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Retro Rotary Dial Telephones

The History of Rotary Dial Phones

The rotary dial is a device mounted on or in a telephone or switchboard that is designed to send interrupted electrical pulses, known as pulse dialing, corresponding to the number dialed. The early form of the rotary dial used lugs on a finger plate instead of holes. A patent was filed on August 20, 1896 by employees of Almon Strowger, namely, A. E. Keith and the brothers John and Charles Erickson. The Patent No. 597,062 was granted on January 11, 1898.

The modern version of the rotary dial with holes was first introduced in 1904 but only entered service in the Bell System in 1919. The device was phased out from the 1970s onwards with the onset of Touch Tone dialing, which uses a telephone keypad instead of a dial. Some telephone systems in the US no longer recognize rotary dialing by default, in which case it would have to be ordered from the telephone company as a special feature, to support older customer equipment.

Today the dial is a key pad or "dial pad", generally with 12 keys numbered 0-9, *, and # that perform an equivalent signalling function to that of a rotating disk dial.

In telephony, the word dialing (in present and past tense spelt with two Ls in British English and with one in American English) describes the process of the placement of a telephone call.

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From as early as 1836, there were various suggestions and inventions of dials for sending telegraph signals. After the first commercial telephone exchange was installed in 1878, the need for an automated, user-controlled method of directing a telephone call became apparent. The first telephone dial patent was jointly issued to Connolly and McTighe in 1879. There were numerous competing inventions, and 26 patents of dials, push-buttons and similar mechanisms for signalling which telephone subscriber was wanted by a caller were issued prior to 1891. Most inventions involved highly complex, and expensive, mechanisms and required the user to perform complex manipulations.

The first commercial installation of a Telephone Dial accompanied the first commercial installation of a 99 line automatic telephone exchange in La Porte, Indiana in 1892, which was based on the 1891 Strowger patent designs. The original dial designs were rather cumbersome and development continued during the 1890s and early 1900s hand in hand with the switching technology. In the 1950s, invention of plastics saw the dial itself change from metal disk to a plastic ring.

In the early 1960s Bell Telephone Laboratories researched various key pad layouts to replace the telephone dial, for electronic telephone equipment. Researchers rearranged the dial numbers in a wide range of combinations from mimicking a telephone dial to the now familiar 4 row by 3 column keypad. They found the 4x3 keypad to be the fastest and most error free arrangement to operate. However, because the American telephone dial had the 0 next to the 9, they tested the arrangement with a 1 at the top and 0 at the bottom, below the 8 key. They also tested an arrangement with the 0 below the 2 and having 9 at the top, as appeared on adding machines at that time and now appears on computer and calculator keyboards, but that arrangement was more error prone as few people were familiar with adding machines at that time. Because of this research, phone key pad numbering is reversed to today's calculator and computer keyboards. However, the keypads of most cash machines usually have the same numbering as phone key pads.

Even today, rotary phones occasionally find special uses. For instance, the anti-drug Fairlawn Coalition of the Anacostia section of Washington, DC persuaded the phone company to install rotary dials on area pay phones. The goal was to discourage loitering by drug purchasers, since the dials could not be used to call dealers' pagers.

The dial is circular. In its most common form, the dial is about 3 inches (76.2 mm) in diameter. Ten finger holes are cut through its outer perimeter. The dial is mounted via a shaft extending from inside the telephone or mounting and sits approximately 6 mm (¼ inch) above a faceplate. The faceplate is set so that through each finger hole, letters and numbers printed on the faceplate may be seen. In North America, traditional dials have letter codes displayed with the numbers under the finger holes in the following pattern: 1, 2 ABC, 3 DEF, 4 GHI, 5 JKL, 6 MNO, 7 PRS, 8 TUV, 9 WXY, and 0 Operator. However, such letter codes were not used in all countries. Older Australian rotary dial telephones also had letters, but the combinations were often printed in the center plate adjacent to the number. The 1 is normally set at approximately 60 degrees clockwise from the uppermost point of the dial, or approximately at the 2 o'clock position on a clock face, and then the numbers progress upward counterclockwise, with the 0 being at about 5 o'clock. A curved device called a finger stop sits above the dial at the 4 o'clock position.

The dial numbering can occur in 4 different formats, with 0 either being placed next to the 1 or the 9 and the numbers running in ascending or descending order with either the 0,1 or 9 being closest to the fingerstop. However, the number of pulses sent by the dial remained the same with one hole movement sending one pulse and 10 hole movements sending 10 pulses. All the telephones connected to a particular telephone exchange had to have the same dial numbering. Generally dial numbering was standardised on a U.S.-wide basis, though all 4 dial formats were used. Dials in other countries than the United States and large cities in Britain (before all figure dialling) usually did not bear alphabetic characters and an indication of the word "operator" in addition to numbers, as the system of the use of characters which were indicating telephone exchanges and formed a part of the telephone number (cf. the article telephone exchange) was unique to the United States. Alphabetic designation of exchanges was also used for a short period in the Soviet Union in the 1950s, but by the next decade this practice was largely discontinued. The world-wide use of alphabetic characters on number key pads became common after the introduction of digital mobile phones, where the assignment of alphabetic characters to number keys was utilized for entering alphanumeric short messages as SMS.

To dial a number, the user puts a finger in the corresponding finger hole and rotates the dial clockwise until it reaches the finger stop. The user then pulls out the finger, and a spring in the dial returns it to the resting position. For example, if the user dials "6" on a North American telephone, as the dial returns, electrical contacts wired through the mechanism underneath will open and close six times, thus sending six pulses to the central office.

Early dials worked by direct or forward action. The pulses went out as the dial went around to the finger stop. When the user's hand motion was not smooth, it produced wrong numbers. In the late 19th century the dial was refined to be operated by a recoil spring and centrifugal governor. The user selects the digit to be dialed, rotates the dial to the finger stop, then releases it. The spring causes the dial to return to its rest position and the governor regulates the dialing pulses at its design rate, usually approximately 10 per second, sometimes as much as 20 pps. The rotary dial governor is subject to wear and aging, and may require periodic cleaning, lubrication and adjustment by a telephone technician. Modern electronic telephones that feature selectable pulse or tone dialing eliminate this maintenance chore.

Some telephones include a much smaller dial inside the handset, with a movable finger stop. The user rotates the dial clockwise until the finger stop ceases moving, then releases both. In this setting, there is no section of the rotating dial plate without holes, allowing a smaller dial diameter. This was introduced by Western Electric on the compact Trimline telephone, the first to locate the dial in the handset.

Different pulse systems are used, varying from country to country. For example, Sweden uses one pulse to signal the number zero, and 10 pulses to signal the number nine. New Zealand uses ten pulses minus the number desired; so dialling 7 produces three pulses. In Norway, the North American system with the number 1 corresponding to one pulse was used, except from the capital, Oslo, which used the same "inverse" system as in New Zealand. For this reason, the numbers on the dial are shifted in different countries, or even in different areas of one country, to work with their system because of the difference of the number arrangement on the dial. A relic of this system is found in differing emergency telephone numbers; the United Kingdom selected 999 due to the ease of converting call office dials to make free calls ('0' for the Operator was already free), whereas in New Zealand 1-1-1 was selected for the same reason (111 actually pulses 999 to the central office/telephone exchange).

Rotary dial telephones in the U.S. were sometimes equipped with apparatus blanks — a piece of plastic or metal blocking the opening in the telephone's housing — in place of a dial. In the Bell System, these telephones were referred to as non-dial. The most common applications for non-dial telephones were on Automatic ringdown circuits or manual service. Rotary dials in the U.S. were made by both Western Electric for the Bell System (most major cities) and Automatic Electric Company for General Telephone (smaller cities and rural areas). The latter had a distinctive buzzing sound as the dial returned to the stop position. However, when turned clockwise to dial a digit, it made no sound at all.

 

Pink Western Electric Rotary Dial Telephone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
ne Western Electric 500 series Retro Rotary Dial Red Phone - USA phone - in Pink colour This phone is in excellent condition and has been refurbished. It has a RJ12 cable (see photo) This is the phone you see in the old american movies, with the ring you hear in the american movies. These are very robust phones and have a fantastic ring. No Australian Rotary Dial Phones were made in pink. the phone comes with an RJ12 cord The Series 500 phone was the standard dial phone in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in the USA. The Western Electric Model 500 telephone was the standard desk-style telephone set used by AT&T (the Bell System) in North America from the late 1949 through the divestiture of AT&T in 1984. Many millions of Model 500 phones were produced and were a familiar sight in almost every home in North America. Numbers of Western Electric 500 phones are still in use today thanks to the

Digitel Push Button telephone - decadic - early Telecom Pushbutton Phone from the 1980s

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Rare 1980s Digitel Telephone sold by Telecom Australia. This is one of the first Push Button phones sold by Telecom Australia.They were supplied by STC and made in Denmark.   Phone has adjustable ring volume and is Decadic only. In good condition - dials out clear transmission - ringer works fine.

STC 4T Telephone receiver - earpiece Telecom / PMG Rotary dial phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
STC 4T telephone receiver for ACF 802 PMG Telecom phones Replacement telephone receiver for Telecom PMG 802 ACF telephones produced in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s         STC 4T telephone receiver for ACF 802 PMG Telecom phones

Vintage King Pyramid Telephone 1930s refurbished

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Vintage Bakelite King Pyramid model 162 Telephone refurbished 1930s The King Pyramid phone was introduced in 1929. This phone has a bellset fitted in the base. It was made in the 1930s for the Post Master Generals Department (the P.M.G.). It has a cloth covered handet cord. The phone is very heavy weighing 3.5 kg. This is a rare vintage phone. It has been cleaned and refurbished and is good mechanical order.The bells ring lound and clear, and transmission is good. It is good example of a working 75 year old telephone. Dials decadic, it will not dial DTMF tones that you use for voicemail/call centres etc. However it dials telephone numbers fine, information on decadic here. This phone has been refurbished . The bakelite black telephone comes with a standard telecom 605 plug you may need an adaptor here or other adaptors here , you may need an ADSL filter, information on ADSL with retro phones here)  

Replacement curly cord for handpiece - Victa Red Rotary Dial Coin Phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
New replacement curly cord for the hadndiece for a Victa Red Rotary Dial Coin Telephone.

New reproduction Chrome 500 series Retro Rotary Dial Telephone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Vintage Reproduction Rotary Dial Chrome Phone. Brand new Telephone with modern features View other new reproduction retro rotary dial telephones here This phone is a reproduction of the classic 500 series telephone produced by Bell in the USA from 1949 until 1984. It has a similar design to the ACF 802 series phones produced by PMG Telecom in the 1960s and 1970s. The Bell 500 telephone was designed by Henry Dreyfuss a sucessful industrial designer of the 1930s and 1940s. This reproduction retro phone has all the modern features while still keeping the 1950s design. You can turn the ringer on and off. You can turn the receiver volume high and low. You have last number redial and call hold. This Telephone dials tone and decadic, it has a switch so you can switch it between pulse/decadic and DTMF. This means you can use this retro reproduction rotary dial phone for voicemail/call centres etc. This phone is brand ne

Green Rotary Dial Phone with Control Lock - 8028 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished

retro rotary dial phone telephone
ne Collectable Retro Rotary Dial Green Control Lock  Phone refurbished This Telephone has a new dial label (blank), as well as new control lock keys. This was a rare modification of the the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 70's. Telecom code was 8028 ACF Green Thousands of these phones were destroyed - they are now rare - with ones in as good condition as this - even rarer This phone has a refurbished plastic phone shell, the electronics have been refurbished - its good for another 30 years. For more details on the difference between refurbished plastic shells and new shells click here This is not a junky phone that has been sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale- This is a quality telephone. This phone would be posted to you in a Telecom Australia box. This phone also has a brown line cord This phone has been refurbished and is in excellent condition. It works perf

Green Rotary Dial Phone - 802 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished plastic Case

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Vintage 802 Retro Rotary Dial Green Phone refurbished This Telephone has a new dial label (blank). This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 1970s. PMG/Telecom code was 802 ACF Green . This vintage phone comes in a vintage Telecom Box. Tens of thousands of these phones were destroyed - they are now rare - with ones in as good condition as this - even rarer This phone has a refurbished plastic phone shell, the handpiece and curly cord is also refurbished. The electronics have been refurbished. the shell has been buffed, but still has some fine scratches, its good for another 30 years. It looks fantastic for a 40 year old telephone. This is not a junky phone like those being sold on eBay, or sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale - this is a quality telephone. Dials decadic, it will not dial DTMF tones that you use for voicemail/call centres etc. However it dials te

Ericofon Red Phone - Australia Cobra Eames Ericophone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Red Ericofon Rotary Dial Phone. Refurbished and In excellent condition - officially called Mandarin Red. This is a Northern Telecom version similar to those sold by Telecom Australia /PMG in the 1960s and 1970s, however this model was sold in the USA. It can make outgoing calls and receives calls, and it does ring with an Ericotone buzzer. Has a standard R12 modern plug . These are very rare, and this colour one of the rarest in Australia. Telecom/PMG sold a similar Red Ericofon. A fantastic special gift. Get other different coloured Ericofons - click here           The History of the Ericofon The Ericofon is a Swedish telephone handset created by Ericsson. It was designed in the late 1940s by a design team including Gösta Thames, Ralph Lysell and Hugo Blomberg. A specific feature of the telephone is that the two major components--the

Ericofon Soft Pink Phone Cobra Eames Ericophone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
One Soft Pink Ericofon Rotary Dial Phone. Refurbished and In excellent condition. This is a Northern Telecom version similar to those sold by Telecom Australia /PMG in the 1960s and 1970s, however this model was sold in the USA. It can make outgoing calls and receives calls, and it does ring with an Ericotone buzzer. Has a standard R12 modern plug . These are very rare, and this colour even rarer in Australia. Telecom/PMG never sold a pink Ericofon. A fantastic special gift. Get other different coloured Ericofons - click here     The History of the Ericofon The Ericofon is a Swedish telephone handset created by Ericsson. It was designed in the late 1940s by a design team including Gösta Thames, Ralph Lysell and Hugo Blomberg. A specific feature of the telephone is that the two major components--the handset and the dial--are combined in a single unit.

UK Black Vintage Rotary dial telephone 1970s

retro rotary dial phone telephone
UK vintage Black retro rotary dial telephone from the 1970's  A 700 series phone modified to work on Australian telephone lines. Glossy black colour, manufactured in the 1970s for the english telephone system. Has a great mechanical ring which is different from the Australian ring tone (watch and listent to the video below). Has some small scratches tha you would expect from 35 year old telephones. It has been refurbished and tested. It comes with a standard telecom plug you may need an adaptor here or other adaptors here , you may need an ADSL filter, information on ADSL with retro phones here)      UK English vintage Black retro rotary dial telephone from the 1970's  

Double Adaptor for Telecom / PMG socket - allows 2 Rotary Dial Phones to be plugged into one socket

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Double adaptor - allows you to plug two Telecom/PMG phones into a single Telecom/PMG wall socket.  

5 metre RJ11 extension cable

retro rotary dial phone telephone
5 metre RJ12/RJ45 cable. This is an extension cable that can connect to an RJ12 adaptor (not included with this extension cable - you can get other RJ12 adaptors here)  

Phone Socket Adaptor - Allows 802 Australia telephones to be plugged into RJ12 or RJ45 sockets

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Get more Phone Socket adaptors for telephones click here Socket adaptor . This allows a standard Australian Phone to be plugged into an RJ12 or RJ 45 Socket, that is now common in Australian Homes   Note: You still need a RJ12 / RJ45 cable to plug this in (the standard cable that goes from the wall socket to a modern phone) You can get an RJ12 / RJ 45 extension cable here Also there are Double Adaptors to allow to Rotary Dial Phones to be plugged into one socket here  

Tyco 'Lego' Telephone Retro

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Tyco 'Lego' Telephone Retro 1980s Tyco Super Blocks Telephone by Tyco. Made in 1980s. Phone features: ringer may be set at high, low and off; it has a switch so you can set it for DTMF (tone) or decadic.It mute key, last-number redial, slide out drawer for storage. It originally came with 18 extra lego blocks to play with (there are no extra blocks with this phone). This is a rare 1980s phone. It has had faulty components replaced and been tested. It is in good condition, you can call out and it rings on incoming calls. This phone comes with an modern RJ12 lead you may need an adaptor here or other adaptors here , you may need an ADSL filter, information on ADSL with retro phones here)   Tyco 'Lego' Telephone Retro 1980s

Replace Earppiece Cap / Cover - Telecom/PMG 802 Ivory Phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
New replacement earpiece cover or cap for an ivory 802 Telecom / PMG phone. .

RJ12 Joiner. Allows two RJ11 phone cables to be joined together extending them

retro rotary dial phone telephone
RJ12 joiner - allows you to join two phone cables together, making them longer. Extent the length of a phone cord with another cord. Joins RJ11 cables. You can get other phone adaptors here.

Phone Socket Adaptor - Allows RJ12 lead to be plugged into Telstra/Telecom socket

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Get more Phone Socket adaptors for telephones click here 605 Phone Socket adaptor . This allows a phone with an RJ12 lead to be plugged into Telstra/Telecom socket You can get an RJ12 / RJ 45 extension cable here Also there are Double Adaptors to allow to Rotary Dial Phones to be plugged into one socket here RJ12 to 610 socket adaptor

Replace Mic Cap / Cover - Telecom/PMG 802 Ivory Phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
New replacement microphone cover or cap for an ivory 802 Telecom / PMG phone. Note ths suits electronic microphones. The orginal caps more the carbon mics had more holes, so this cap might cause the volume to be low on a carbon mic equipped telephone.

Replacement Red 802 Case/Shell PMG /Telecom retro dial phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
replacement Red 802 PMG/Telecom case. The case is used and has some surface scratching (that could be buffed/polished out). Includes the switchhooks. This is the shell/case for this type of phone here

Replacement Bell motor for Rotary Dial for 802 Telecom / PMG Rotary dial phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
eplacement Bell motor for ACF 802 PMG / Telecom rotary dial phone . This does not replace all bell motors - you need to check the enlarged picture to make sure it is the same as the one you currently have

Ivory Rotary Dial Phone - 802 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished plastic Case

retro rotary dial phone telephone
One Collectable Retro Rotary Dial Ivory Phone refurbished by Telecom Australia workshops and never used since (packed in Telecom box). In as new condition  Has new dial label (blank). This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 70's. Telecom code was 802 ACF Ivory Thousands of these phones were destroyed - they are now rare - with ones in as good condition as this - even rarer These are not junky phones that have been sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale- These are quality telephones. These phones have refurbished plastic phone shells, the electronics have been refurbished. They are not sun damaged, scratched, or otherwise damaged like many rotary dial phones sold on Auction sites or at Second Hand stores.  For more details on the difference between refurbished plastic shells and new shells click here They are

Green Rotary Dial Phone - 802 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished -NEW Plastic Case

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Vintage 802 Retro Rotary Dial Green Phone refurbished with new plastic case. This Telephone has a new dial label (blank). This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 1970s. PMG/Telecom code was 802 ACF Green . This vintage phone comes in a vintage Telecom Box. Tens of thousands of these phones were destroyed - they are now rare - with ones in as good condition as this - even rarer This phone has a new plastic phone shell, the handpiece and curly cord is refurbished. The electronics have been refurbished - its good for another 30 years. It looks fantastic for a 40 year old telephone. This is not a junky phone like those being sold on eBay, or sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale - this is a quality telephone. Dials decadic, it will not dial DTMF tones that you use for voicemail/call centres etc. However it dials telephone numbers fine, information on decadic her

Replacement line cord 6 feet long - Victa Red Rotary Dial Coin Phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
New replacement line cord for the for a Victa Red Rotary Dial Coin Telephone. Runs between the phone and the socket - red colour - 6 feet long

Chocolate Brown ACF 805 Pushbutton Phone - Telecom

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Rare Chocolate Brown 8051 series vintage retro rotary dial telephone from the 1980's  A rare phone. Chocolate Brown a colour loved in the 1970s and 1980s. It is in good condition and has been refurbished. Has mechanical bells (like the 800 series phones). Dials decadic, so even though it is pushbutton it will not dial DTMF tones that you use for voicemail/call centres etc. The * and # buttons do not dial anything. However it dials telephone numbers fine, information on decadic here. Information on where it will work here . It comes with a standard 605 telecom plug you may need an adaptor here or other adaptors here , you may need an ADSL filter, information on ADSL with retro phones here)   Rare Chocolate Brown 8051 series vintage retro rotary dial telephone from the 1980's   

Replacement line cord 10 feet long - Victa Red Rotary Dial Coin Phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
New replacement line cord for the for a Victa Red Rotary Dial Coin Telephone. Runs between the phone and the socket - red colour - 10 feet long

NEC Telephone microphone - Telecom / PMG Rotary dial phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
NEC electronic telephone microphone for ACF 802 PMG Telecom phones Replacement telephone NEC Electronic microphone for carbon mic Telecom PMG 802 ACF telephones produced in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s         NEC electronic telephone microphone for ACF 802 PMG Telecom phones

Ericofon Crystal Mint - Green Phone Cobra Eames Ericophone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Green (Crystal Mint) Ericofon Rotary Dial Phone. Refurbished and In excellent condition. This is a Northern Telecom version similar to those sold by Telecom Australia /PMG in the 1960s and 1970s, however this model was sold in the USA. It can make outgoing calls and receives calls, and it does ring with an Ericotone buzzer. Has a standard R12 modern plug . These are very rare, and this colour even rarer in Australia. Telecom/PMG sold a similar Green Ericofon. A fantastic special gift. Get other different coloured Ericofons - click here           The History of the Ericofon The Ericofon is a Swedish telephone handset created by Ericsson. It was designed in the late 1940s by a design team including Gösta Thames, Ralph Lysell and Hugo Blomberg. A specific feature of the telephone is that the two major components--the handset and the dial-

Ericofon Phone Gasket replacement - Cobra Telephone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Replacement Ericofon Gasket Brand New! the gasket that often deteriorates on Ericofon Telephones make your valuable Ericofon like new! This is a new but remanufactured gasket (not a genuine original ericofon gasket), as good if not better than the original . Makes the Ericofon with a damaged gasket look good! The arrow points to the Gasket that in many ericofons has broken down. (The Ericofon does NOT come with the Gasket) Replacement Ericofon Gasket  About the Ericofon The Ericofon is a "cult" telephone handset created by Ericsson. It was designed in the late 1940s by a design team including Gösta Thames, Ralph Lysell and Hugo Blomberg. A specific feature of the telephone is that the plastic cover is molded in one piece, and it is considered a landmark in plastic industrial design. The serial production began in 1954. The earlier models were only sold to instit

Replacement Dial Label for 802 Telecom / PMG Rotary dial phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
4 x Replacement Dial Labels the item that is often missing on the Retro 802 ACF series Telecom/PMG phones       These are 4 (four) replacement paper dial labels with four different types of labels that were on the 802 series phone in the 1970s and 1980s. It does not include the plastic dial label cover which you can get here - The arrow points to the dial label that is often missing on 802 series phones. You can have a different mix of four labels if you want, just put in the comments section of checkout what four labels you want. 4 x Telephone Dial Label replacement 802 ACF phone

Red Rotary Dial Phone - 801 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished -- Extremely Rare

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Vintage 801 Retro Rotary Dial Red Phone refurbished - in very rare Red colour This Telephone has a new dial label (blank). This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's. PMG code was 801 ACF Red . The 801 Red phones are much harder to find than the 802 model red telephones. It has a brown line cord. Tens of thousands of these phones were destroyed - they are now rare - with ones in as good condition as this - even rarer This phone has a refurbished plastic phone shell, the electronics have been refurbished - its good for another 30 years. It has been buffed and polished, and looks fantastic for a 45 year old telephone. This is not a junky phone like those being sold on eBay, or sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale - this is a quality telephone. Dials decadic, it will not dial DTMF tones that you use for voicemail/call centres etc. However it dials telephone numbers fine, infor

Red Rotary Dial Telephone - Western Electric

retro rotary dial phone telephone
ne Collectable Western Electric 500 series Retro Rotary Dial Red Phone - USA phone - in rare Red colour This phone is in excellent condition and has been refurbished. It has a RJ12 cable (see photo) This is the phone you see in the old american movies, with the ring you hear in the american movies. These are very robust phones and have a fantastic ring. the phone comes with an RJ12 cord The Series 500 phone was the standard dial phone in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in the USA. The Western Electric Model 500 telephone was the standard desk-style telephone set used by AT&T (the Bell System) in North America from the late 1949 through the divestiture of AT&T in 1984. Many millions of Model 500 phones were produced and were a familiar sight in almost every home in North America. Numbers of Western Electric 500 phones are still in use today thanks to their durability. The basic phone's mo

Replace Mic Cap / Cover - Victa Red Rotary Dial Coin Phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
New replacement microphone / transmitter cover or cap for a Victa Red Rotary Dial Coin Telephone.

Replacement Dial Cover for 802 Telecom / PMG Rotary dial phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Replacement Dial Label plastic cover Brand New! the item that is often missing on the Retro 802 ACF series Telecom phones   This is a NEW replacement plastic dial label cover (not the paper dial label) - The arrow points to the plastic piece that is often missing on 800 series phones. This does not include the paper dial label, you can get a set of paper replacement dial labels here. Replacement Dial Cover for 802 series Telecom PMG Vintage Retro Rotary dial phones

New reproduction Black 500 series Retro Rotary Dial Telephone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Vintage Reproduction Rotary Dial Black Phone. Brand new Telephone with modern features View other new reproduction retro rotary dial telephones here This phone is a new reproduction of the retro classic 500 series telephone produced by Bell in the USA from 1949 until 1984. It was the first phone replacing the previous Bakelite models. The design is similar to the ACF 802 series phones produced by PMG Telecom in the 1960s and 1970s. The 500 Bell phone was designed by Henry Dreyfuss a sucessful industrial designer of the 1930s and 1940s. This reproduction retro phone has all the modern features while still keeping the 1950s design. You can turn the ringer on and off. You can turn the receiver volume high and low. You have last number redial and call hold. This Telephone dials tone and decadic, it has a switch so you can switch it between pulse/decadic and DTMF. This means you can use this retro reproduction rotary dia

Black Rotary Dial Phone - 802 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Vintage Retro Rotary Dial Black 802 ACF Phone refurbished This Telephone has a new dial label (blank) and dial cover. This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 70's. Telecom code was 802 ACF Black . The black colour is very rare because black had been the only colour available until 1960, and after that customers generally selected every colour except black. Thousands of these phones were destroyed - they are now rare - with ones in as good condition as this - even rarer This phone has a refurbished plastic phone shell, the electronics have been refurbished - its good for another 30 years. It has been buffed and polished, but still has some minor surface scratching, and marks, as you would expect from a 40 year old telephone. This is not a junky phone like those being sold on eBay, or sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale - this is a quality telephone. Dials d

New reproduction Retro Dial Telephone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
New reproduction Black Retro Dial Phone View other new reproduction retro rotary dial telephones here A reproduction of old retro dial telephones with modern features like tone dialling, and last number redial. This phone does not have a rotating dial like our refurbished rotary dial phones you just press the number you want directly like any push button telephone. This phone will dial tone or DTMF (explained here) , so you can use it on Voicemail and Telephone banking. Touchtone dialling Push-button dialling. Last number redial Redial the last number called with a single button press. Hi/Lo ringer Adjusts the volume of the ringer. Network feature compatible Including call waiting and recall. Hearing aid compatible The phone contains an inbuilt inductive coupler which offers Hearing Aid users clearer sound. Simply switch your hearing aid to the “T” setting to use this function. telephone comes with

RJ12 Y Splitter Double adaptor Allows two RJ11 phone cables to be joined to one cable

retro rotary dial phone telephone
RJ12 Y splitter double adaptor - allows you to join two phone cables together to one cable. Allows two phones or devices to be connected to one existing telephone cable. Also allows you to extend the length of a telephone cable as an extension. RJ12 1 port to 2 with RJ11 cables. You can get other phone adaptors here.

Grey Rotary Dial Phone - 802 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished -NEW Plastic Case

retro rotary dial phone telephone
One Collectable Retro Rotary Dial Grey Phone refurbished by Telecom Australia workshops (previously the PMG) and never used since (packed in Telecom box). In as new condition  Has new dial label (blank). This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 70's. Telecom code was 802 ACF Green These phones were refurbished by Telecom workshops in Perth in the late 1980s. These particular phones had the electronics refurbished, and the plastic case replaced with a new plastic case . The phones have been unused since. They do have slight rub marks at the side of the phones from storage in the box. You will never find second hand phones in such fantastic condition as these phones.They have new dial labels, new dial covers. It works perfectly and can be used anywhere in the world where you can obtain decadic service (nearly all of Australia and most of the world in

Replacement Dial Plate for 802 Telecom / PMG Rotary dial phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
eplacement Dial plate that sits at the back of the dial of a ACF 802 rotary dial phone.

Replacement Dial Ring for 802 Telecom / PMG Rotary dial phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
eplacement Dial ring that sits on top of the dial plate of a ACF 802 rotary dial phone.

Ericofon Phone Gasket replacement - Cobra Telephone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Replacement Ericofon Gasket Brand New! the gasket that often deteriorates on Ericofon Telephones make your valuable Ericofon like new! This is a new but remanufactured gasket (not a genuine original ericofon gasket), as good if not better than the original . Makes the Ericofon with a damaged gasket look good! The arrow points to the Gasket that in many ericofons has broken down. (The Ericofon does NOT come with the Gasket) Replacement Ericofon Gasket  About the Ericofon The Ericofon is a "cult" telephone handset created by Ericsson. It was designed in the late 1940s by a design team including Gösta Thames, Ralph Lysell and Hugo Blomberg. A specific feature of the telephone is that the plastic cover is molded in one piece, and it is considered a landmark in plastic industrial design. The serial production began in 1954. The earlier models were only sold to instit

Red Rotary Dial Phone - 802 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Vintage Retro Rotary Dial Red Phone refurbished - in very rare Red colour This Telephone has a new dial label (blank). This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 70's. Telecom code was 802 ACF Laquer Red It has a brown line cord. Tens of thousands of these phones were destroyed - they are now rare - with ones in as good condition as this - even rarer This phone has a refurbished plastic phone shell, the electronics have been refurbished -it has a new bell set and a replacement dial- its good for another 30 years. It has been buffed and polished, but still has some fine surface scratching, and marks, as you would expect from a 40 year old telephone. It also has a small chip at the rear of the phone where the phone cord connects (see lower photo). This is not a junky phone like those being sold on eBay, or sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale - this is a quality

Grey CB Telephone - 811 made by PMG / Telecom new plastic shell

retro rotary dial phone telephone
ne Collectable Retro Grey CB  Phone new plastic shell - refurbished other components Extremely Rare CB Phone This Telephone has a new dial label (blank). This was a very special phone from 1960's and 70's used in Hotels and other areas where the caller picked up the handset and was connected to an operator . Telecom code was 811 ACF Grey CB This phone has a new plastic phone shell, the electronics have been refurbished - its good for another 30 years, the handset is refurbished. For more details on the difference between refurbished plastic shells and new shells click here This is not a junky phone that has been sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale- This is a quality telephone. This phone would be posted to you in a Telecom Australia box. This phone also has a brown line cord It works perfectly and can be used anywhere in the world where you can obtain decadic service (nearly all of Austr

Ericofon Aqua Mist - Blue Phone Cobra Eames Ericophone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Blue (Aqua Mist) Ericofon Rotary Dial Phone. Refurbished and In excellent condition. This is a Northern Telecom version similar to those sold by Telecom Australia /PMG in the 1960s and 1970s, however this model was sold in the USA. It can make outgoing calls and receives calls, and it does ring with an Ericotone buzzer. Has a standard R12 modern plug . These are very rare, and this colour even rarer in Australia. A fantastic special gift. Get other different coloured Ericofons - click here           The History of the Ericofon The Ericofon is a Swedish telephone handset created by Ericsson. It was designed in the late 1940s by a design team including Gösta Thames, Ralph Lysell and Hugo Blomberg. A specific feature of the telephone is that the two major components--the handset and the dial--are combined in a single unit. This one-piece d

New reproduction Red 302 model Red Retro Rotary Dial Telephone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Vintage Reproduction Rotary Dial 302 series Red  Phone. Brand new Telephone with modern features View other new reproduction retro rotary dial telephones here This phone is a new reproduction of the retro classic 302 series telephone produced by Western Electric from 1937. The design is similar to the 300 series Bakelite phone manuafactured for the PMG in Australia. The 302 model telephone was designed by Henry Dreyfuss a sucessful industrial designer of the 1930s and 1940s. This reproduction retro phone has all the modern features while still keeping the 1950s design. You can turn the ringer on and off. You can turn the receiver volume high and low. You have last number redial and call hold. This Telephone dials tone and decadic, it has a switch so you can switch it between pulse/decadic and DTMF. This means you can use this retro reproduction rotary dial phone for voicemail/call centres etc. This phone is bra

Yellow Rotary Dial Phone - 802 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Yellow Vintage Rotary Dial Phone refurbished This Telephone has a new dial label (blank) and dial cover. This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 70's. Telecom code was 802 ACF Yellow. This is a decadic phone. Thousands of these phones were destroyed - they are now rare - with ones in as good condition as this - even rarer This phone has a refurbished plastic phone shell, the electronics have been refurbished - its good for another 30 years. For more details on the difference between refurbished plastic shells and new shells click here This is not a junky phone that has been sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale, or a non working phone bought on ebay, this is a quality telephone. This phone does not come in a Telecom Box. It has a grey line cord with a 605 telecom plug. You may need an adaptor here if you do not have standard Telecom plugs. You may need an ADSL filter,

Ivory Rotary Dial Phone - 802 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished - NEW Plastic Case

retro rotary dial phone telephone
One Collectable Retro Rotary Dial Ivory Phone refurbished by Telecom Australia workshops (previously PMG) and never used since (packed in Telecom box). Has new dial label (blank). This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 70's. Telecom code was 802 ACF Ivory These phones were refurbished by Telecom workshops in Perth in the late 1980s. These particular phones had the electronics refurbished, and the plastic case replaced with a new plastic case (the handsets and cord are refurbished). The phones have been unused since. They do have slight rub marks at the side of the phones from storage in the box. You will never find second hand phones in such fantastic condition as these phones.They have new dial labels, new dial covers. It works perfectly and can be used anywhere in the world where you can obtain decadic service (nearly all of Australia and most of the

Sage Green ACF 8081 - Brand New in Box - Telecom / PMG

retro rotary dial phone telephone
nbsp; Sage Green Telecom 8081 Brand New in box. Dates from September 1985, one of the earliest Telecom Pushbutton Telephones replacing the ACF 802 rotary dial telephones. Phone is decadic only - with volume control.      

Ivory Rotary Dial Phone - 802 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished plastic Case (with plastic grommet)

retro rotary dial phone telephone
ne Collectable Retro Rotary Dial Ivory Phone refurbished by Telecom Australia workshops and never used since (packed in Telecom box). In as new condition  Has new dial label (blank). This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 70's. Telecom code was 802 ACF Ivory Thousands of these phones were destroyed - they are now rare - with ones in as good condition as this - even rarer This particular model has a grommet to replace a hole in the case (used for control-lock phones) These are not junky phones that have been sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale- These are quality telephones. These phones have refurbished plastic phone shells, the electronics have been refurbished. They are not sun damaged, scratched, or otherwise damaged like many rotary dial phones sold on Auction sites or at Second Hand stores.  For more details on the difference between

Ericofon Harvest Gold - Yellow Phone Cobra Eames Ericophone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Yellow (Harvest Gold) Ericofon Rotary Dial Phone. Refurbished and In excellent condition. This is a Northern Telecom version similar to those sold by Telecom Australia /PMG in the 1960s and 1970s, however this model was sold in the USA. It can make outgoing calls and receives calls, and it does ring with an Ericotone buzzer. Has a standard R12 modern plug . These are very rare, and this colour even rarer in Australia. Telecom/PMG sold a similar Golden Yellow Ericofon. A fantastic special gift. Get other different coloured Ericofons - click here           The History of the Ericofon The Ericofon is a Swedish telephone handset created by Ericsson. It was designed in the late 1940s by a design team including Gösta Thames, Ralph Lysell and Hugo Blomberg. A specific feature of the telephone is that the two major components--the handset and

Replacement Gasket for Rotary Dial for 802 Telecom / PMG Rotary dial phone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
eplacement Dial gasket that sits around the dial of a ACF 802 rotary dial phone.

Vintage PMG 400 series Telephone refurbished

retro rotary dial phone telephone
Vintage Black Bakelite PMG 400 AT Telephone 1962 The last of the bakelite phones, introduced in the 1950s. They were available in black or ivory. The phone is very heavy weighing 2.3 kg. This is a rare vintage phone. It has been cleaned and refurbished and is good mechanical order.The bells ring lound and clear, and transmission is good. It is good example of a working almost 50 year old telephone. Dials decadic, it will not dial DTMF tones that you use for voicemail/call centres etc. However it dials telephone numbers fine, information on decadic here. This phone has been refurbished . The bakelite black telephone comes with a standard telecom 605 plug you may need an adaptor here or other adaptors here , you may need an ADSL filter, information on ADSL with retro phones here)     Vintage Black Bakelite PMG 400 AT Telephone 1962

Ericofon Deep Red Phone Cobra Eames Ericophone

retro rotary dial phone telephone
One Deep Red Ericofon Rotary Dial Phone. Refurbished and In excellent condition. This is a Northern Telecom version similar to those sold by Telecom Australia /PMG in the 1960s and 1970s, however this model was sold in the USA. It can make outgoing calls and receives calls, and it does ring with an Ericotone buzzer. Has a standard R12 modern plug . These are very rare, and this colour even rarer in Australia. Telecom/PMG sold a Red Ericofon, but not a deep red colour like this example. A fantastic special gift. Get other different coloured Ericofons - click here         The History of the Ericofon The Ericofon is a Swedish telephone handset created by Ericsson. It was designed in the late 1940s by a design team including Gösta Thames, Ralph Lysell and Hugo Blomberg. A specific feature of the telephone is that the two major components--the handset and t

Grey Rotary Dial Phone - 802 made by PMG / Telecom refurbished Plastic Case

retro rotary dial phone telephone
One Collectable Retro Rotary Dial Grey Phone refurbished by Telecom Australia workshops and never used since (packed in Telecom box). Has new dial label (blank). This was the standard telephone in Australian homes during the 1960's and 70's. Telecom code was 802 ACF Grey Thousands of these phones were destroyed - they are now rare - with ones in as good condition as this - even rarer These are not junky phones that have been sitting in someone's shed, or bought at a garage sale- These are quality telephones. These phones have refurbished plastic phone shells, the electronics have been refurbished. They are not sun damaged, scratched, or otherwise damaged like many rotary dial phones sold on Auction sites or at Second Hand stores.  For more details on the difference between refurbished plastic shells and new shells click here They are posted to you in a Telecom Aust

More step by step Exchanges

In electrical controls, a stepping switch is an electromechanical device which allows an input connection to be connected to one of a number of possible output connections, under the control of a series of electrical pulses. They could step on one axis (called a uniselector), or on two axis (called a Strowger switch). Stepping switches were invented by Almon Strowger in 1888. The major use for these devices was in early automatic telephone exchanges (commonly called Strowger or step-by-step exchanges or steppers) to route telephone calls.

A basic stepping switch has a single input terminal (the stepping terminal) and multiple output terminals. Connection from the input terminal to the outputs is controlled by an internal rotary contact, or wiper, which can rotate, rather like the hand on a clock, so as to connect the input terminal (electrically connected to its central axis) to whichever output terminal it is currently touching. The position of the wiper is controlled by an electromagnet. Each time an electric pulse is received at the stepping terminal, the electromagnetic ratchet is activated, causing the rotary contact to advance one position, and connect the input terminal to the next output.

In most applications, such as telephony, it is desirable to be able to return the rotary contact to a "home" position. Some stepping switches would rotate continuously back to the "home" position as soon as they reached the last position, while others had a separate "reset" coil and a return spring, and still others would rotate forward rather than back, to the home position.

One development was a type of stepping switch which had several rows of contacts, with one rotating wiper per row. All the wipers were mechanically coupled so that, as one rotated, the others remained aligned with it. Hence, one input with multiple wires could be connected to one of multiple outputs, based on the receipt of a single set of pulses. In this configuration, the rotating contacts looked, in general, somewhat like the head support arms in a modern rigid ("hard") disk drive.

Separate sets of cam-operated contacts on some switches moved when the rotor was at its home position, so that all of the bank of selectable contacts could be used for other purposes. Although not as common, there were bidirectional stepping switches with two coils that could rotate the moving contacts in either direction, one coil for each direction.

Slightly more complicated was the two axis stepping switch, also called Strowger switch or Step by Step in Britain), which had two stepping coils, one to raise it to successive banks of contacts, and one to rotate the wiper. These were commonly used in telephone switching with ten banks of ten contacts. These were driven by the electrical pulses (opens) generated from a telephone dial: On a selector switch, as each digit was dialled, the wiper would step up the banks, then rotate automatically until the wiper found an "unused" set of contacts to the next switch. The last two digits dialed would operate the connector switch. The second to last digit would cause the shaft to move up and the last digit would cause the wipers to rotate. If the line was idle then ringing generator would be applied to the called line and ring back tone was sent to the calling line. Another variant of the two-axis switch was the Stromberg-Carlson X-Y Switch which was quite common in telephone exchanges in the western USA. It was a flat mechanism, and the moving contacts moved both sidewise, as well as to and fro.

As well as the decoding of pulses from telephones, stepping switches could be used for a variety of purposes, depending on how they were wired. By connecting several in series with the highest output of one going to the stepping contact of the next, a counter could be constructed. Or by feeding the stepping contact with an endless pulse train via a relay, and controlling the relay from the switch's own output, it can be made to automatically hunt for the first unpowered line (or powered, depending on whether the relay is normally open or normally closed). They could also be used as a demultiplexer, so that two input lines could control a number of output devices. One input line steps the switch until the correct device is selected, and the other then powers that device. Many other applications are possible.

Such switches were used in a series of Japanese cypher machines during World War 2: Coral, Jade, PURPLE (the names were American). Some of the equipment used to break the Enigma machine code also used many such switches, which some observers called the "Machine Gun" for the loud noise.

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