Build Your Own Chat-Cord

Mr. Blond writes "Here is a description of how to build your own chat-cord for only 7 euro. This is a solder free version of the hack shown in this earlier Slashdot article. Now you can use any plain old phone to make calls over the internet, using Skype MSN-audio or any other VoIP software. Even the software from chatcord works fine with it, to make and accept calls using the buttons of your phone."

Comments

This Sounds Like A Good Cottage Industry

[DanielMarkham]

If I were this guy, instead of posting the directions on the blog, I'd be making little kits to sell on E-bay or something. This could be a useful little widget for all those new millions of Skype customers out there.
I'm not sure about product liability though -- I wonder if it's possible to completely disclaim any possible harm that could be caused to your phone or computer. Maybe a big red sticker that says, "You're an idiot if you plug this up! Warning!"

NASA blows up comet, gets sued for $300 million

Re:This Sounds Like A Good Cottage Industry

[sunwolf]

If I were this guy, instead of posting the directions on the blog, I'd be making little kits to sell on E-bay or something.

you weren't one of the guys moaning about how Roland Piquaville makes money out of slashdot, were you?

VOIP is great!

[Cmdr Whackjob]

I use Lingo as my exclusive phone service - I cancelled my POTS line after two days - SBC was very difficult to cancel when I told them I was going to VOIP

I have had absolutely no problems for the last two months. I get an amazing price - $19.99 for unlimited US, Western Europe & Canada, and the first three months absolutely free.

I can't imagine not having the convenience of VOIP. The online bonuses - email voicemail, detailed billing, etc are good too.

The rates to the rest of the world are good too

Grammar Nazi

[Anonymous Coward]

Let it be noted that the plural of euro is euros.

Re:A common phone recorder will work?

[Anonymous Coward]

Should work... all his device does is split the phone line audio to separate input and output signals for your sound card. Your phone line recorder does the exact same thing. The real workhorse in this setup is the software that you need to download which does the DTMF decoding and integration with Skype.

Re:article text for those who are /.ed

[Technician]

Thanks for the text.

You have a little bit of crosstalk between speaker and microphone (you hear yourself talking) but this is normal in telephony and it can be decreased with the volume control setting of your microphone (make sure you turn off the mic. boost).


For those who know about impedance, and how a sidetone coil works, it would be easy to finish the project and cure hearing yourself loudly. It is possible to match a phone with a proper hybrid and have very little crossover of the mike and earphone on a single pair of wires.

There are plans on the internet for op-amp as well as transformer telephone hybrids that do an excelent job of seperation. Properly adding series resistance from the sound card to provide proper source impedance helps a lot. A telephone hybrid works good if the sound source is near 200 ohms, not the less than 20 ohms of a sound card output.

What about the mobile version?

[nuckfuts]

I'd love to find a DIY version of this cable that connects a cell phone to Skype:

http://www.ipdrum.com/default.aspx?m=4

Such a cable would enable "free" cell phone calls as described here:

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20050623. html