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Build Your Own Rotary-Dial Cell Phone

hwestiii writes "Yet another indicator of how unrepresentative of the main Slashdot crowd I am (meaning 'old') is that, like vinyl records, 8-track tapes, and Pintos, I can remember when rotary dial phones were items of everyday use, and not some object of retro-cool pseudo-nostalgia. Imagine my delight, then at finding this project in which an old rotary phone is turned into a cell phone. To give credit where its due, I originally found it linked from Hack A Day. I know nothing about home-built electronics projects, but this is enough to make me want to learn. If this catches on, imagine what they'll have to do to those 'turn off your cell phone' messages that play in movie theatres."

12 of 356 comments (clear)

  1. Imagine.... by Dr+Reducto · · Score: 5, Funny

    Imagine how fun it would be to use this to send text messages!

  2. Yeah, great idea.... by dickeya · · Score: 5, Funny

    People here in L.A. already drive badly enough with the current variety of cell phones...

    Police officer:
    So what caused you to rear-end that other car?

    Rotary cellphone user:
    I just took my eyes off the road for 15 to 20 seconds to dial a number and then ......

  3. Personal Anecdote by Thunderstruck · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've had my rotary phones ever since I moved out on my own. I like them, possibly because I an clumsy with buttons. My closest friends, however, are fond of mocking my choice as follows:

    "Hi... yeah I'm over at Bob's place. I would have called sooner but he has a rotary phone."

    --
    Trying to use sarcasm in text-based forums does not work.
  4. Why not take it a step further? by StressGuy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Build it into a loafer thus having a genuine "Maxwell Smart" shoe phone.
    .
    Hey, one good dated reference deserves another..

    --
    A goal is a dream with a deadline
    1. Re:Why not take it a step further? by Bob(TM) · · Score: 2, Funny

      Just avoid taking them through airport security ...

      "Your flight just left ... missed it by *THAT* much"

      --

      The little guy just ain't getting it, is he?
  5. First Post! by Psychor · · Score: 3, Funny

    First post via rotary phone! Took me a while to dial my ISP, but I hope I still got the first comment.

  6. Do you guys realize... by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 5, Funny

    that "whis-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-whis-k-whis-k" is the rotary equivalent of 911? Am I the only one who got it? Just a thought.

  7. Re:What the hell kind of phone is THIS? by 44BSD · · Score: 2, Funny

    Note to self:

    Bring Cap'n Crunch whistle to South English...

    (They do still use a crossbar, right?)

  8. Re:What the hell kind of phone is THIS? by ozbird · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's the original digital phone - you insert your digit, then dial.

  9. Re:Interesting facts about rotary and digital phon by GoRK · · Score: 2, Funny

    I see your whistiling DTMF and raise you speaking 75 baud!

  10. d00d! The kid in HACKERS did this! by TheLittleJetson · · Score: 2, Funny

    He stuck it to the man big time. They gave him his phone call at the police station, but he gave them a bogus number. They put a metal plate over the keypad so he couldn't hack them.... OR SO THEY THOUGHT: He hung up and dialed his hacker buddy with the reciever. What a HACKER!

    I believe this character was modeled after Kevin Mitnick, who could negotiate modem connections and send data (ie. hack your planet) using only his mouth and a phone.

  11. Re:Interesting facts about rotary and digital phon by lxs · · Score: 2, Funny

    You forgot:

    8. Rotary phones are the only way out of the matrix.