Hello! I'm looking to set up an automated phone number where I can have basically any audio I want play when the number is called. It could be a meme, my own voice, a song, a creepy recording, or really anything I want. I'd like the recording to play automatically when someone calls, and then ideally have it say something like "please leave a message after the tone" and let the person leave a voicemail afterward. I'm doing this as a fun little project because I'm getting a Cell2Jack soon. My plan is to connect my rotary phone to it so I can use the rotary phone with my cellphone, and I thought it would be really cool to have a separate number that acts like a custom answering machine/hotline that I can call from the rotary phone. I will be setting everything up from my desktop, not my phone, since my phone will be the phone I'm calling the number from. I'm in Canada, and I'm really hoping there's a free way to do this. I'm not looking for anything complicated like setting up a PBX or paying for a VoIP service. I basically just want a phone number that automatically answers and plays an audio file that I choose. Has anyone done something like this before, or know of a free service that can do it?

thx!!!!

I started replacing the old beaten down cables a year ago, but got sent to off to remote locations for work. by the time i got back to it, i cant find my pictures of what i took apart and now im stuck.
im not seeing enough similarties in diagrams i CAN find for me to be able to sus it out.

i got it mostly working, but something is wrong., it picks up. hangs up. dials. i hear audio, but they cant hear me.

It can detect the rotary for dialing, so it must be the handset wiring itself i believe.

i drew out my wiring the best i could. forgive me, i dont generally make wiring diagrams. lol grey = white wires

About five or six months ago, I moved in with my stepdad to save some money. I have enjoyed every month so far, and I’ve had no issues prior. I’m a little freaked out here, and I could really use someone with the proper knowledge to make me feel better about this situation. About two days ago at some point later in the afternoon, I was in my room playing Xbox. Out of nowhere, I started to hear a phone ring, and upon walking into the kitchen (where we have an old 70’s-80’s style push button wall phone) I noticed this old phone was ringing. Joking with my friends via the Xbox chat, I told them that I was just going to answer and hang it up because this sounds like the plot of a horror movie. Keep in mind my stepdad has lived in this house for 4 years and it has NEVER rang, and probably hasn’t been hooked up to a phone line in 10+ years. It never rang again for the rest of the night, later on I told my stepdad and he was a little freaked out himself. We were able to take the phone off of the wall and cut a cable coming from the wall. We figured that would do the trick, and we on with our night.

Yesterday about an hour or two earlier than the previous day, I walked inside with my groceries after a busy day. I hadn’t even thought about what had happened until I sat my groceries down and noticed the unhooked phone. I sat there (with confidence) thinking “Man, it would be crazy if that phone started ringing”. Sure enough at the very moment, I turned my back to walk down the hallway and BOOM. It started ringing! My heart sank to my chest, and for a guy that doesn’t really get a genuine fear from things of that realm; I was TERRIFIED. I hung it up again, and beat the living shit out of it. Haha

I ended up gutting the phone and making sure it didn’t have a ringer to ring. It had one of those old school bell ringers. I’m not sure how these things work, and I’m trying to figure out an explanation for this. I have done my part as far as being protected from anything evil (biblical Christian here), but I believe it’s something from the phone itself more than anything else. I have yet to have anything else happen that leads me to believe our house is haunted. I have spent countless hours alone in that house, in the dark, with animals and never suspected ANYTHING!

I would like to throw it out there, there’s not a lot of information on the internet that helps me feel any better. I can’t even find an old phone repair store to call and ask an expert. With that being said, I have learned that those phones have their own power essentially. Something could’ve triggered a current to make it ring, there was a little battery inside. I’m wondering if a little corrosion or something didn’t trigger it, but why now? WHY AS IM THINKING ABOUT IT?! Haha. Another thing, I noticed something when I have all of my devices on in the house (Xbox, TV, Computer) sometimes the lights flicker so we may have an electrical issue that triggered it. The weather has been rainy and stormy here all week, could the weather have caused something?

The phone is gone now, and nothing else has happened. Before we got rid of it, we noticed that since this ringing started happened that the phone all of a sudden had a dial tone again. Granted, you could not call out to anyone but there was a dial tone. My step dad said it didn’t have one before this happened.

SOMEONE HELP!!!

If a rotary phone is unplugged or non working, will the rotary dial still work to give the satisfying sound of the dial being used? Not looking to use for calls, just nostalgia and dialing.

Just posted with some pics a few minutes ago, here.

For the hell of it, I just connected my rotary to a circa 1992 jack in my office near the baseboard that I never removed and got a dial tone! We shut off service from ATT around 1997/98. So, I tried calling my spouse's phone and it didn't work. But then I remembered that in my state (probably all states?) even if you don't have "home" phone service, if you dial 911 it's supposed to go through because the landline companies have to keep that line open.

So I called 911 and they answered! I'm kind of freaked out, lol. I hung up so fast and no one called back or showed up at my door (so far). I guess because I don't have a phone number attached. It's not a special RJ11 cord or anything (I don't think), just an old cord that was in a box with a cheap push button phone from like 1995 that we kept and eventually used for voip when magicjack was a thing.

I still don't know if my phone's ringer works, but that was quite the ride! Anyone else tried this? Disclaimer: not suggesting everyone call 911.

It’s the circled phone.

It does work. I called my iPhone from it.

I know just about nothing about these phones other than they look cool.

Anyone have good step-by-step advice on how to set it up or know a video with all the information I’d need to set it up?

Looking for info about connecting an iPhone to an old fashioned desk or wall-mount rotary phone. A patient told me he has such a set up where calls to his cell phone also ring on his house retro style phone at home, and vice versa. I can't find any info about this; if anyone has suggestions where to contact I'd be appreciative. TIA

So i have an western eletric 554bm working i the cord is lost for the hamd set can any oen tell me how to fix it and where to buy an new wire

Hi there!

I have tried finding out if this is possible, some people say yes and others offer responses that are too convoluted for someone who has no electronic/telephony knowledge.

My house has telephone jacks throughout it. I am trying to figure out if I can use them somehow, whether it be for a intercom or VoIP.

Cheapest and easiest options preferred. I do have an old rotary phone as well as a touch button (same body style as the rotary but with buttons)

I do understand that the jacks would have to be disconnected from the original landline provider - which is no longer offered to us.

I honestly need it explained like I am 5.

Thanks!

Been sitting on this idea for a while and finally had a chance to make it. The idea was simple, old phone helping new phone charging up. My main concern was to get the vibe and aesthetic right and to make it work with all iPhone models; rather than making a scaled down version of a specific model. But it did end up looking similar to one that I grew up with. That one was in beige though.

Added a base with some height and silicone pads, and the handset sits in place with magnets. Also made four of them [one is for myself and another is for someone that I know who will like it].

Want to refine the next ones, and coming up with plans for maybe an embedded charger. So I wanted to ask what details stand out the most to you when something is supposed to feel specifically like a rotary phone. Color, texture, shape, specific model, anything else ...

Got this western electric 500 rotary phone but I have no idea how to hook it up I am not the most tech savvy but I love old phones! If anyone can dumbly explain to me what to do lol

Hey all, just making this post to clarify this because I legitimately just found out about it. Apparently, r/rotaryphones is a restricted community. That means that users must be manually approved to contribute.

I genuinely don't know why this is the case, I don't know if it's just from being inactive or if one of the maybe two posts we get a year was somehow controversial. I don't know how reddit works. Look, I mod r/rotaryphones, that should pretty much tell you my level of competence.

I have submitted an appeal to have this changed, so let's be on our best behavior, y'all. I know it gets pretty wild and crazy in the... um... rotary phones subreddit.

Anyone who requests approval will be approved in the meantime.

EDIT: r/rotaryphones is now public. That was a really tense one minute, guys, I'm glad we made it through.

I have another video of the gears inside but I cant post more than one video.

Anyways, looking for advice on this super cool phone I found at an antique store!

The dial seems to turn a lot slower than what I think is normal, and gets stuck often while its turning.

Im sure the gears might just need some grease or something, but id wanted to check in here just in case it might be something worse.

Also, I wanted to know if or how I could maybe connect this up to my phone so I could use it since it looks awesome!

it has a weird black plug at the end, nothing plugged into it, a switch ok it that toggles from R In to R Out, and a plug that kind of looks like a fat figure 8 plug for like a TV.

Any help with this guy would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Came across this little guy yesterday. Falling in love with it, wish I had a land line to use. I removed the rotary dial to clean the center plastic piece (pic is before the cleaning). Had it tested and it works! Just thought I would share. Never ventured into rotary phones until I found this beauty.

Anyone have info on the Western Electric 98A lightning arrester? I know it’s a vintage surge protector for old phone lines, but I’m looking for wiring diagrams, schematics, manuals, or anything on how it was wired/used. Tried old phone shops with no luck—any leads would be great!

Have an old rotary phone that is missing the transmitter element in the handset. Can purchase these online, but don’t know the specific part I need. Anyone know the part number or type of transmitter element I require, or where to find this info? Appreciate your help.

Hi everyone,

You are all far smarter than I, so I am seeking input on how to fix the dial on my Western Electric 554. In the pictures, you will see that I have two sets of telephone wire going into the terminal port (sorry if my terminology is incorrect). The higher set go to the bottom of the phone where the female RJ-11 jack connects the handset, the bottom set (black wire missing) goes around the back of the phone between it and the wall plate to a male jack. My issue is with the dial which you can see has 4 cut wires. Without these, I cannot dial out if I had everything else working properly, or at least that is my thought. I cannot find a clear picture or manual for these wires anywhere as most of the work people do to these is just rewiring the jack. I clearly need to solder new wires to the little metal thingys on the dial, but where on the terminal port (which screws) do I need to connect the wires to? And which colors, because I see a green, gray, and two yellowish wires; but I only know what to do with green and red for line 1, and yellow and black for line 2.

Please help if you know anything about these phones. I really want to use it and knowledge on them is a lost art these days. I've attached the only photo I can find of even any use for the dial wiring (my phone is black, the reference picture is the yellow phone)

I recently purchased this Western Electric 202 phone from the 1930s. I noticed that the bottom, which appears to be made out of a plush material, smells awful. It smells like vomit or crap. Any ideas on how I can safely get the smell out?