I found a fun little turquoise touch tone princess phone the other day. It still has the thick-ish cord and four pin plug. I know I can rewire from the phone itself, but I kind of like the look of the cord. Does anyone know if there are conversion kits out there with a female four pin receptacle and a regular modern phone jack?
Phone plug conversions
- Thread starter dalangdon
- Start date
Help Support :
There are lots of phone restore and parts sites online -
www.houseoftelephones.com
The link is to oldtimephones.com, another parts and restore service site.
www.houseoftelephones.com
The link is to oldtimephones.com, another parts and restore service site.
I know what you mean, but can't find one (yet).
Perhaps if you took one of these (new style) telephone extension cords, sliced off the female RJ-11 end, and added a 4-pin older style female you'd be all set.
Good luck!
Perhaps if you took one of these (new style) telephone extension cords, sliced off the female RJ-11 end, and added a 4-pin older style female you'd be all set.
Good luck!
Versatronic
Well-known member
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- Sep 6, 2005
- Messages
- 825
Radioshack
You can pick them up at Radioshack or a hardware store. They're not hard to find. I use them on my phones.
You can pick them up at Radioshack or a hardware store. They're not hard to find. I use them on my phones.
jasonl
New member
Oh yes, 4 wire phones. My grandparents had those in their house but my parents had the hardwired phones. YES, phones had wires hooked up to them back then. It was a different time for sure.
"Pick up the phone as soon as it rings, then you will know, what message it brings."
"Pick up the phone as soon as it rings, then you will know, what message it brings."
It still has the thick-ish cord and four pin plug.
I think I had that on my PINK princess phone....during those drab disco days.....
I think I had that on my PINK princess phone....during those drab disco days.....
OMG.... there IS a lot of info out there!
A web search took me to a fascinating site on Ma Bell called
which in turn had a page about the princess:
which took me to
oldphones.com
which has not only parts but restored princess for sale, and where I found not only a converter, but a transformer and light bulb so my princess will light up!
Anyone who likes old phones should definitely check out that bell memorial page. Very interesting!
A web search took me to a fascinating site on Ma Bell called
which in turn had a page about the princess:
which took me to
oldphones.com
which has not only parts but restored princess for sale, and where I found not only a converter, but a transformer and light bulb so my princess will light up!
Anyone who likes old phones should definitely check out that bell memorial page. Very interesting!
cehalstead
Well-known member
4 prong adapter
You can purchase them at Radio Shack. They have 4 prong to modular and modular to 4 prong, if your house is still wired with 4 prong jacks as mine is. Great find, as I am a collector of vintage phones as well as having a great fondness for old appliances...I keep my pink Princess in my pink tiled bathroom....
You can purchase them at Radio Shack. They have 4 prong to modular and modular to 4 prong, if your house is still wired with 4 prong jacks as mine is. Great find, as I am a collector of vintage phones as well as having a great fondness for old appliances...I keep my pink Princess in my pink tiled bathroom....
I keep my pink Princess in my pink tiled bathroom....
Chuck,
How Perty!
Chuck,
How Perty!
cehalstead
Well-known member
bonus feature
I didn't notice them when I posted, but my Westy slant front salt and pepper shakers are on the shelf above the phone........
I didn't notice them when I posted, but my Westy slant front salt and pepper shakers are on the shelf above the phone........
LOL.
Ok Chuck well obviously as long as your don't actually USE them for that purpose after being stored in the bathroom....
(ducks and runs)
Ok Chuck well obviously as long as your don't actually USE them for that purpose after being stored in the bathroom....
(ducks and runs)
cehalstead
Well-known member
no i don't
use them for the original purpose. In fact, I doubt if they have ever had salt or pepper in them...maybe I should fill them with bath powder.....(now i'm the one ducking and running)
use them for the original purpose. In fact, I doubt if they have ever had salt or pepper in them...maybe I should fill them with bath powder.....(now i'm the one ducking and running)
Designgeek
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- Dec 12, 2004
- Messages
- 865
You can also get converters to adapt most foreign phones to USA wiring. However, the internal connections vary from one country to the next. Some English phones may need a capacitor added to make the bell ring, since the bells would have been originally wired in series between a number of extensions, with one capacitor serving all of them. For more, search under "Tele. No. 706" and follow the links...
Re. phones in the bathroom: You can get do that with older USA telephones of the standard (WE/ITT/SC 2500 or AE 80) or Princess (AE Starlite) types, but the humidity may cause trouble with newer types. On phones with modular cords, humidity may cause intermittent loss of transmission or reception; this is easily solved by cleaning the contacts on both ends of the handset cord, and in the modular handset jacks on the base and the handset, with a Q-tip moistened with rubbing alcohol. Note, when cleaning the mod jacks on the phone, take care to not get the cotton from the Q-tip caught on the back ends of the modular contacts.
Re. phones in the bathroom: You can get do that with older USA telephones of the standard (WE/ITT/SC 2500 or AE 80) or Princess (AE Starlite) types, but the humidity may cause trouble with newer types. On phones with modular cords, humidity may cause intermittent loss of transmission or reception; this is easily solved by cleaning the contacts on both ends of the handset cord, and in the modular handset jacks on the base and the handset, with a Q-tip moistened with rubbing alcohol. Note, when cleaning the mod jacks on the phone, take care to not get the cotton from the Q-tip caught on the back ends of the modular contacts.
cehalstead
Well-known member
phone in bathroom
The phone in the pic I posted is in the bathroom, but it is not connected....solely for decorative purposes only....lol
The phone in the pic I posted is in the bathroom, but it is not connected....solely for decorative purposes only....lol
JerseyMike
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2004
- Messages
- 540
Wow, Dan! You always manage to find the coolest things. The Flairs, the Tappan, and now a blue princess phone! Is is a rotary dial or touch tone? (Subliminal suggestion: picture!) Glad you were able to find an adaptor for it. I hope you enjoy using it for many years to come.
Speaking of adaptors, I've spent hours perusing that site that you bought the adaptor from. (I've been there before. I frequently drool over their offerings. One day I'll break down and buy a princess phone from them.)
Mike
Speaking of adaptors, I've spent hours perusing that site that you bought the adaptor from. (I've been there before. I frequently drool over their offerings. One day I'll break down and buy a princess phone from them.)
Mike
Thanks Mike!
I'll post some pictures as soon as the transformer comes in. Still working on cleaning the thing up Unfortunately, it looks like there was a lot of fading or something. I might try Oxi-clean on it.
Still waiting on the gas for the Tappan. It's looking like Monday now. gggggrrrrrrr......
I'll post some pictures as soon as the transformer comes in. Still working on cleaning the thing up
Unfortunately, it looks like there was a lot of fading or something. I might try Oxi-clean on it. Still waiting on the gas for the Tappan. It's looking like Monday now. gggggrrrrrrr......
vac-o-matic
Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2006
- Messages
- 16
Phone plug conversion
Hi, check out www.phonecoinc.com, they have the conversion kit you need for 5.00 plus shipping. The above mentioned link for www.oldtimephones.com is awesome. He has restored some of mine and is a perfectionist, you would not be disappointed. Request a catalog from his site. His phones are pricey to buy from him, but his restoration fees are reasonable and worth every penny. If a phone isn't hardwired, it's not vintage in my books. Keep the hardwire and use a conversion. I have visited every Radio Shack here and they don't have it, they have one that's the other way around modular to four prong. I don't know what's up with that!
Rick
Hi, check out www.phonecoinc.com, they have the conversion kit you need for 5.00 plus shipping. The above mentioned link for www.oldtimephones.com is awesome. He has restored some of mine and is a perfectionist, you would not be disappointed. Request a catalog from his site. His phones are pricey to buy from him, but his restoration fees are reasonable and worth every penny. If a phone isn't hardwired, it's not vintage in my books. Keep the hardwire and use a conversion. I have visited every Radio Shack here and they don't have it, they have one that's the other way around modular to four prong. I don't know what's up with that!
Rick
Interesting, the old Phone jack in use in the UK and Ireland was like what you'd see on an operator's panel. i.e. it looks a bit like a large headphone jack with extra contacts:
Ireland changed to RJ11 (similar setup to the USA/Canada)in the late 1970s and the UK changed to their own system, very similar to RJ11, but a little bigger, in the early 1980s
Ireland changed to RJ11 (similar setup to the USA/Canada)in the late 1970s and the UK changed to their own system, very similar to RJ11, but a little bigger, in the early 1980s
The modern UK and Ireland systems
There's a UK and Irish phone cord.
UK (BT Plug) is the white one on the left
Irish is the normal RJ11 on the right.
the 3 coins : US 1cent, Irish 1 penny (now extinct and replaced by Euro cents) and the English penny.
There's a UK and Irish phone cord.
UK (BT Plug) is the white one on the left
Irish is the normal RJ11 on the right.
the 3 coins : US 1cent, Irish 1 penny (now extinct and replaced by Euro cents) and the English penny.
