conversion of US telephone in the UK

[221b]

I've just been given a lovely US landline telephone which I'd like to use here in the UK. I'm aware that the voltage is different, but I think that the jack is also different.

Can anyone advise how I might proceed and find a converter kit? Have googled around a bit, but to no avail...

Many thanks,

Helen

[buildersmate]

Probably a bit beyond the scope of a simple message it get all the way there, but here are some pointers. Landline telephones do not need to be connected to the mains supply to communicate - I am sure you realise this. Only features like answaphone, loudspeaking phone need external power which is then transformed down to about 9v to run the secondary electronics. So I imagine a US phone having such features has a 110v input. The easiest way to run this bit of the conversion would be to connect it via connector that US citizens can presumably buy to allow that to run their mains kit in Europe.

The harder part is the phone line part. Although there are six wires / connectors in a UK jack, with a few very rare exceptions, only 2 of them are connected to the local exchange. This is called the local loop. It works off low voltage (about 30v) and only ever has this size of voltage down it when the ring tone is transmitted down from the exchange. You are going to have to find this pair of wires in your phone. You can get a spare rectanglar shaped jack from Maplins for a pound or so, together with a little plastic tool that enables you insert the wires into plug.

If I was doing this I would have to experiment to find the right pair of wires.

[Buenchico]

Buildersmate's suggestion of a visit to Maplin Electronics is a good one but there's not much point in buying the parts to try to make an adaptor when Maplins sell a ready made one! :
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?TabID=1&criteria =telephone%20adapter&ModuleNo=12494&doy=27m12

While many people use these adaptors without any problems, I ought to point out that it is actually a criminal offence to attach an unapproved telephone to the public telephone network.

Chris

[221b]

Buildersmate and (Buenchico) Chris

Many thanks!

Had already found the Maplins site but wasn't sure of the name of the jack I needed so...... wonderful!