Rotary dial phones are great. I'm personally looking for an original
Western Electric Model 500 desk set. This was the most common rotary phone through the
60's and
70's. The best thing about it was the
ringer, it was a true bell, not an
electronic thingie.
Dialing a rotary phone may be slow, but the whole mechanical aspect of it makes it somewhat cool in today's digital world. If you don't remember how to dial a rotary phone, here's how:
Let's outline this step-by-step:
- 1. Pick up the handset.
- 2. Look at the first digit.
- 3. Stick your finger into the hole with the digit printed inside it.
- 4. Turn the dial clockwise with that hole until your finger encounters the metal stop.
- 5. Pull finger out of the hole. Wait until the dial returns to its home position.
- 6. Look at the next digit. If there is a next digit, go to step 3. Otherwise, you are done dialing.
Listen to the wonderful clicks and pops of the
step-by-step and/or
Crossbar switches connecting your call. Try to figure out what kind of system you are on by listening to those noises, including the distinctive style of the ringing tone.
Wake up and realize you're not living in the 60's anymore. Hang up and dial again by pressing the buttons like you're supposed to.