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RotaTone & Dial Gizmo Pulse to Tone Converters

Started by McHeath, October 05, 2008, 10:25:17 PM

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oldsyd

I've read this thread but still not sure what the best rotary to DTMF converter is for my application. I have a rotary SC 1553 wall phone that will be connected to an OBi202 VoIP adapter. When reviewing the technical notes for the converters, I found some of them haven't been updated in years.

I'm not looking for a lot of features - I just want a reliable rotary to DTMF converter that works well with VoIP adapters. Any recommendations?

Thanks,
Jay

dsk

I guess that the OBI adapters may struggle with more of these converters than other adapters due to some line current limitations.
I have had trouble with 1 of 5 Dialgizmos, and 1 of 3 Chinese adapters to put directly on the dial.  I still would go for the dial gizmo.
I have an adapter where I put in a sim-card even on that the dial gizmo works, but the 500 or 2500 phones is on the edge to work due to lo current.

dsk

oldsyd

Quote from: dsk on August 08, 2020, 03:22:34 PM
I guess that the OBI adapters may struggle with more of these converters than other adapters due to some line current limitations.
I have had trouble with 1 of 5 Dialgizmos, and 1 of 3 Chinese adapters to put directly on the dial.  I still would go for the dial gizmo.
I have an adapter where I put in a sim-card even on that the dial gizmo works, but the 500 or 2500 phones is on the edge to work due to lo current.

That's good to know the Dialgizmo draws less current than the other 2. I didn't find specs for the Chinese or Rotatone converters, but the 2009 manual shows this for the Dialgizmo:

Dialgizmo
Power supply ........................... Line powered
Line current draw (on hook) ........ Approx 100nA
Line current draw (off hook) ........ Approx 5mA
Operating temperature ............... 5°C to 35°C
Ringing pass-through ................ 2 REN

Are there any P2T converters that have an external power supply that aren't full switches?

-Jay

dsk

#63
You get what you pay for use my mother-in-law use to say, and she may often be right.  ...... But do you need the most expensive one? 
 
 I have just started the testing of Dialor 2 since I have 2 Dialgizmos that stops working. (2 of 5)
 
 The dial gizmo has the possibility to change to Swedish dial, or to NS/Oslo dial.  If that is needed it is no alternatives!
 
 The Dialgizmo is not polarity sensitive, but the Dialor 2 does only convert pulse to tones with the right polarity, on the other hand it lets the pulses trough with reverse polarity, and that may be a pre for someone.
 
 For the most of us it does not matter after when have put it right at the first installation.
 
 They do both convert rotary (normal numbered) dial to touch tones, and they have the possibility of * and # and redial, something we do not need often.
 
 The configuration of input and output is different: The dial gizmo is plugged in the ATA, and then you plug the phone in the Dialgizmo. The Dialer 2 is different, you plug the cord from the ATA in to the unit, and wire your old phone to the screw terminals in the converter.
 
 Is that a problem?  Usually not, but I did move one wire from one screw to another, and connected a cord to the 2 in-terminals, then it was equal, and I may plug in and out both in the same way.
 That was easy.
 
 Far to early to tell about the long term quality.


Did test them with some of my phones, and the only one that not was understood by the Dialor 2 was the test push-button version of the EB 1967 made around 1975.

MMikeJBenN27

I have a 554 with a Rota Tone in it, and for the most part, it works well.  It does sometimes get "stuck" though.  You then have to hang up and try your call again.

Mike

markosjal

these devices actually suck as you have to wait between dialing digits
Phat Phantom's phreaking phone phettish

AliceWonder

Quote from: dsk on December 27, 2017, 04:58:42 AMReverce dial is a dial with numbers "the wrong way" used in NZ and Oslo:

I wonder if those dials would be more comfortable to use for left-handed people.

countryman

Wouldn't it be required to reverse the direction of rotation to make a real difference?
Then again, it is not awkward at all to dial with the "wrong" hand when the layout is the familiar one.

dsk

I'm lefthanded, but I use my right hand on the dial. :-)

MMikeJBenN27


I noticed that too.  I only put the Rota Tone in that phone to test Rota Tone out and see what it is like.  I still have just plain telephone service from the just plain phone company.

Mike

MMikeJBenN27

I'm left-handed too, and while Western/Northern Electric dials, ITT dials, and late SC dials are fine for either hand, I do find AE dials and old SC dials awkward to use left-handed.  They seem like they were laid out exclusively for right-handed folks.

Mike

tabormeister

#71
Quote from: dsk on May 30, 2022, 01:47:11 PM...The configuration of input and output is different: The dial gizmo is plugged in the ATA, and then you plug the phone in the Dialgizmo. The Dialer 2 is different, you plug the cord from the ATA in to the unit, and wire your old phone to the screw terminals in the converter...

I wired up like you list here (and all the other permutations) but my 300 and 500 series phones don't seem to like it. The light comes on, but dimly, and I only hear a faint "blip" of a beep when dialing, not a DTMF tone. Perhaps it doesn't like what juice is coming from the Ooma?

dsk

Strange, I have never had problems with the my 302 on any pulse tone converter, but the 500 may somtimes fail.

dsk

#73
Time for a little update. The dialor 2 works just as well as the dialgizmo, but only with the right line polarity.
Mine does not support reverse dials, but they claim that later versions does.
Dial gizmo works with normal +reverse + Swedish dials depending on the setting of switches. I still agree with markosjal that an ata that accepts rotary may be a better solution in most cases.

ka1axy

I ran a pulse to tone converter for a while, then ended up buying a Panasonic mini-PBX off the 'bay, with which I am very happy. If you have more than one or two extensions, they are the way to go in my opinion.

Mine's a KX-TAW848, so on the higher end, but I got it with the programming software and have been able to find extra cards at low cost by careful searching. Still, I have put a good deal more money into it than I should have (prob up to almost $400 now), tricking it out with a SVM voice message card and a couple of proprietary Panasonic extensions. But it works well with all my analog phones, pulse and tone, as well as a number of foreign pulse phones, so I consider it a win.