Telephones

[Kazz]

:-D Does anyone have any idea if you can convert a old style phone you know the ones with a dial on them, to a new type of connection.

[Tom]

what do you mean by a new type of connection Kazz??

Tom

[dandysmom]

I don't understand what you mean, Kazz. I still have two old dial phones, but they work if I plug them into the jack where the modern touchtone/answering machine phone goes.....

[Kazz]

The BT connections we have now Tom are different from those before the 70's/80's,

I have found in the loft two old BT style dial telephones and an old Bakerlite phone, one that was in my Grandad's bike shop then his garage :).
I fancy getting them updated with a "new" BT connection and hearing the old fashioned ring One phone is bright red. One brown and wall mounted (brill for the kitchen) and the bakerlite one is a darkish red. All with the old fashioned emergency dial 999 on.

[Tom]

oooh i bet their quite good actually! :D Could you get a pic of them? I'd like to see them hehe! I'll try and find out something online for you!

Tom x

[Kim]

Kazz, what a wonderful find!!! I love the old phones. I'm sure you can get them converted for the 'new' phone sockets. For anyone interested you can buy restored 'old' style phones here. http://www.dialretrotelephones.co.uk/

I really fancy one myself! Our first phone is the early 70's was the mustard yellow one!

[Fran]

oooh Kazz, I hope you can get them converted they sound super! Feeling rather envious!

[yola]

Karen, I did this on 2 occasions, once with a very old bakelite phone (the browny-black one with the cup-thing on the mouthpeice) and again with one of the 60s/70s cream plastic ones. The bakelite one was SO old that the sound quality rendered it almost unusable. The plastic one worked OK, just the bell, when it rang made me jump out of my skin each time it was so loud!

To answer your question, I would suggest speaking to BT customer services. My cream phone I bought from a BT shop in the late 80s already with a new phone jack on it . . . or maybe an independent telecoms engineer might be able to help.

Either way, have fun - turning the round dial when calling a number is a really great feeling . . . just remember no electronic phone book, no redial facilities :D