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Support rotary pulse dialing.

Started by M105, March 08, 2015, 08:23:20 AM

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M105

Support rotary pulse dialing which is still part of the analog telephone standards.  This could be made optional in the phone line setup.  Telephone collecting is gaining popularity worldwide and having an ATA other than the Grandstream models which support pulse dialing would be great and likely very easy to implement in firmware.  Users with older pulse dialing alarm systems would also probably appreciate being able to drop their PSTN lines.

Better yet, provide the ability to dial * and # with the dial hold feature of this device. http://www.dialgizmo.com/  Having that built into the Obihai ATA would provide great value to many users of collectable phones since having to add one almost doubles the cost of the Obi200 alone.

Willy-Bill

#1
I second this request.  Perhaps not # and *, as I can use an old phone with a DTMF dialer to accomplish those.  It is a much needed feature.

SteveInWA

#2
Quote from: Willy-Bill on March 21, 2015, 03:31:31 AM
It is a much needed feature.

"Much needed"?!

Only for the 5 OBi owners whose only telephone instrument is one of these.  Seriously, there's more to it than just supporting pulse dialing.  The ancient Western Electric phones with mechanical bell ringers present impedence and power draw problems to the OBi's little integrated circuit-based telephone line interface.  I'd rather OBi continue to direct their engineering resources to current and future requirements.

I have a WE model 302 phone, and, with a Rotatone adapter retrofitted, it still isn't fully compatible with my OBis.  It only works with a brand "G" ATA.

Willy-Bill

Quote from: SteveInWA on March 21, 2015, 02:24:15 PM
Quote from: Willy-Bill on March 21, 2015, 03:31:31 AM
It is a much needed feature.

"Much needed"?!

Only for the 5 OBi owners whose only telephone instrument is one of these.  Seriously, there's more to it than just supporting pulse dialing.  The ancient Western Electric phones with mechanical bell ringers present impedence and power draw problems to the OBi's little integrated circuit-based telephone line interface.  I'd rather OBi continue to direct their engineering resources to current and future requirements.

I have a WE model 302 phone, and even with a Rotatone adapter retrofitted, it still isn't compatible with my OBis.  It only works with a brand "G" ATA.

Oh Bluescat ...

Thankfully, the rotary telephone is not the only telephone instrument I own.  I'm using an ITT 250044 from around 1990.  I have to disagree with Western Electric phones with mechanical bells require too much for the "little" integrated circuit, built into Obihai boxes.  They only require a REN equivalency of 1. To clearify this fact, in order to get that ITT model with a set of bells that only require a REN of 0.5 to ring correctly, I had to implant a set of bells out of an old 500 that I parted out years ago.  It now rings correctly, loudly, and consistently.  All that took place, just before I found the email saying I had a reply.

I can't speak of the 302, as those predated the 500, and the 1500/2500 (based of the 500) is the base of the REN system. 

But to finish, if a 500 is working correctly, the Obihai boxes are more than a match. Save for the dialing.

SteveInWA

Quote from: Willy-Bill on March 21, 2015, 10:23:51 PM
Quote from: SteveInWA on March 21, 2015, 02:24:15 PM
Quote from: Willy-Bill on March 21, 2015, 03:31:31 AM
It is a much needed feature.

"Much needed"?!

Only for the 5 OBi owners whose only telephone instrument is one of these.  Seriously, there's more to it than just supporting pulse dialing.  The ancient Western Electric phones with mechanical bell ringers present impedence and power draw problems to the OBi's little integrated circuit-based telephone line interface.  I'd rather OBi continue to direct their engineering resources to current and future requirements.

I have a WE model 302 phone, and even with a Rotatone adapter retrofitted, it still isn't compatible with my OBis.  It only works with a brand "G" ATA.

Oh Bluescat ...

Thankfully, the rotary telephone is not the only telephone instrument I own.  I'm using an ITT 250044 from around 1990.  I have to disagree with Western Electric phones with mechanical bells require too much for the "little" integrated circuit, built into Obihai boxes.  They only require a REN equivalency of 1. To clearify this fact, in order to get that ITT model with a set of bells that only require a REN of 0.5 to ring correctly, I had to implant a set of bells out of an old 500 that I parted out years ago.  It now rings correctly, loudly, and consistently.  All that took place, just before I found the email saying I had a reply.

I can't speak of the 302, as those predated the 500, and the 1500/2500 (based of the 500) is the base of the REN system. 

But to finish, if a 500 is working correctly, the Obihai boxes are more than a match. Save for the dialing.

You're looking at it from the arcane collector's standpoint, not the present-day business standpoint.  There is no ROI for a company to consume any resources in an attempt to support my 1947 WE 302 telephone.  Even you had to retrofit your phone with a ringer out of a 500 model to make it work.  Think of it as a business priority, and you'd see that there is an infinitesimal percent of the potential market that would make a purchase decision on this.  Unless you have the spec sheet for the SLIC used in the OBi, you can't determine whether or not it is compatible with every rotary phone somebody might want to attach, REN or otherwise.

Willy-Bill

Quote from: SteveInWA on March 21, 2015, 10:35:35 PM
Quote from: Willy-Bill on March 21, 2015, 10:23:51 PM
Quote from: SteveInWA on March 21, 2015, 02:24:15 PM
Quote from: Willy-Bill on March 21, 2015, 03:31:31 AM
It is a much needed feature.

"Much needed"?!

Only for the 5 OBi owners whose only telephone instrument is one of these.  Seriously, there's more to it than just supporting pulse dialing.  The ancient Western Electric phones with mechanical bell ringers present impedence and power draw problems to the OBi's little integrated circuit-based telephone line interface.  I'd rather OBi continue to direct their engineering resources to current and future requirements.

I have a WE model 302 phone, and even with a Rotatone adapter retrofitted, it still isn't compatible with my OBis.  It only works with a brand "G" ATA.

Oh Bluescat ...

Thankfully, the rotary telephone is not the only telephone instrument I own.  I'm using an ITT 250044 from around 1990.  I have to disagree with Western Electric phones with mechanical bells require too much for the "little" integrated circuit, built into Obihai boxes.  They only require a REN equivalency of 1. To clearify this fact, in order to get that ITT model with a set of bells that only require a REN of 0.5 to ring correctly, I had to implant a set of bells out of an old 500 that I parted out years ago.  It now rings correctly, loudly, and consistently.  All that took place, just before I found the email saying I had a reply.

I can't speak of the 302, as those predated the 500, and the 1500/2500 (based of the 500) is the base of the REN system. 

But to finish, if a 500 is working correctly, the Obihai boxes are more than a match. Save for the dialing.

You're looking at it from the arcane collector's standpoint, not the present-day business standpoint.  There is no ROI for a company to consume any resources in an attempt to support my 1947 WE 302 telephone.  Even you had to retrofit your phone with a ringer out of a 500 model to make it work.  Think of it as a business priority, and you'd see that there is an infinitesimal percent of the potential market that would make a purchase decision on this.  Unless you have the spec sheet for the SLIC used in the OBi, you can't determine whether or not it is compatible with every rotary phone somebody might want to attach, REN or otherwise.

I won't argue the difference from a collector's standpoint, vs a business standpoint.  Nor will I assume that it all has to do with the SLIC chip, if they actually built the consumer grade boxes around that chip.  My argument wasn't for consuming resources to support any and every ancient device.  Rather a few lines of undocumented (or documented, but non-advertised) code.  Not being an advertised, or documented feature/function would allow such a feature/function to be classed as a use-at-your-own-risk set up.  Meaning if you wanted help getting it to work right, you're on your own. No help from support, maybe someone nice like you or me on these forums, but no support.

It's mostly a pipe dream, with no chance of actual success.  It is a much needed feature/function, not just for those arcane collectors, but also for those of us who prefer something simple, old and nostalgic.


giqcass

Can't you use a pulse adapter? 

On a side note you might find this link interesting.  https://www.ckts.info/
Long live our new ObiLords!

Lavarock7

I do not think Obihai should spend time on this.

if you are right and the collector field is so hot, design and build converts from VOIP to rotory and make millions.
My websites: Kona Coffee: http://itskona.com and Web Hosting: http://planetaloha.info<br />A simplified Voip explanation: http://voip.planet-aloha.com

SteveInWA

#8
Quote from: Lavarock7 on March 27, 2015, 11:03:29 PM
I do not think Obihai should spend time on this.

if you are right and the collector field is so hot, design and build converts from VOIP to rotory and make millions.

+1 Ha ha ha. And, I have a couple of rotary phones for sale, at $10,000.00 each.

giqcass

Quote from: Lavarock7 on March 27, 2015, 11:03:29 PM
I do not think Obihai should spend time on this.

if you are right and the collector field is so hot, design and build converts from VOIP to rotory and make millions.
I was thinking Kickstater.  Might be enough people there to make a short run (probably not).  If the OP believes it's "much needed" then it's worth a shot. I've seen crazier Kickstarters make it.

I think the main reason we stopped using the old Bell style phones is all of the people clocked over the head and killed.  I saw lots of that on tv.  You can't bludgeon someone with a modern phone.  Most don't even have a phone cord to strangle someone with(the Obi1032 and 1062 have good strangling cords) and since your kid probably stole your charging cable your out of luck there too.  You can still burn someone real good with a lithium ion battery if you can get them to hold still long enough.
Long live our new ObiLords!

SteveInWA

Quote from: giqcass on March 28, 2015, 01:59:09 PM
Quote from: Lavarock7 on March 27, 2015, 11:03:29 PM
I do not think Obihai should spend time on this.

if you are right and the collector field is so hot, design and build converts from VOIP to rotory and make millions.

I think the main reason we stopped using the old Bell style phones is all of the people clocked over the head and killed.  I saw lots of that on tv.  You can't bludgeon someone with a modern phone.  Most don't even have a phone cord to strangle someone with(the Obi1032 and 1062 have good strangling cords) and since your kid probably stole your charging cable your out of luck there too.  You can still burn someone real good with a lithium ion battery if you can get them to hold still long enough.

:D ;D :D ;D :D

I needed that laugh!

I should weigh my WE 302.  It's probably several pounds of steel, brass, Tenite and Bakelite, and it has two nice strong cloth-covered and reinforced cords. Not only could you smash somebody over the head with it or strangle them, you could probably hang them, too.  If that phone were sold today, it would be required to have a label on it:  "This phone is not a toy.  Strangulation risk.  Keep away from small children and pets."  Listen to it ring -- file attached.

RFC3261

Quote from: SteveInWA on March 28, 2015, 07:54:56 PM
..... If that phone were sold today, it would be required to have a label on it:  "This phone is not a toy.  Strangulation risk.  Keep away from small children and pets." 

Do not forget the Prop 65 warning: "WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm."



Lavarock7

It is a wonder there is not a parallel to carpel tunnel syndrome for rotary dial phone dialing.

It was reported that in 2006 only 14% of the telephones were rotary and that they were "probably" elderly in rural areas. I don't know if that is the case, but I would guess that most non-collectors who have rotary phones are not technically or financially motivated to buy an Obi and use VOIP. Try dialing a star code with rotary (yes the phone companies support 11xx) but how many other services that accept touchtones like a bank?
My websites: Kona Coffee: http://itskona.com and Web Hosting: http://planetaloha.info<br />A simplified Voip explanation: http://voip.planet-aloha.com

M105

15,739 reads in the year since I posted the original feature request.  The jokes are entertaining but never the less there is a real interest in this feature.  There are still a lot of devices out there other than antique phones that need pulse support.  If Grandstream can do it Obihai can as well...

azrobert

#15
Quote from: M105 on February 28, 2016, 11:44:33 AM
If Grandstream can do it Obihai can as well...

Do you own a Grandstream ATA? If you do, you can use it to interface with the OBi.

FrankHoward

I would really like my OBi200 to support pulse dialing.

I have my OBi plugged into a really old cool Western Electric 302
or a Stromberg Carlson 1243.  I prefer them in my cool old
house full of retro stuff like my 1938 Zenith shutter dial radio.
They have beautiful rings and I can get my kids to answer them even
when they have turned off the ringers on their cell phones.

http://www.atcaonline.com/
http://www.telephonecollectors.org/index.htm
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/
http://www.oldphoneworks.com/

Just my 2 cents.
Frank Howard
Cincinnati

SteveInWA

Quote from: FrankHoward on April 01, 2016, 01:47:03 PM
I would really like my OBi200 to support pulse dialing.

I have my OBi plugged into a really old cool Western Electric 302
or a Stromberg Carlson 1243.  I prefer them in my cool old
house full of retro stuff like my 1938 Zenith shutter dial radio.
They have beautiful rings and I can get my kids to answer them even
when they have turned off the ringers on their cell phones.

http://www.atcaonline.com/
http://www.telephonecollectors.org/index.htm
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/
http://www.oldphoneworks.com/

Just my 2 cents.
Frank Howard
Cincinnati


Doooood:  install a Rotatone inside your old phones and you'll be able to use them with your OBi.  That's exactly what I did with my old WE 302.

Lavarock7

I am using an old-style crank telephone and wanted to pass along how it works. I am hoping to use an Obi.

The phone is a wooden box that attaches to the wall. It has a crank, connected to a magneto to generate a signal to "Central" (the phone company), and when I crank it, they answer (essentually giving me a live "automated" attendant"). I tell them who I want to speak with and they connect the call. Thus my outbound call routing is quite simple. All calls go out to the the attendant who processes the call by some kind of lookup table.

Inbound calls are a different matter. Everyone in my neighborhood has selective ringing. This is like the new-fangled system the telephone company came up with that lets two parties share a single phone line. My ring is two short and my neighbor is a short and a long ring. I believe that if we needed to, we could change the ring tone.

I have heard of this FAX stuff, but have been unable to get a photo to fit into the mouthpiece of the phone. I don't think I can send pictures directly. What I have resorted to is describing the photo to the party on the other end. For some people I must slow that down considerably and use error correction, especially with my great grandpa.

However, calling the police or fire department works pretty well, but it is not a direct call. I pick up the receiver, crank a few times and when the attendant comes online I ask for the police or fire department. In an emergency, the attendant will redial and relay the message, especially if my phone line goes dead. There is no extra monthly charge for that service!

For directory assistance, well first there are few people in my neighborhood and I have a list of their numbers already. For long distance, not that I know anyone there, I just describe who I want and hang up and await a callback.

Our phone company does not let us own any equipment and we have to lease it from them. The wall-crank phone comes in two versions, a standard one and one with a piece of wood as a shelf that we can write notes on.

Service is pretty good, but come high water, sometimes the phone line goes off until the phone guy can get his truck up on to the bluff to reposition the pole that has fallen into the mud.

As for caller-id, we don't have it specifically. I can call the attendant (I call her "Operator") and she can tell me if someone called me. She appears to have a list of all inbound and outbound calls. Sometimes, if I "press the right buttons" I can get news items and personal opinion about local and worldwide events, but often that information will be inturrupted when someone else makes a call or her boss comes in the room.

Extra personalized service is often given with no extra charge, but sometimes I take a cherry pie with me when I go tothe phone company office to pay my bill.

I am not quite sure how the Obi devices would help me, but they sound great!



My websites: Kona Coffee: http://itskona.com and Web Hosting: http://planetaloha.info<br />A simplified Voip explanation: http://voip.planet-aloha.com

SteveInWA

Lavarock, congratulations on mastering the Hawaiian art of Talk Story.

+1