On this page you can learn all about the rotary phone and its place in history.
About The Designer
In 1836 there was a need for a solid phone design. There were many different inventors trying to succeed this challenge but the one who rose to the top was Almon Brown Stowger. He created the rotary design with the 10 finger holes on the face plate. This design was so significant because it made the pulsing of who you were trying to reach a fairly simple task. Other models that were designed were either to complex in the build and very expensive or they were too complex to operate efficiently.
The Basic Operation
To operate a rotary phone the user hooks up the phone to the wall by a regular rj11 jack or by hard wiring it to the wall. Different models require different wiring setups but most just need red and green to work. The user would pick up the hand set and then wait for a dial tone. Once the dial tone was heard the user would dial the first number by putting their finger in the dialing hole that corresponds to the number that they want. Next they would turn the dial counter-clock wise till there finger would hit the finger stop. The user then lets go as the wheel retracts and rests back to its original position. The user would dial the remaining numbers the same way till all numbers have been dialed.
Dialers
This dialer is something that was common for the frequent dialers on rotary phones. If you made many calls in one day you probably owned one of these. Instead of using your finger you would put the rounded end into the finger hole and turn it with this. This gives the user less finger strain while frequently dialing.
Use Today
Most rotary phones can be used to day as long as your provider supports pulse dialing. Since rotary phones dial with pulses instead of the newer touch tone sound you will need to check with your local provider to check for compatibility.
