When I was growing up, the only phones I ever saw were black with rotary dials, like the one shown in this video. Ours was located in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs, sitting on top of a little table that also held an encyclopedia-sized telephone directory.
I remember when push-button phones arrived on the scene and how we all thought they were so cool. This just made me think about what my friends would have said in the late 1970s if I could take one of today’s smartphones back through time to show them. The phone wouldn’t work as a phone or GPS, of course, but the music and games and graphics and touchscreen would have blown them away.
There’s an old saying that “Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be,” but I beg to differ, because I’m getting more nostalgic by the day, and one of the things I’m getting nostalgic about is the old rotary dial telephones.
So, you can only imagine my surprise when my chum Peter Traneus Anderson (a.k.a. Traneus Rex) pointed me at one of the projects on Justine Haupt’s website — her Open Source Rotary Cellphone.
The origin of this project and its evolution are described in detail, along with all of the design files. You can even purchase a kit comprising the main circuit board and 3D-printed shell, along with threaded inserts and buttons. You will have to source a few bits and pieces — including the rotary dial — separately, but I think the result would be worth it.
I can only imagine the buzz this would generate amongst my techno-weenie friends. How about you? Do you think you could be tempted to one of these little scamps?
Also check out this “Now We Can Dial” video from 1954 https://youtu.be/PuYPOC-gCGA
Wow, definitely a way-back machine experience.
1. It’s not much different than the 5G rollout. 🙂
2. It is amazing that our system of 3 digit area codes and 7 digit numbers has been sufficient – kudos to those who looked ahead in the US to ensure we could get a number for every person. In China they had to add one number to support their population. When calling inside China, the numbers are (xxx) xxxx-xxxx.
I didn’t know that — thanks for that little nugget of knowledge — in return, did you know that as opposed to dialing 911 for emergency services in the UK, you have to dial 999
Our best and brightest — two young lads trying to use a dial phone https://youtu.be/1OADXNGnJok
Shows how gradual technology evolution enables ease-of-learning. If we were to jump ahead 20 years, we would fail with that technology as well. But then, it might be just because everyone has an AI computer implant in their brains and we don’t.
I know — it really is unfair to have done this to them — but at the same time it was really funny
Wow! that really brings back some good memories. My family had a green (I think) rotary dial. If memory serves me correctly we only had to dial 5 of the 10 digits.
I’m not sure, but I think that in the early days when direct-dial first started, you could only get local numbers (you had to use the operator to call anyone outside your area).
When I was a kid — when my parents in England wanted to call members of our family in Edmonton, Canada, they had to call the local operator, who called the international operator in London, who called the international operator in Canada, who called the local operator in Edmonton, who called my aunt/uncle. If no one answered, there was no such thing as voicemail, the just had to try again later. It wasn’t until circa 1971 that you could direct dial between the UK and the USA and Canada, and vice versa.
The only problem with this phone is that you need two hands to dial. That makes it very difficult to dial and drive at the same time. [wink][/wink]
No problem at all — just tilt your seat back, take your shoes and socks off, and use your feet to hold the steering wheel (the way I believe David Ashton usually drives), thereby leaving both hands free to use the phone (I’m a natural problem solver 🙂
What’s old is new again — and what’s new is some cool-looking throwback tech. Dial it up, folks!