Candlestick Telephone

[ba11zup]

I have got an old candlestick telephone can anyboby tell me if it is possible to wire it into a modern BT socket. The wires are red white blue and brown. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks Andy

 

[bernardgreen]

It cannot be plugged in as is and then work reliably if at all. But after some internal modifications there is a good chance it can be used.

The main problem is the bell fitted will be low impedance ( low resistance ) and this must be changed to high impedance bell otherwise other telephones in the house may not ring properly.

The dial will need to be adjusted as regards speed and on-off ratio.

The telephone exchanges of telephone service providers no longer recognise rotary dial pulses. If this is the case with your telephone service provider then it will be impossible to make calls from the phone. But you could receive calls provided the bell was modified.

The speech components should work reasonably well other than the microphone will be crackly and noisy compared to a modern telephone.

 

[mattylad]

Sounds like a nice project, does it look good on the table etc?

The parts are all available from electronic suppliers, perhaps Maplin or CPC

 

[ba11zup]

Thanks for the reply looks like it will make a nicely pollished decoration.

It cannot be plugged in as is and then work reliably if at all. But after some internal modifications there is a good chance it can be used.

The main problem is the bell fitted will be low impedance ( low resistance ) and this must be changed to high impedance bell otherwise other telephones in the house may not ring properly.

The dial will need to be adjusted as regards speed and on-off ratio.

The telephone exchanges of telephone service providers no longer recognise rotary dial pulses. If this is the case with your telephone service provider then it will be impossible to make calls from the phone. But you could receive calls provided the bell was modified.

The speech components should work reasonably well other than the microphone will be crackly and noisy compared to a modern telephone.

 

[bernardgreen]

The telephone exchanges of telephone service providers no longer recognise rotary dial pulses.

That should have been

The telephone exchanges of SOME telephone service providers no longer recognise rotary dial pulses.