not for Velocity execs

[PC]

If the the suits at Discovery Networks don't have enough attention span for Edd China, we sure as heck won't be seeing James May on their channels any time in the foreseeable future.

 

[Boink]

Fun! He's always amused me.

 

[DrEntropy]

Is it possible to have a pulse dial device even "understood" by the switching station now? Receiving a call is likely no problem but a rotary dialed number would give tone dial exchanges a fit, methinks.

...or is there some regulation in place to keep pulse dialing possible?

 

[NutmegCT]

There are still some "land line" companies which support pulse dialing.

But this depends on the specific company's protocols for fiOS and POTS, using IP, REN, and/or ONT 5.

Got that?

 

[PAUL161]

Out here in the sticks, they finally got rid of the old style cranks! We modernized! :highly_amused:

View attachment 47934

 

[SaxMan]

Always liked James May. I think he has one of the driest senses of humor out there.

 

[PC]

Is it possible to have a pulse dial device even "understood" by the switching station now? ...

About a year ago, I found a rotary dial phone in the family junk collection. Plugged it in and got a dial tone (land Line carrier is Verizon) so I went ahead and dialed my cell#. Rang right through to my pocket and I picked it up just fine.

I was in junk clearing mode and it had a few chunks missing from the case so I went ahead and took it to ewaste. Should'a kept it just a bit longer. A few months later a friend was telling me he had tried to explain dial phones to his 8yo daughter and she didn't quite get how it worked. Would'a been great to actually let her try it.

I read pretty recently that there's and underground of folks who love using them and hunt them down on the internet, at garage sales etc. Many of them weren't even born back when rotary dials were in common use. Retro is in and lots of people just like the simplicity and tactile experience.

https://www.boldoldphones.com/

 

[PC]

Well, what a coincidence.

Yesterday, we were doing some painting and I was messing with wallplates and outlets and such. I replaced an old, discolored phone jack with a new decora style unit and needed to test it.

The land line phones we use every day are wireless and a minor pain to switch to a new outlet (you have to move the base units & power supplies too). No problem, I keep corded phones around just in case of a power failure. The one I usually use was upstairs but I remembered that I had grabbed one while cleaning my Mom's place and it was close at hand.

Here it is. Yes, my Mom had a flip phone even before anybody had a cell phone.

So I plugged it in to check the jack. Got a dial tone. Tried to punch in my cell# but got no touch tones. I thought it was broke. But then I noticed it was clicking.

Leave it to my Mom. Even when she was forced to get a pushbutton phone, it was a pulse dialer!

I went ahead and finished dialing my cell. And the call went through. So, at least in my neighborhood, I could still use a rotary phone if I wanted to. Pretty cool, AT&T.

 

[NutmegCT]

Have to admit, Flip-Phone ads weren't exactly state of the art ...

eek
(Actually, I thought back in the 80s the Flip Phone had a toggle for Pulse or Tone dialing.)

Edit: FlipPhone was advertised as an inexpensive push button phone operating over both Pulse and Tone systems. Back in those ancient days, Pulse phone service cost about $1.50/month, while TouchTone cost about $2.50/month. So you could use "buttons" on a cheaper Pulse line.

 

[glemon]

My mom has an old rotary phone she still uses, it is a wall unit, we had it when we were kids. It is probably fifty years old or so, it will work for another fifty, definitely quality parts and engineering, a device perfected, then technology moved on. Relatively complex electromechanical device that would probably cost big bucks if you tried to make one these days.

By the way my freind that works for the landline phone company says they will support pulse dialing for the forseeable future.

 

[DrEntropy]

I keep corded phones around just in case of a power failure. The one I usually use was upstairs but I remembered that I had grabbed one while cleaning my Mom's place and it was close at hand.

I've a flip phone as well. A "just in case" thing along with being a good "test instrument".

 

[dklawson]

The second phone I bought was a GTE flip phone. I loved it. It was so compact compared to the phone company's line of Princess Phones. It did indeed have a selector switch to select pulse or tone dialing. I remember the instructions that came with the flip phone told me to "Call my local phone provider and tell them the 'ringer equivalency number'". I did. The person at the phone company had no idea what I was talking about or why I was calling.

We still have a land line. Just like PC mentioned above, we still have one clunky push button phone just in case of power outages.

 

[Bayless]

The Radio Shack phone right beside my computer right now has a Pulse/Tone switch on it. And Doug I do remember something about "ringer equivalency number" but don't remember what it was all about.

 

[catfood]

My Mum has only just replaced her dial phone. It finally gave up the ghost six months ago. It's the same phone that was in the house when we moved in in 1970.

 

[JPSmit]

My Mum has only just replaced her dial phone. It finally gave up the ghost six months ago. It's the same phone that was in the house when we moved in in 1970.

:madder: that just drives me crazy! They just don't make things like they used to! Can't she get a refund or an exchange? :grin: