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What Are Rotary Dial Phones and How Do They Work?
Interesting Engineering ^ | 6/5/21 | Christopher McFadden

Posted on 05/21/2024 10:19:32 AM PDT by DallasBiff

The rotary dial phone was once the be all and end all of the telephones. Like the cellphone of today, everybody had one, and they ruled domestic communications for decades.

But that all changed in the 1980s when they were supplanted by a new upstart, push-button telephones. Their days were numbered (pun intended).

Many born after the 1990s have likely never seen one, which is a shame. But for those who do remember, join us as we take a trip back in time in remembrance of this glorious piece of telecommunications history.

(Excerpt) Read more at interestingengineering.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; History
KEYWORDS: mabell; phone; rotaryphone
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To: Captain Peter Blood

Cell phone technology? ATT was not broken up to enable cellphone technology. It was broken up in a ham-fisted government shakedown. Any alleged benefits to innocent 3rd parties is entirely accidental, insignificant in comparison to the value destroyed.

Cell phone technology? God forbid we should not have cellphone technology.


181 posted on 05/21/2024 5:26:15 PM PDT by xoxox
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To: Captain Peter Blood

I live in the same ranch house my dad built when I was 8 in 1968. He installed 2 touch tone phones circa 1984, one in the family room & one in my bedroom.

There are still 3 working rotary phones, one in the kitchen on the wall, one in the master bedroom & one in the basement.

My primary phone is a new touch tone one in the family room.

*****Since I only go out to grocery shop or for medical appts, I have managed to get by WITHOUT any cell or other mobile phone so far. Occasionally, a family member provides required text capability to receive activation codes, etc.


182 posted on 05/21/2024 6:32:10 PM PDT by edie1960 (7 )
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To: xoxox

Look up the case and see for yourself.


183 posted on 05/21/2024 6:46:43 PM PDT by Captain Peter Blood
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To: Blueflag
Rings were caused by 40 volts DC flowing down that circuit . That voltage could knock you on your butt.

Yikes... none of us dropped one of these babies in the water... but come to think of it - what would have happened?

184 posted on 05/21/2024 6:59:51 PM PDT by GOPJ (Watching Judge Merchan in acion is like watching a bought umpire throw a game...)
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To: DallasBiff

When I was a kid-—on household phone was mounted ON THE KITCHEN WALL & you had to crank it.

Out “NUMBER” was ‘2 longs & a short’.

20 party line.

IN AN EMERGENCY—a special ring—OI do not REMEMBER-— it the rule was -—”PICK UP THE EAR PIECE & LISTEN TO FIND OUT HAT/WHERE THE EMERGENCY IS & YOU CAN GO HELP.

We had a small electrical fire in upper level of barn new hay was there-

Neighbors got there before fire department .

All was safe. But at least 15 people showed up.

I still have just a land line.


185 posted on 05/21/2024 7:02:45 PM PDT by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

“,..If you did it fast enough hitting it 5 times was the same as dialing a 5.”

Actually you do the off-on thing 6 times to dial a 5. Still works in many areas. I’ve literally dialed hundreds of numbers this way. Have to add 1 and that’s the clicks.

Origin traces to the original switching relay systems. First on-off-on signal tells the equipment a number is coming, and the central relay bank switches that line to the incoming counting relays.

I worked in a relay farm for awhile. “Inside Plant,” they call it. Mainframe full of a gazillion chattering rotary and linear relays. Noisiest thing you ever heard.

ATT (Bell Labs) Redbank invented the transistor switching equipment relacement, called ESS. Electronic Switching System. My dad installed the first one in a Central Office. Military got the 2nd one, just outside DC. Blew the top off a mountain, put in a massive, hardened, gigantic facility, buried it back up. Gargantuan blast gates. I was there as a tyke when my Dad and buds put that one in. Impressive. Hush hush.

He knew Schotky, and other inventors of the transistor. Told stories. Characters, all of them. Brilliant guys. With sliderules and pocket protectors.


186 posted on 05/21/2024 7:05:11 PM PDT by Basket_of_Deplorables (Vivek for VP!!!!)
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To: DallasBiff
I remember Mom telling me the phone they had was an old Candlestick phone with a rotary dial in it back in the 1940's/50's


187 posted on 05/21/2024 7:06:29 PM PDT by MrLucky1966 (GOVT.SYS CORRUPTED! RUN GUN.COM? (Y/Y) GUN.COM NOT FOUND, EXECUTE BASEBALL.BAT? (Y/Y))
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To: Chode

I’m really cranky but I’m gonna figure it is because I keep getting ZAPPED with Electrical Voltage...


188 posted on 05/21/2024 7:32:39 PM PDT by mabarker1 ( (Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress!!!)
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To: mabarker1

lol, not grounded???


189 posted on 05/21/2024 7:40:19 PM PDT by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
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To: Basket_of_Deplorables
I worked in a relay farm for awhile. “Inside Plant,” they call it. Mainframe full of a gazillion chattering rotary and linear relays. Noisiest thing you ever heard.

I knew a guy who heard one abruptly go quiet. They thought something went wrong, then it built up to a crescendo.

They knew something VERY bad had happened, but not what.

JFK was assassinated.

190 posted on 05/21/2024 8:45:02 PM PDT by null and void (Everyone on all sides a conflict will be happy to lie to you, except our side, of course!)
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To: Jamestown1630

A fascinating book...

Exploding the Phone by Phil Lapsley

https://explodingthephone.com/


191 posted on 05/22/2024 1:10:56 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (Nothing says "Democracy" like throwing your opponents in jail.)
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To: Captain Peter Blood

Why? It’s a narrative like any other, and I have already summed it up for you.


192 posted on 05/22/2024 6:47:55 AM PDT by xoxox
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To: Fresh Wind

That looks very interesting; Thanks!


193 posted on 05/22/2024 8:05:12 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Jamestown1630

Naw it was ten. Just look at the way the physical machine was built. The further you turned the dial with your finger, the more pulses you got. So you turn it past nine and you get ten. The mechanism had no idea that the face of it was labelled with a zero. I’ve been meaning to see if our phone-to-GV box will handle pulses. I’ll get back to you. But it was ten.


194 posted on 05/25/2024 8:04:46 AM PDT by old-ager
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To: old-ager

Let me know. I found converters online; but I want to try my old phone before I spend the money. Right now, it’s ‘stored’ in a very long-story, ridiculous place...


195 posted on 05/26/2024 1:13:49 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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