Is it possible to use an analogue phone with the digital voice phone system?

[REMF]

I had a  (beatiful!) 1970s phone plugged into the old system which I used mainly for its ring (I used the DECT phones to make calls but turned their rings off). Is it possible to get this to work with Digital Voice? When I plug it into the adaptor I get dialling tone, but no ring. I have seen analogue-digital adaptors but don't know if they are appropriate and don't want to spend a lot of money if it's simply not going to work.

I should add that the phone doesn't work at all if I just plug it into the rotuer, perhaps not surprisingly.

[jac_95]

Hi REMF,

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[Keith_Beddoe]

@REMF 

The ring problem is a known issue which is easily resolved.

Some phones need an additional "bell" wire to ring, i.e. three wires.

The missing third wire can be emulated by plugging a microfilter into the socket of the hub, and then plugging the phone into the "phone" socket on the microfilter. This also works for the BT Digital Voice Adapter.

The microfilter has an internal capacitor which extends a third wire from the existing two wire connection.

If you old phone only has pulse dialling, then it will not work on DV.

[REMF]

Thanks.  It's likely that it's a pulse dialling phone one as it's an old GPO  phone c. 1970 something. I have seen pulse to tone converters that claim they work with Digital Voice. Is this not likely to work? 

I contacted the seller of one of these and he seemed to think that my phone should work without the converter, but clearly it doesn't.

[REMF]

I have managed to resolve it. Thanks for your help!

[Keith_Beddoe]

Unfortunately BT Digital Voice does not support Loop Disconnect (Pulse Dialling), but a pulse to DTMF converter should work on the old 706 phones.

[BADmoon1969]

I have recently had digital voice installed and I lost the ring on my vintage phone.  I have been in conversation with BT several times and even spoken to a BT tech. advisor who could not solve the problem.  Even a BT engineer that came around said it was impossible to get it it to ring because the copper landline had been switched off and it was all to do with AC & DC currents which I did not really understand, but he was certain it wouldn’t work.  I read one/your response to this issue and you said it was easy to resolve.  I had to get an ADSL filter, plug it into the new adapter and then plug my vintage phone into it and it works!  I am thrilled, many thanks to Keith Beddoe who posted this information on the BT forum.  What is really concerning is that BT technical support and BT home visit engineers did not know this, staggering really!