On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 19:19:10 -0800,
wrote:

In article ,
says...
On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:47:13 -0600, Mark Lloyd
wrote:

BTW, a corded phone helped too (that was not out).


Good point!
Most of my phones say "Western Electric" on the handset and they work
fine in the dark.


Let me guess... Black? Rotary dial? With a non-coiled wire to
the handset? The kind of phone that will still function even
after a noo-cu-ler war?

70's style avocado green, coiled cord to the handset but hard wired,
not modular. Also hard wired to the wall connection. Installed by
The Phone Company when we got service to the place in 1972. Still
working like it was brand new. One does have to remember to tap the
microphone occasionally to loosen the carbon granules or else the
sound gets low and muffled. Other than that, yep, it'll still be
there after the Big One goes up.

I also have one of the stand-alone touch-tone pads for when that is
necessary. Also made by Western Electric, these were add-ons for dial
phones during the transition to touch-tone. Like the phone, it still
works perfectly.

I was once told by a Western Electric engineer that the design life
for these phones was 80 years. I believe it.

John
---
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
Cleveland, Occupied TN
Don't let your schooling interfere with your education-Mark Twain