15 replies to this topic

[JmanA9]

I was looking for some information about a 3 slot pay phone, and I found this. I'm very surprised, but I never thought this type of thing was totally implausible.

http://www.dallasnew...ne.310f74d.html

[ThoughtPhreaker]

Look at the date it was written, though. This was the same year AT&T decided to pull out of the payphone market. The owners seemed determined to do something about it, but do you suppose anything became of it? I don't think there's any COCOTs that'll fit themselves in the shell of a rotary fortress. As the Chicago O'Hare airport payphones will testify to, (in fact, if you see a payphone in the middle of a bank of three with no upper instruction card, that's my phone) ACTS most definitely still ran on those switches as of this December. It could be the hotel showered AT&T with money or bought the phone or something.

In other news, a friend of mine took a picture of a rotary dial Centurion in Appleton, NF some time ago .

[JmanA9]

Yep, it's gone now:

Attached Files

•  972-641-9011.mp3   2.35MB   17 downloads

[nyphonejacks]

Yep, it's gone now:

it is really hard to hear the person you called on that recording... what do you use to record your calls?

other then that.. they seemed pretty cool about you calling them and asking them questions about the phone..

[JmanA9]

Yep, it's gone now:

it is really hard to hear the person you called on that recording... what do you use to record your calls?

other then that.. they seemed pretty cool about you calling them and asking them questions about the phone..

I only planned on asking just a question or two, but she went on talking, so I did too

She was really hard for me to hear her as well. The level of the dial tone and ring show that I was getting decent levels. It must have been on her end. I recorded from a W.E. 500 set with a Radio Shack in-line recorder with a 1/8" jack onto my Olympus WS300M digital recorder. It's fine for voices, but I'd prefer to have something a little better for network noises.

Attached is an example of a normal call.

Attached Files

•  WS_30099.mp3   752.01K   2 downloads

[ThoughtPhreaker]

imho, it's generally a better idea to plug directly into the 500 set instead of using a seperate circuit. That way, you don't have to deal with the extra noise from the amplification, and your voice won't be much louder than the distant audio. 

This is all subjective too, but when I record using a direct interface, I like to make it as close to the original line levels as possible; usually 4 dB loop loss or so on a local milliwatt, or about -15 dB at dialtone from my local switch. It sounds a little strange at first, but pay attention the next time you hear something recorded on a real PRI like with K7. Something that sounds fine on a handset can be as low as -24 dB, but if you turn it up with speakers/headphones, it sounds great.

But anyway, that's cool that she got into so much detail. At least they still have *a* phone, even if it's quite possibly a COCOT. Was 972-641-9011 the number of the phone itself or the number you called? I called it and let it ring for a while, but I didn't hear a modem (or a clerk) answer.

[JmanA9]

imho, it's generally a better idea to plug directly into the 500 set instead of using a seperate circuit. That way, you don't have to deal with the extra noise from the amplification, and your voice won't be much louder than the distant audio. 

This is all subjective too, but when I record using a direct interface, I like to make it as close to the original line levels as possible; usually 4 dB loop loss or so on a local milliwatt, or about -15 dB at dialtone from my local switch. It sounds a little strange at first, but pay attention the next time you hear something recorded on a real PRI like with K7. Something that sounds fine on a handset can be as low as -24 dB, but if you turn it up with speakers/headphones, it sounds great.

But anyway, that's cool that she got into so much detail. At least they still have *a* phone, even if it's quite possibly a COCOT. Was 972-641-9011 the number of the phone itself or the number you called? I called it and let it ring for a while, but I didn't hear a modem (or a clerk) answer.

I dialed 972-641-9011, the number for the hotel.

I agree, and I should have something better in place by now. I've been (poorly) recording things for, what, 5 years? In the interface you speak of, are you using a coupler from a modem? I tore one out a while ago, and now I can't find it...

[nyphonejacks]

imho, it's generally a better idea to plug directly into the 500 set instead of using a seperate circuit. That way, you don't have to deal with the extra noise from the amplification, and your voice won't be much louder than the distant audio. 

This is all subjective too, but when I record using a direct interface, I like to make it as close to the original line levels as possible; usually 4 dB loop loss or so on a local milliwatt, or about -15 dB at dialtone from my local switch. It sounds a little strange at first, but pay attention the next time you hear something recorded on a real PRI like with K7. Something that sounds fine on a handset can be as low as -24 dB, but if you turn it up with speakers/headphones, it sounds great.

But anyway, that's cool that she got into so much detail. At least they still have *a* phone, even if it's quite possibly a COCOT. Was 972-641-9011 the number of the phone itself or the number you called? I called it and let it ring for a while, but I didn't hear a modem (or a clerk) answer.

I dialed 972-641-9011, the number for the hotel.

I agree, and I should have something better in place by now. I've been (poorly) recording things for, what, 5 years? In the interface you speak of, are you using a coupler from a modem? I tore one out a while ago, and now I can't find it...

that is the adapter from radio shack that connects to the handset cord? i have used one of those before and the recordings came out decent...

i have a draw full of PC cards, many of which are modems.. thats the first thing that i remove from any PC that I purchace, or accuire - it only takes up a PCI slot, that can be used for something that i actually use...

[ThoughtPhreaker]

In the interface you speak of, are you using a coupler from a modem? I tore one out a while ago, and now I can't find it...

That's one way to do it. If you're lazy like me and happen to have something that either has balanced power inputs or can be unplugged from an AC power source like a laptop, you can just tear a phone cord in half and slap a 1/8" jack on one end. If you want to plug it into the majority of recording equipment, you'll need said isolation transformer from a modem or something like it.

Strom's is a bit more elegant... http://old.stromcarl...ordingpatch.gif

[Andrew]

Look at the date it was written, though. This was the same year AT&T decided to pull out of the payphone market. The owners seemed determined to do something about it, but do you suppose anything became of it? I don't think there's any COCOTs that'll fit themselves in the shell of a rotary fortress. As the Chicago O'Hare airport payphones will testify to, (in fact, if you see a payphone in the middle of a bank of three with no upper instruction card, that's my phone) ACTS most definitely still ran on those switches as of this December. It could be the hotel showered AT&T with money or bought the phone or something.

In other news, a friend of mine took a picture of a rotary dial Centurion in Appleton, NF some time ago .

I believe there is one left in a government office; I should try taking some pictures of it when I get a day off work. I think I still have that picture somewhere too.

[nyphonejacks]

Look at the date it was written, though. This was the same year AT&T decided to pull out of the payphone market. The owners seemed determined to do something about it, but do you suppose anything became of it? I don't think there's any COCOTs that'll fit themselves in the shell of a rotary fortress. As the Chicago O'Hare airport payphones will testify to, (in fact, if you see a payphone in the middle of a bank of three with no upper instruction card, that's my phone) ACTS most definitely still ran on those switches as of this December. It could be the hotel showered AT&T with money or bought the phone or something.

In other news, a friend of mine took a picture of a rotary dial Centurion in Appleton, NF some time ago .

I believe there is one left in a government office; I should try taking some pictures of it when I get a day off work. I think I still have that picture somewhere too.

there was a rotary payphone that i came across a few years ago somewhere in brooklyn, along with the new verizon cards/stickers on it... forgot where it was located exactly other than it was indoors...

[JmanA9]

Andrew and nyphonejacks:

Please get pictures!

[nyphonejacks]

Andrew and nyphonejacks:

Please get pictures!

it was a while ago (within the last 5 years or so i would say) and i forgot exactly where it was, but if i come across that one, or another any time soon i will get pics and the number, regardless if it can accept incoming calls..

[Andrew]

Andrew and nyphonejacks:

Please get pictures!

Bringing back the old post here are a couple from 2006/2007 when I visited Appleton in Central NL. They were taken by my first phone so I am pretty lucky I got pictures at all back then I think I have some newer pictures around somewhere too, let me see if I can find them.

-Andrew

Attached Files

•  Cam003.jpeg   46.27K   5 downloads
•  Cam004.jpeg   48.5K   2 downloads

[nyphonejacks]

Andrew and nyphonejacks:

Please get pictures!

Bringing back the old post here are a couple from 2006/2007 when I visited Appleton in Central NL. They were taken by my first phone so I am pretty lucky I got pictures at all back then I think I have some newer pictures around somewhere too, let me see if I can find them.

-Andrew

if i could remember where it was (and if it is even still there) i would have gotten and posted pics already.. if i come across it, or anything interesting i will post pics here (i posted pics of a verizon garbage truck in some other thread on here)

[systems_glitch]

There's a rotary pay phone in a wooden phone booth in one of the diners in Troy...I'll bring the camera along next time we're there and get a picture!