On Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:24:15 GMT, "Pop`"
wrote:

JLF wrote:
I am thinking of buying an old rotary dial phone.
I understand that I need to have it set up for pulse dialing vs. the
more modern tone dialing.

So can one jack be set up the old fashioned way with the phone company
or does the entire account need to be set up one way or another?

Thank you. It is easier to post here than to try and call the phone
company itself.

J.

No, most, not all, phone lines will accept either rotary or tone. Some of
the more modern offices won't recognize rotary dialing though. And if you
don't have it now, it's unlikely the phone company can give it to you, but
it never hurts to ask.

To test for rotary capability, pick up your phone and press the buttons in
the cradle quickly (not the tone buttons, the ones the phone presses when
it's hung up), say up to ten times. If dialtone goes away, your line is
definietly capable of rotary dialing: That's all it is; just breaks in the
on/off hook pattern when you dial a rotary phone.

A lot of phones (and AFAIK all POTS modems) can be switched to dial
either way.

If dialtone doesn't go away, it's either not available or you were too
fast or slow for the office to accept the pulses you created; experiment
some more. You'll have to call to find out.
Back in "the day" I used to be able to actually dial phone numbers that
way; can't do it anymore thoughg.

HTH

Pop`

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