Getting Landline Phones working again
I found a way to use older phones, or called landlines.
After finding a way to make my own TV channels with an RF modulator, link to that project will come soon. Even if I've been working on it for more than 6 months.
Searching random stuff on Amazon made me find a GSM ID Dailer. This allows you to put in a SIM card and call that number, where you are able to plug in a phone by a RJ11 connection.
While making this project, then my dad also got interested in it. And started buying phones that was from his childhood, and what he remembered. Even tho he wont use it much and doesnt give out the number for it, then he still has it. I'm just transferring all my calls to that phonenumber for now. As I still need to recieve texts. And that's a thing I need to be working on getting without having a mobile device available on me.
My dad has gotten a bunch of those phones with a rotary dial on them, which wont work. Due to the system we have here being different from back then when they were in use. Now each number have a different pitch so they are easier to differentiate from each other.
I've also found out that they dont ring either, but I think that's because they use too much power. It could also be because the motor in them have stopped working. They work if you get a call then you can answer, but there's no dialing tone on them.
I've gotten a few different phones working on my setup. The first phone that I got was a B&O BeoCom 1600, and that works quite well. It's modern looking, and with how much they sold in this country then they're very easy to find and cheap. If you look at dealers who refurbish them then they can be somewhat pricy. I found someone who sold a B&O BeoCom 1600 for 1000DKK which is about $180
This phone I've connected near my retro station with Windows XP. Even though it was made in the 90s. It's too modern looking for the setup.
Then with my main desktop computer I have a Philips SOPHO Baseline Pro. The sound coming out is a bit scatchy, but it was also given to me from my brother who found it in the trash.
In my kitchen I have a Kirk Lady (wall mounted). And with my TV, I have a Kirk Comet E76 in brown.
With my TV setup then I'll make a post soon, but I'm still getting stuff for it so it will look nice.
All of these phones are connected in pairs to a splitter and then into the GSM Terminal. This works and all the phones ring at the same time, but I have turned off the volume on 2 of them, so I dont have 3 phones going off at the same time in the same room.
With how easy this was to set up then I'd give it a high score, but since I dont really give scores on how stuff works then I wont.
I have had people say it is very weird to have this, but with how much I have on my mind then I feel more free when I'm not forced to have my mobile phone with me all the time. Since I know that is tracking me whereever I go and the microphone is on all the time, even if it says it's only on when there's a light on, I know it's on more. The day I had to move the first 3 hours the microphone was on, it showed with the light being on, but when I tried to find the app then it said "Unknown" which also makes what I say correct. I'm not sure what tracks me, but I know something is.
I'm being very paranoid, atleast comparing to other people.
Anyway that was the small project that I've been working on regarding landline phones. They're fun to set up, and I remember them from my childhood. It was the only thing people had for the most of my childhood, before they started to get phones when I was like 8-10 years old. Then my mom got a mobile phone, where my dad had one earlier than that. But they were bricks.
Now everyone has a mobile phone, and if it's not a smartphone then it doesnt seem to be working in the society we have. I want to get away from it, and have a more simple life, but it's not possible with how the government in this country is. We need to get tracked with everything we're doing, even if we have to sign into a new bank then we're getting requirements for an app on our phone. They say it's a 2step authentication app, but why did they then change it from the old app which worked very well and had no issues?
This is turning into a rant now. All I wanted to show was the phones that I have gotten to work now when you can't really get a landline phone anymore, and if you can then they cost a fortune. I've been quoted up to $50 a month for having a landline phone connected, even if I have internet through them. The only thing they have to do is to enable the VOIP part on their end in the router that we're also forced to have in our home. I might be able to get an adapter to get a different router here, but then it's even more money to spend while I barely even spend any money on the system I have right now.
I'll attach pictures under this.
Clicking on the images will open them up in full size. Each file full size image is about 2 Megabytes.
