Pulse dial exchange system?

[EF80TVVALVE]

Hi, I have a few old telephones and have always wanted to set up three or so around the house. I just wondered whether there is an exchange system that can support pulse dialing? I really don't know much about phones so please do excuse my ignorance!

[Nicklyons2]

There used to be some simple Strowger/Uniselector type made/supplied, if I remember correctly, by Telephone Rentals and Reliance. These were housed in 'bread bin' sized boxes and typically had less than 10 lines. These were very common at supermarkets, small businesses, collieries (remember them?), etc where around half a dozen extensions were used as, in effect, intercoms. Typically they were found with 706/746 style or similar phones on them. Usually they did not interconnect with the BT/POTel system, more from legislative nonsense than anything else; a simple transmission bridge could easily be contructed to achieve connexion. For something smaller and solid state the 'London 12' and associated systems could, if I recall, handle LD as well as DTMF. I believe the Japanese Panasonic systems, though very good and often seen surplus in office sales, utilise DTMF only.

[Mark James]

I have set up a similar system earlier this year. I used a BT Revelation wired from the house NTE5 box with a plug and socket so that all the old phones could be disconnected leaving the modern system as was. This allayed my wife's concern! The BT Revelation box was easy and cheap to source from e-bay. All the documentation is available FOC on the web. If you search this site you will find the relevant threads. I was a novice to old phones but found this straightforward to set up.

Mark

[dagskarlsen]

Some years ago, I had the same "problem" and ended up with buying from UK a Panasonic KX-T616 and one programming telephone for this. Later I have seen many other options, but still the KX-T308 or KX-T616 seems to be the most reliable and easy to set up system accepting pulse and tone dialing. The UK version has UK (double) ringing when someone calls from an external line, and single rings on internal calls. The non UK versions does it the opposite way.

An exchange like this may be connected to the old telephone line, to an ip telephone adapter or a pc to phone adapter. In UK you have plenty of members of C*NET and it is free. It is lots of other free or lo-cost networks. (Free if you have internet, and buy the adapter)

dsk

[AndiiT]

Hi,
A BT Revelation PBX would be ideal for connecting your pulse dialling phones to however they do seem to be increasing in price these days. One advantage of the Revelation is that it will convert the pulse train to DTMF if you wish to use your phones to make calls via the PSTN.

If you are only interested in using the phones "internally" a Minimaster 3 would fit the bill but these are becoming quite rare now.

I have no experience of the Panasonic systems already mentioned but believe that they too will interface with Pulse dialling telephones.

Regards

Andrew

[Dave Moll]

From the original question, I am now unsure whether EF80 simply wants to be able to use loop disconnect (pulse) telephones or is looking for a PBX to enable 'phones around the house to call each other. Of the various PBXes I have, all support LD 'phones connected to their extensions, and most also support DTMF, with their onward connection selectable between LD and DTMF. If it's simply a matter of using LD 'phones, it may well be that they can be connected direct to the telephone line. Although there are some providers that are DTMF only, most do still support LD.

[Pellseinydd]

I think it still comes down to the same thing - a Panasonic system or its like. System or its like will provide either service. Most Panasonic systems in the KX-T series are fine. I've picked up a KXT616 for less than £20 inc carriage. The ones to look for are the Panasonic KX-T308, KX-T616 (or even the KX-T 1232 if you need that many extensions.!) Or the later KXT206, The KXTA6-24 which initially comes as 3 lines plus 8 extensions and can be expanded up to 6 plus 24. Then came the KXTEA308 (or the overseas version KXTEB308) which is non-extensible or the KXTEA824. These have a three digit numbering scheme usually in the 2XX series where you can choose your own numbers in that range. They all do Pulse to Tone conversion - so you can send out DTMF on your line to the public network or our own 'Collectors Network - CNet' (or both with different access codes!). The programming on both the Panasonic and BT systems is done with a 'system=phone'. Latter systems can be programmed with a PC.

There are other smaller systems but they don't often come up and often have non-UK ringing, tones and dialling codes.

[dagskarlsen]

It is different versions of the panasonic's, but here is a link to one manual: http://www.htcnetworks.co.uk/308%20I...n%20manual.PDF

dsk

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by AndiiT

A BT Revelation PBX would be ideal...

Are there any variants to seek out or avoid?

[dagskarlsen]

Not as far as I know, but Ian here has the full honor of getting me interested in using an exchange for this. Later I have gone totally bananas, I have a fully mechanical exchange running in the garage, so it is a great risk starting with this.

dsk

[AndiiT]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

Are there any variants to seek out or avoid?

Not that I am aware, other than perhaps the original 1 + 6 versions (which are rare (ish) anyhow) as I'm not sure if they can be expanded to a maximum of 4+12 like you are able to do with the 2+6 variants.

Andrew

[nutteronthebus]

Hi You could try a Nortel opt 11 mini these have both dtmf or 10pps working on a analogue line card you will need a line card,cpu,and exch card if you want to connect to PSTN ( the extn card has 16 ports)

[EF80TVVALVE]

Thanks for the help everyone! I do intend to use the phones to call each other internally. We haven't had an external line for a while now as we all just use mobiles. I will keep a look out for the systems suggested. We use a panasonic type at work that has been in place for a few years. There was another type that was used before that would have been fitted around 1985 so I may have a look to see if it is sitting unused anywhere, we still have a few of the old phones on the walls in the stock room and it was maintained by a company called Sterry. If I can find the system I'll see if they'll be kind enough to let me have it, I believe it may also be a panasonic type.
Cheers!

[julie_m]

It's worth knowing that the Digium TDM410P FXO / FXS card for Asterisk supports pulse-dialling, so you could actually build your own telephone exchange with an old PC. There are vendors on the usual site who sell work-alikes of the Digium card.

One such card with three FXS modules (to ring an analogue telephone) and one FXO module (to connect to an analogue exchange line) will form the basis of a respectable system that can be expanded in future. And you can configure it to respond in any way you like, to any dialled number; this makes it very easy to simulate the old clicky-clicky exchanges (I have configured mine so I can call my parents using just their old 4-figure number) or set up your own services such as dial-a-disc or bedtime stories. Yours will always start at the beginning of the recording, too

I would never rely on the cheap clone cards in any business-critical application, but they are more than fine for low-usage, experimental purposes.

[Oldcodger]

Originally Posted by Pellseinydd

I think it still comes down to the same thing - a Panasonic system or its like. System or its like will provide either service. Most Panasonic systems in the KX-T series are fine. I've picked up a KXT616 for less than £20 inc carriage. The ones to look for are the Panasonic KX-T308, KX-T616 (or even the KX-T 1232 if you need that many extensions.!) Or the later KXT206, The KXTA6-24 which initially comes as 3 lines plus 8 extensions and can be expanded up to 6 plus 24. Then came the KXTEA308 (or the overseas version KXTEB308) which is non-extensible or the KXTEA824. These have a three digit numbering scheme usually in the 2XX series where you can choose your own numbers in that range. They all do Pulse to Tone conversion - so you can send out DTMF on your line to the public network or our own 'Collectors Network - CNet' (or both with different access codes!). The programming on both the Panasonic and BT systems is done with a 'system=phone'. Latter systems can be programmed with a PC.

Panasonic 616 ,is a double version of 308 ,with one extension set up for programming. The initial olde set was 308/616/1232. Then came the 624, as said expandable up to 6 CO+24 extd, but a modern version of the older KXT range .There's also a 206 system ( from memory), which is very similar, but tailored for the home owner who wants a system with up to six extensions.Within the system dialing in either LD/DTMF is recognised, and (from memory) individual lines can be set to dial out in either mode. Then there's the digital versions KXTD, WHERE THE LARGER VERSION(1232) can be set to 12 lines or 32 channel ISDN + 32 digital and 32 analogue extensions on it's own, or doubled up to twice this capacity( if the software versions are the same).And programmable via LAPTOP, where the program can be saved, but in the event of reprogramming, there is a restriction that no calls outgoing/incoming are allowed or problems result whilst the download is in progress.
First problem for anyone working on a Panasonic system is how to read the manual. I've extensive factory training, and if you have problems. PM,me, and I'll try to translate Panasonicese into English.

[EF80TVVALVE]

Hi, I have now managed to get hold of a BT Revelation system. Could anyone help me out by telling me how to connect up the phones? As I am using pulse dial phones the leads are coloured red, green, white and blue. I do have the BT manual but most of means nothing to me if I am going to be honest as I have never really worked on them. If anyone could simplify it for me then that would be great as a starting point!
Regards

Here are some photos

[dagskarlsen]

I am pretty sure A and B equals an ordinary line. If You have a 2 wire telephone this should be OK, else you should have a master-socket with capacitor. (C and D are for system telephones)

dsk

[Dave Moll]

Originally Posted by dagskarlsen

I am pretty sure A and B equals an ordinary line.

That's certainly how I have my Revelation wired - successfully.

[julie_m]

Don't forget that you need to connect each telephone via a master socket, if you want it to ring... although you could run a master and one or more secondaries from the same output, if for any reason you wanted multiple phones to share the same PABX line.

[McMurdo]

here's the table for wiring the CCU to the extension sockets.