a 202 is wired?  Others here, however have probably dealt with the Rotatone on a first-hand basis.

-Bill Geurts

[Dennis Markham]

I do not have any Rotatone experience.  However, I'll bet if you call Oldphoneworks someone there will help you with the installation.

[Doug Rose]

I guess I'm confused, what is a "rotaphone" and why is it needed? If you have a 202 connected to a subset and it works, why is a rotaphone needed. What exactly does it do? I have more than one 202 wired to a 684 subset and it calls out fine, just the way WE made it. Most VOIPS can dial out rotary. I did have trouble with Comcast lately with older dials including the 4H, but a Panasonic 616 hanging off did the trick. I never heard of a rotaphone. Is is a Pulse to DTMF converter? If it is, why is it needed?? Does it go in the phone or before the modem for all phones to use? Educate me....Doug

[Phonesrfun]

Doug:

A Rotatone is, as you surmised, a pulse to DTMF converter.  I did not think to ask J. Birdwell if he is using a service that does not take pulse dialing, but there are those systems out there, such as some VoIP services and the ubiquitous MajicJack.

I use Vonage, and fortunately, it does allow rotary dialing.  MagicJack will not.

The Rotatone is sold by Oldphoneworks.  One version mounts inside the phone, and I believe yet another can be wired for the whole house.

-Bill Geurts

[Doug Rose]

thanks Bill...I appreciate the info. I guess I am a purist. I do not want networks, tiny little buzzers for ringers or anything else in my vintage phone that does not belong there. No, I do not use Odis' cords (the curly cloth cords are WAY too long and the colors are not right). Plus, you can get real cords cheaper. A BIG NO to Phoneco as well.  I never could understand an upgraded dial (reproduction), but then they resell the original dial!  If I don't have the parts, I will wait until I find them. For me, it just cheapens the real deal that we collect. I have had dial cards made up that are my phone number and for me its an exception, I will use them. Selling, I will put on a modular cord for someone who wants an old phone in their living room for their convenience. For my collection, it has to be real. This is just how I feel and in no way is how I think anyone else should feel. Sorry...just my two cents. I am off my soapbox.....Doug

[Dennis Markham]

Doug, where does one get real cords.  I have used brown cloth covered "Odis" cords in the past but as you said, I found the color cords to not match the originals.  I know there was another collector that made cords but his name escapes me.  Perhaps you will know.  I wasn't sure if he is still making cords.

[j.bridwell]

Bill: You inadvertently answered my question.  I bought the Rotatone when I had Charter VoIP service.  I don't believe Charter supported pulse dialing, but maybe I dreamt that part; I never trust my memory anymore.  After problems with Charter's quality and frustration with their tech support, I switched to Vonage (and couldn't be happier).  This afternoon I tried dialing out on the phone for the first time, but apparently didn't wait long enough for my mobile to answer and thought it didn't work.  But your comment about Vonage supporting pulse had me try it again.  Had I bothered to look at my Vonage adapter I would have noticed that it did indeed recognize the number I dialed!  Works great in fact.  So thanks, Bill!

Doug: A man after my own heart.  I don't collect phones, but am slowly restoring a 1910 farmhouse.  When we started the restoration, we agonized over where we would accept new materials and where we would not.  We think we found a happy medium in what I'll call pseudo-authentic.  For example I have no stereo in the room, but restored (externally) a 1936 Philco console that I installed a set of hi-fidelity speakers and wireless receiver into.  So while I have a 1936 console, I still get to stream CD-quality smooth jazz in the evening.  It does bother me to abuse an 80-year-old radio, but while I don't want a modern appliance in the room I do want good music.

Same with the phone.  I bought the pulse-tone converter to make it useable for me (though Vonage precluded me using it).  There's no way I can have a modern phone in my 1910 living room.  The house was built with no plumbing, electrical or phone, so we've already had to make concessions in the authenticity of the place, but while we want to stay as close as possible to the way it was built, we have no desire to replicate the lives of our great-grandparents!  BTW, you'll be disappointed to know I installed a modular plug on the baseboard. :-)

[stub]

j.bridwell,
               Hi, glad you got your problem fixed up. Here's for the others that are curious about rotatone !  stub

                                                http://tinyurl.com/yjz49wu

[McHeath]

The Rotatone interests me, and I can certainly see the use of such a device to someone who wants a rotary phone in their living room but needs to be able to navigate phone menus.  More than once I've had to scramble for the nearest touch tone when a call comes in that requires me to "Press 1 to continue", and so we always keep at least one modernish phone about.

As of late I installed a 1979 Trimline touch tone in a hidden area of my desk, thus giving me those off needed music tones to make my calls.

The cool thing about the Rotatone is that it gives you the ability to do # and *, but it's pricy and since I have a tendency to change phones every week or so it would be a lot of bother to have to re-install the device in different phones all the time. 

As for how much of a purist I am with keeping things period correct, I must confess that I'm not really terribly particular, overall.  I certainly understand and appreciate those who strive for time period authenticity, no matter what they are into be it cars, phones, or whatnot. 

[bellsystemproperty]

All of my rotary phones are touch-tone phones. The Panasonic 1232 takes the pulses, and then sends out touch-tone (dtmf) while suppressing the pulses to the central office. It works really well, but I haven't figured out how to dial * and #. What I like about it this way is that there is no modifications to the phone and every phone is converted as they're all connected to the PBX. The rotatone would require every phone to have one installed, which would be time consuming and expensive. The 1232's smaller siblings, the 616 and the 308 do the same thing. You can get one of these cheap, and they are great for testing rotary phones and a plethora of other things. I see some 1232's on Ebay right now for under $50 by typing "panasonic easa". Bill has a 616, right?

[Phonesrfun]

Correct.  I do have a 616, and it works just as you describe.

I don't think the Panasonics have a feature for sending the # and the * however, but if you wade through the instruction book, you might find that it does.

-Bill

[stub]

McHeath,   
               Did you ever build that touch tone pad by Stan Schreier???
 I put mine on a rj11 single port surface mount box and now any phone I have can be changed as many times as I want without going into each phone. Now you can  * and #  all you want , and don"t forget - press 1 for english, as long as your phones have a rj 11  plug on them. Sometimes it's a necessary evil, just to use our phones. This is for plain old telephone service (POTS)!!!!  This  works with all my AE's, Stromberg & Carlson, Kellogg candlestick ,and Ericofons, dial and non-dial!!  
                                                                                                                           stub

ntophones,
                 You can build one for your phones also!      stub      

[Doug Rose]

Doug, where does one get real cords.  I have used brown cloth covered "Odis" cords in the past but as you said, I found the color cords to not match the originals.  I know there was another collector that made cords but his name escapes me.  Perhaps you will know.  I wasn't sure if he is still making cords.

Dennis....I don't buy any reproduction cords. I buy old, beat up phones and salvage the parts. I have got cloth cords off of 302 that looked like they were ready for the trash. Clean them up and they are good as new. Move the stays and add new spades. I have purchased NOS rubber handset cords from Steve in AZ for $2 each. The repro cords just don't feel and look correct to me. The colors are off and they are expensive. Just my thoughts on this and not trying to force my opinion on anyone....Doug

[Doug Rose]

Doug: A man after my own heart.  I don't collect phones, but am slowly restoring a 1910 farmhouse.  When we started the restoration, we agonized over where we would accept new materials and where we would not.  We think we found a happy medium in what I'll call pseudo-authentic.  For example I have no stereo in the room, but restored (externally) a 1936 Philco console that I installed a set of hi-fidelity speakers and wireless receiver into.  So while I have a 1936 console, I still get to stream CD-quality smooth jazz in the evening.  It does bother me to abuse an 80-year-old radio, but while I don't want a modern appliance in the room I do want good music.


Your 1910 farmhouse sounds amazing. I think your idea of using an old Philco as a case for your stereo is a great idea. I have an old RCA TV that I purchased that had all the guts removed. The wood was worth working on. I completely restored the wood, all the brass remained and shined like new. Where the picture tube was, I placed a picture of Fenway Park and it is now an end table in my phone room.  Not the best picture, but you can see it inbetween the chairs.....Doug