Chat Online with Cordless Phone 132
buckymatters writes "Christoffer Järnåker has converted an old home phone to be used with Skype, MSN voice chat or other similar software. Using the 'highly scientific method Trial and Error' he uncovered the input and output of the phone, wired it up and began talking 300 meters away from his computer on MSN."
Steal the kids' toy...!? (Score:5, Funny)
But hey, I have an old Siemens Gigaset 3010 phone laying around that my children play with ('cause the 2 key was a bit broken), I wonder if I can use that one? So I did.
You're a bad, bad man.
Why hack it? (Score:3, Informative)
M34 USB [siemens.com]
I'm using it now, and it works really well. One thing about using the hack in the article is your phone won't ring when you get a VoIP call... with the adapter it works just like a normal phone.
Re:Why hack it? (Score:4, Informative)
Did this before... (Score:1)
MSN has voice? (Score:2)
I use my cordless with VOIP, too (Score:4, Informative)
Re:I use my cordless with VOIP, too (Score:1)
Re:I use my cordless with VOIP, too (Score:2, Informative)
but it takes like a day for it to take effect...
Re:I use my cordless with VOIP, too (Score:2)
Crap. (Score:2)
Re:I use my cordless with VOIP, too (Score:2)
E911 is still too much in its infancy for me to trust it with my life, as reassuring as it is to have it. I want backup.
That means keeping a POTS line that I hardly ever use. There's a hardwired single line phone on each floor of our house on that line (that does not require power to get dialtone -- an increasingly rare thing in these days of phones with integrated digital answering machines)
Re:I use my cordless with VOIP, too (Score:3, Funny)
Oh, that is soooo much like cheating.
Re:I use my cordless with VOIP, too (Score:1)
Pioneer USB chordless phone (Japan) (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Pioneer USB chordless phone (Japan) (Score:1)
Re:Pioneer USB chordless phone (Japan) (Score:2)
Re:Pioneer USB chordless phone (Japan) (Score:2)
It's not DECT, its not SIP, but hey, if it works.
Re:Pioneer USB chordless phone (Japan) (Score:1)
Okay, so not 300 feet but ... (Score:3, Informative)
Next up, get Bluetooth 2.0 which has a further reach.
Re:Okay, so not 300 feet but ... (Score:2, Informative)
Someone punish me. 300 meters it is. I get 50 feet with my Bluetooth though, so that still holds.
Re:Okay, so not 300 feet but ... (Score:1)
Re:Okay, so not 300 feet but ... (Score:1)
You've got to be kidding me... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:You've got to be kidding me... (Score:1)
Re:You've got to be kidding me... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:You've got to be kidding me... (Score:2, Funny)
Old? I thought you were dead. Didn't the Bolivians nail you back in '64 or am I missing something?
Re:You've got to be kidding me... (Score:3, Funny)
Give him a break. (Score:2)
Re:What is sad (Score:3, Funny)
Domino's.
KFG
Awesome... well.... not very (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Awesome... well.... not very (Score:1, Funny)
Just in case (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Asterisk (Score:2)
Re:Asterisk (Score:2)
That said, you're correct about it using a patented algorithm for its audio compression. Perhaps they'd be willing to give a Free license to said algorithm... doubtful, but possible.
Re:Asterisk (Score:2)
Re:Asterisk (Score:1)
Re:Asterisk (Score:2)
Re:Asterisk (Score:1, Insightful)
You seem to have entirely misunderstood the post you are replying to. The fact that the proprietary Skype program
Re:Asterisk (Score:2)
Get a cheap low power computer with a PCI slot. Some old P2 machine, or better yet a low power mini-itx board. You now have a place for a FXO/FXS card, and can have your laptop connect to that as needed. (Depending on your situation you may want to take the server off of your laptop entirely.
Perhaps one more modification (Score:2, Interesting)
By Any Other Name (Score:2)
While reading K. Popper my then wife asked me what I was studying. I replied that I was studying the hypothetical-deductive method [philosophy.hku.hk], being a smart assed lawyer she replied: "You mean trail and error." I'm not sure, even now, that in its bare essentials they aren't one in the same.
Article Text (Score:5, Informative)
Material used: one wireless phone, and one 3.5mm to 3.5mm plug (cut in half).
Tools used: screwdriver, knife, soldering iron.
So, the problem. You have a computer, your friend has a computer, you both have a broadband connection, and you make use of Skype or like the voice chat in MSN or something like this - And - you're sick and tired to sit by the computer all the time when you talk. And you might even sit with one of these ridiculous headset (hmm, yes I also have one) on your head just because the echo cancellation feature isn't that great in reality.
So, the solution. A year ago or so I tried to connect a professional headset from Plantronics to my computer just because they're so damn good and fit perfect. Well, I did get it to work after having a couple of boxes in-between the computer and the headset, but I was still tied to the computer. Now, I've seen some other devices around that basically give you an handset to connect to the USB port and then you can use that. Well, you're still tied to the computer huh? No fun. Then I read in a local magazine (Veronica magazine here in the Netherlands) about Siemens making a DECT USB adapter so that you can connect your DECT phone to the computer - and I though Wow! that's what I need. Well, 119 for another toy that I'll use like not that often? I don't think so. But hey, I have an old Siemens Gigaset 3010 phone laying around that my children play with ('cause the 2 key was a bit broken), I wonder if I can use that one? So I did.
The victim
So, how did I do it? Not that simple at first, but very much simpler at the end. I started with opening the base station (Duh!) to see what chipsets were in it. I was hoping for like an RF part a couple of lines on the circuit board and then a telephone circuit. Tji fick jag! No of course not. As any standard electronics they make use of a whole bunch of circuits, so I started looking up on the internet what they did and again - nothing to be found. Then I decided to make use of the highly scientific method Trial and Error and hoping for a bit of good luck.
By having the phone off hook I carefully inserted my little screwdriver here and there until a heard a click in the handset. And when I found that click I injected a signal from my MP3 player - and it worked! Then reverse, by blowing in the handsets microphone I used the regular headphone for my MP3 player to see where I could 'hear' the phone. By grounding on wire and using the other as a probe I quickly found the spot next to the first spot.
Note the red (sound to the phone) and green (sound from the phone) circles on the board.
Then taking an 3.5mm to 3.5mm plug cut in half connecting L+R and then attaching it or respective place (for in and out) making use of the downside of the RF part as ground plane I ended up with this.
As you can see I've used an unshielded cable, but it works perfect anyway!
So how did it work? Outstanding!!! Incoming sound in the handset is perfect. Outgoing sound is a bit on the loud side but that's easy to adjust on the computer. It really feels like you're talking on the phone and I have a 300m radius from the house that I can use. While chatting on MSN! Perfect!!!
So, what are my tips to you? Do you want to try it, but you don't have an Gigaset 3010? The tips I can give you is the following:
*
Look at the picture above and you'll see two big capacitors (silver can with a black line on it) and a voltage controller (black small box with five legs) in the lower right corner. Avoid this area! If you connect your headphones or MP3 player here you will most likely fry them. In any other base station you should find a similar area close to the power input (red on mine).
*
Be prepared that if you connect anything in the wrong place, even when trying to figure out where the signals are, you can damage the phone, MP3 player or whatever you connect. That is a -might-, and my experience is that it usually turns out fine
Re:Article Text (Score:2)
{et out my xBox and =noknock it all out and not look ati its purpre -t-fcknITout!]
Or just buy the chat-cord! (Score:5, Informative)
I've been using this product and it rocks. My wife and I were just talking to our relatives and if you're phone has a sattelite the two of you can talk at the same time!
It comes with free software (on XP) that will allow you to dial a number from the phone as well. Not possible yet in linux, but if you know how to decode the DTMF signals, one could easily write something to do the calling for you through the SKYPE API.
The quality has been great, and you can also use it for free world dialup or whatever. The only disadvantage is that it's not like a real phone, it won't ring if someone calls you. You have to rely on perhaps your computer ringing through the speakers.
sri
Re:Or just buy the chat-cord! (Score:3, Informative)
The only disadvantage is that it's not like a real phone, it won't ring if someone calls you.
That's because a real US POTS line [telecomaudio.com] uses a 90VAC ring "signal" (actually provides power for an old mechanical ringer if you have one) and there are a lot of good reasons the Chatcord folks wouldn't want to generate that. Too bad, though.
Re:Or just buy the chat-cord! (Score:1)
http://www.actiontec.com/products/communications/
, works fine for skype-based calls.
Re:Or just buy the chat-cord! (Score:1)
Yep. Ability to ring the phone would be a key difference between the tiny $20 generic POTS product and the largish-looking $60 apparently-skype-only product :-) :-).
Re:Too complicated? (Score:2)
300 meters? Bah! How about the other party? (Score:1)
Waht, was he talking to his computer 300 meters away, or was he talking to someone hundreds or thousands of miles away?
What's his secret? (Score:2)
I'd figure any number of different shorts could cause the phone to stop functioning/lose function
He should have used DC blocking capacitors.... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:He should have used DC blocking capacitors.... (Score:2)
Care to provide a ~10-word description for the masses? [e.g. "10pf capacitor in series with signal; bonded grounds"]
I've always used audio transformers when doing this sort of hack, but then again, my AC theory is pretty much non-existant (damned lousy highschool).
Re:He should have used DC blocking capacitors.... (Score:2, Informative)
By using a pair of 1uF or larger caps in series with your signal and ground, it prevents any dc from being exchanged between the 2 devices, but it allows the ac to pass.
In this configuration, the caps are 1st order highpass filter. The smaller the cap the higher the frequncy, or basically less bass.
moddaudio.com
Re:He should have used DC blocking capacitors.... (Score:2)
Also, if electrolytics are used, and you meant in series with the signal, does the polarity of the cap matter?
Thanks.
Re:He should have used DC blocking capacitors.... (Score:1, Informative)
in ---||--- out
gnd---||--- gnd
don't use polarized caps
Question (Score:2)
I remember in the old days I used a tape record on a phone line somewhat like that and it was even good enough to record the 300 baud line connection.
Re:Question (Score:2)
Re:Question (Score:2)
Re:Question (Score:2)
Q: How does full duplex on one circuit work? (Score:1)
You could just buy one :) (Score:1)
You can browse your Skype contact list from the handset too.
http://www.dualphone.net/ [dualphone.net]
Skype bashing aside that's still pretty neat!
Re:You could just buy one :) (Score:1)
that's actually pretty stupid - they specifically market this product for skype users and the later is supported on 3 major platforms.
Translation (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Translation of the translation (Score:3, Funny)
That's not a theory, you know. That's a friggin' AXIOM.
Hold on (Score:4, Insightful)
It doesnt allow you to punch numbers and call to skype directly.
Nice hack but the story title is misleading.
First Words... (Score:2, Funny)
"Mr. Watson come here"
Re:First Words... (Score:1)
I did just about the same thing (Score:5, Interesting)
Anyway, I took the Rolm phone and on the main board in the base unit I soldered two cables to the connection for the handset and speaker. So the handset runs straight into the soundcard of a machine that does Sykpe.
When the phone is on hook, the magnet in the handset cause a reed relay to pass audio from the soundcard to the speakerphone speaker in the base unit so you can hear it ring and hear normal sound events through it. When you lift the handset the sound re-routes to the handset and you use it like a normal phone.
You can't dial from it, none of the buttons or lights work, but the sound quality is excellent and you can rest it on your shoulder because it's a full sized handset, unlike the dinky cell phones of today.
To use it, you would SWEAR you are talking on a standard POTS phone. My friends are amazed and befuddled by it, so I have been building them for all my friends.
Next project is to go buy a cheapo cordless, my local grocery has them on the imported crap isle for $14 for a 2.4ghz.. It's probably crap but it's cheap enough to experiment on. I have a $300 Vtech 2 line cordless that I don't want to experiment on, I'll save it for when I get an adapter..
Re:I did just about the same thing (Score:1)
Well, aren't you special?
Uh? Why go to all this trouble? (Score:2)
You just build a special rj11 cable, and done.
I used the same trick to build a speakerphone into my stereo with a microphone. I didn't even have a normal handset in the loop, just an on/off switch.
Re:Uh? Why go to all this trouble? (Score:1)
Care to explain yourself? The consensus is that the POTS RJ11 only uses 2 wires, and the sound is mixed on them (both in and out, together). You would need some sort of circuit that separates them in order to prepare for use on computer. The phone has his circuit built in, so he spliced himself into that. I guess that's why it's impressive. But if you know a be
Re:Uh? Why go to all this trouble? (Score:2)
I did this too (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I did this too (Score:1)
Re:I did this too (Score:1)
I decided to have short cables dangling out of the phone to avoid doing permanent modifications to the case. I unplug the phone when using the phone with my computer and I unplug t
Pth, that's nothing (Score:2)
Idea - Using a Voltimeter? (Score:1)
Would it work? I don't have much electrical experience so I don't know.
so what (Score:2)
Re:"+3, Troll" is my reward (Score:2, Interesting)
Why yes it is. What is also permitted is labeling of each post by the group and filtering based on the label. Perhaps you'd rather Slashdot strip everything from a post but the content, and forbid users from creating an external comment moderation system.
Re:"+3, Troll" is my reward (Score:1)
When I get moderator p
Re:"+3, Troll" is my reward (Score:1, Offtopic)
My response: What hogwash. We're not that stupid. Is that what you really think someone who isn't playing "monkey business" would have said? Then you say, "I doubt it matters since most of my comments are pure junk"... as the cartoon goes... you just self-deprecated yourself out of a job.
You responded: "Regarding the handle, I choose it a long time ago and then didn't use the account for years."
My response: Interesting. Your account h
Re:"+3, Troll" is my reward (Score:2)
god, you really ARE a dumbass.
Re:"+3, Troll" is my reward (Score:2)
Re:"+3, Troll" is my reward (Score:1)
Re:"+3, Troll" is my reward (Score:2)
The "slashdot.org" gives the site the feel of an innocent bystander. In fact, the site is a corporate site, run by corporate interests.
What story would you post if Microsoft suddenly changed their domain presence from "microsoft.com" to "microsoft.org" ???
Re:"+3, Troll" is my reward (Score:1)