Landline and Retro Dial Phone

[Lonoxo]

Just wondering if you have a landline and what age you are. Why? Who calls you on the landline.

If you have a retro dial phone, where did you buy it from?

We have a landline and a cordless phone but we packed it away because my husband thought it was a waste of energy charging it when we would get the odd call from family every now and then.

I think having a retro dial phone will get around this problem. It would be nice to have an emergency phone and not be so dependent on mobile phones.

We have a landline, mine and dh's parents use it to call us, and since we call their landline the call is free. We just have one like this (although not this exact one). The port of the phone plugs into the wall, and when we are done using the phone we just put it back into the port.

I have a landline as I want the internet.
30s...
Fibre is more £££

Thanks for the replies! Does anyone have a 70s style one. Thinking of something like this from Wild and Wolf uk.wildandwolf.com/pages/search-results-page?q=Phone

We have no phone plugged into our landline. I've never had one.

I like look of the retro phones but I think they are ruined by having buttons. But the rotary dial can't be used with the modern phone system if I recall correctly.

My mother has got a modern retro dial phone. It works fine, but it is crackly and the sound quality is poor despite being brand new. They're fine for an emergency or as a back up though. Also there is no caller ID (as there's no display!)

I have a 70s style one.

The rotary dial is tricky for me to use, (not impossible) so I always just used my mobile to make outward calls.

Then of course all our friends, family and work call on our mobiles, so the only calls we were getting on it were scamming/cold sales.

Therefore we ended up unplugging it, so it’s just there to complement my 70’s style telephone table!

Here’s a picture with a cat. We got it on eBay, new for about £60.

Argos do them - we've got a black one. I think it was about £30. Didn't want the "retro style" one with buttons that used to be all you could get; it's got a proper rotary dial. And it still does 1471 and stuff.

cheaper to have the landline/broadband combo with unlimited calls, mobile signal is better than it was but still not good. Hate talking to people who use mobiles, call quality is rubbish everywhere.

I know it isn't cool but in a powercut I'm not really bothered about cool. Mostly use cordless but there is a corded phone in the drawer for that powercut. Call blocker plugged in and the only scammers I now get are on the mobile. That's turned off unless I am going out.

retro dial phone is a step too far.

@Mencken

How do you get a call blocker? That sounds great!

We do! 40s.

Literally the only person who ever calls us on it is my MIL.

I have a retro style phone, I bought it because I liked the look of it and it suited our decor. I find we’re actually using it more often, mainly for incoming calls. I think it was about £30 from amazon. Ours is a rotary dial.

It’s gone up in price since I bought it (2016) but this is mine.

Thanks Maxine. What’s the sound quality like?

@duchessofbeddington call blocker is a marvellous invention! mine is set to block 'unavailable' but lets through 'with-held'. It also has a huge memory for the spoof numbers that the scam-scum use, so most of those don't get through. If they do, just push the 'block' button and they are gone.

the link is a random pick ebay example of the one I have - CPR also make more modern ones, or you can order them from Amazon and pay even more. This one is fine:

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CPR-1000-CALL-BLOCKER-AND-PROTECTS-YOU-FROM-ALL-NUISANCE-CALLS-BRAND-NEW-BOXED/233601116485?hash=item3663b62945:g:zEQAAOSwgQZezj5Q

I've got one in orange ( very retro house) from the same place, it's got a very loud ring. Sound quality is good.

It was fun putting it in and seeing if the teenagers could work out how to use it.

We have a land line as we live rural and mobile signals are not great. Its funny when you give someone your landline number in a call centre they always say we'll text you then realise they can't. You can pick up original retro phones from antique centres or charity shops just get them to check there in good working order.

@Lonoxo it’s really good actually and I love the old fashion ring it makes.

I’ve got a rotary dial - it’s a refurbished 1970s model.
I bought it online but I can’t remember the name of the website.

The original GPO (not the modern reproductions) rotary dial telephones are easily available on eBay and other sites. They are known as the 706, 746, 711 and 741. Sometimes they come ready to go and just plug into your landline socket. Others need a conversion kit fitting but anyone with at least half a brain can do this. Rotary dial phones use the old pulse dialling system. If your local telephone exchange doesn't support this system, there is a device available called RotaTone which is fitted inside the phone - it converts the dial pulses to MF tones as on a pushbutton phone.

We have a landline. Poor mobile signal here and no cable. Broadband and landline deal with unlimited calls and broadband works out rather well.

We have a landline because mobile phone signal isn't good . Most family and friends use it and we tend to use it most o fb the time for outgoing calls too.

We have cordless phone but I'd love a retro one

mancken thank you, I had no idea these things existed!

I have the Wolf and Wild one you linked to (albeit in a different colour) and I absolutely love it. Had it for almost 2 years and I have no complaints at all. It’s push button instead of rotary dial, so very easy to use and the handset is exactly like it was when I was younger

Nothing quite as stylish as a Trimphone.

No landline here. The only person we know with one is MIL. Love the retro phones though