Our situation is different, we must plug our phones into this
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I suspect it would be fine if our wall sockets worked as a phone line
POTS as I think you call it (PSN or something) we don't have it.
If our data service goes down, so do any phones connected.

PSTN.

I had those Cisco jobs on both my connections here for the last two years but they recently carked it - most modems die slowly and cause havoc that can't be diagnosed, including the loss of connectivity some members have experienced here up until a few weeks ago. It was a shame really, as I paid a lot for money for them and what Cisco don't know about security isn't worth knowing.

That said, I didn't use the sockets on the back of the modem as I already get a great deal (read: better than Helstra could ever hope to provide) on line rental and because I rarely use either of the landlines I also pay bugger-all for the calls.

I am sure that regardless of the connection though, the wiring for old phones would be the same. Otherwise everyone would have to rewire their plugs before using them on a VOIP service.

Do you still think I did something wrong?
I'm pretty sure this is the original connector because it uses that crappy wire.

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On that phone site, it shows the lug in the socket for this plug
connecting terminals 2 and 3.
I first used just the blue and white, which is the pair that some
modern extensions only connect (with red and green wire).

That was the way the phone worked the same, just didn't ring.


I don't know that anyone would have to rewire their phone?
Maybe the socket adapter they sell you either does or does not connect pins 2 and 3?
The vintage phone site sells an old socket to RJ adapter.
I have that on the way too, so at least I'll know what they are doing.

Do you get one little click of the ringer bell when you plug your phone in?
I do at the moment, but that didn't happen before I jumped pins 2 & 3.

The wall socket already has a jumper across 2 and 3 so there's no need to do it in the plug. That said, as far as I know this is only needed when you have more than one old phone in parallel and you don't want the bell on the other phone to jingle when you are dialling a number. It is definitely not needed in other circumstances.

The jumper across 2 & 3 in the socket (or internally in the phone) is removed when you use an extension bell in its place.

For running extra phones in parallel see circuits below. Note that the bell capacitor is taken out of circuit in the parallel phone(s).

Hmm, It works fine on my Mum's line too.
This time I did the whole dialling, talking to each other on mobile phone, all good.

I will break open my connector again tonight and try omitting
the extra wire again to test, and also try swapping the two
live lines to see if they are swapped.
Thanks for the assistance.

Even if the dial is not original, the phone was only $100,
and many parts of it are in excellent condition.
If this is not what is known as a "Pyramid Phone",
it is still actually the one I wanted, and it's not unlikely that
I could buy another one some time to make one really nice one.

I think I like the 50's the most, in radios too!

The dial in your phone is a type BPO 21.

I've included a couple pages from the PMG Substation Equipment Handbook regarding this type of dial.

"The dial in your phone is a type BPO 21."
I think You & I both know that in the long term,
that will not do, but it will have to for now ;)
Over time, I only need look for a good dial.

Rotary telephones have broad appeal to a younger generation.
It's more important now to learn about telephony, than particular phones, even though of course, I appreciate that info also.
I think the best place to start is 60's Fone Phreak manuals
for all the trick boxes that can't be used without detection anymore.

Is it illegal to rewire the plug that I did?
What if I ever replaced a dud capacitor with a modern counterpart, or replaced an earphone piece?

Because if an unqualified person can work on non-fixed mains, but can't fix a phone, that's kinda crazy!

As far as I know it is only an offence to either work on fixed phone network cabling or connect a phone or other appliance that does not have a PMG, Telecom, Telstra, Austel or ACMA approval mark.

The fine for acting to the contrary is something like $17,500.00 as far as I recall but then again, you have to be caught first.

I plan to leave my DTMF noise maker outside of the phone,
and independently powered.
I tried rotary dialling a mobile number, and to be honest,
most of the time, I'm not going to do that.
I'm a registered iPhone developer, so can quickly make
something to speed dial my numbers.

This is a crappy long term solution though, and it's a real bummer
about something that can be totally isolated still be illegal.

Instead of being connected to the phone,
a Rotatone similar device could blar the tones out of the ringer hole loud enough for the mouthpiece to pick up,
as annoying as that might be.
That also means the dialler has been disconnected from the phone, and the phone technically modified.. even though it would be a stupid thing for anyone to worry about.

I think that it will become everybody's problem in time.
Just a question of if your particular generation of enthusiasts is around to be inconvenienced by it.

I'm more interested in radio, but the solution for any discontinuation of AM radio is dead simple,
just retransmit a digital broadcast with AM from some little box.
Not ideal, but tidy, and all your radios still do their job.

I got the adapter and dial thingies today,
It matters to my router that my pair is the right way round
like the fellow in the other thread.
I do need the red wire from the phone connected to the
white wire of the phone still, if I want my bell to work.

The adapter I got from the vintage phone site wouldn't have
made my bell work, just the phone with no dialling.
But it did say it was for 800 series that only have a pair.

Maybe Brad, inside your phone, something is connected
that is not connected inside my phone.
Mine doesn't have a green wire at the phone end,
just Red (needed for bell), Blue White.

Monochrome, I'd like to take you up and see if you have the
insert with the letters maybe.
The dial labels, My forgeries are actually better,
and so is my phone adapter now that it's wired right.
But it was nice to confirm the right way round.

My Cisco router has two phone sockets but only one works
even with the modern cordless phone base.
I'll bet it's software configured that way for no good reason.

Yes Art,

I have scans of the dial insert with the letters in it.

My contact details are not hidden if you wish to drop me a line.

I did that mono, last night, before you have posted here.
Is the address right?

edited email out...

I also asked about what the dial "should" look like because
I've got an opportunity to look at some phone parts of the era.

Thanks again.. I got that one