Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
 ·AT&T DSL Service
 ·Comcast
| reply to Madness
Re: Late to the game like always.
Those things are the exact opposite of the old fashioned touchtone converters that were used when connecting a touchtone phone to a step-by-step switch. A lot of independent phone companies had that kind of setup back in the day.
I can remember being able to use my calling card without operator assistance using one of those payphones. I had to dial an 800 number to connect to my long distance carrier (Sprint). The payphones were post pay and the phone company made any calls starting with 1 go immediately to a reorder. In order access my carrier I had to dial 0+800 instead of 1+800. Once I connected I could touchtone out the number I was calling and the calling card number with no problem. Ahh, the memories.
Now the old steps are gone and replaced with digital switches even in the most remote areas. 
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Calling an illegal alien an undocumented worker is like calling a crack dealer an unlicensed pharmacist. |
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Madness
Like a flea circus at a dog show.
join:2000-01-05
Quincy, MA
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to Jim Gurd
OK, that's is a Bell 554 wall phone. Same guts as the 500, though. One would need a pulse-to-tone converter to dial out on VoIP (using the dial!). They're not cheap though!
Of course, one could also use one of those old-school portable tone dialers that are held up to the mouthpiece, But, of course, that takes away the thrill of using the rotary dial. |
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·AT&T DSL Service
·Comcast
| reply to Madness
said by Madness  :A little tip: Assuming you used a Bell 500 set, take the cover off (two screws on the bottom) & turn the phone so the ringer faces forward. Look closely between the gongs & you should see a sideways-G-shaped hole w/ a springy bar sticking out of it -- this is the "biasing spring." If presently set to the bottom of the "G", reverse it (see here: » www.porticus.org/bell/images/bel···_pos.jpg ). Thank you, thank you!! I moved it over like it showed in the picture and now it rings properly when connected to my VoIP service.
Here is a picture I took of it with my cell phone camera a while ago.
It's too bad that VoIP doesn't work with pulse dialing. That phone worked really well with rotary dialing back when I had a POTS line.
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Calling an illegal alien an undocumented worker is like calling a crack dealer an unlicensed pharmacist. |
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