Although it was produced for 30+ years and in quantities of millions, this handset is now a relic. My eight year old nephew has never seen it before. Technology has progressed and phones are now designed to facilitate ever increasing levels of functionality. As is often the case, with all that is gained, something is lost.
Everyone who gives the phone a try immediately cracks a smile. The nostalgia is fun but there are also functional benefits. First, the proximity of the microphone to your mouth and the large speaker make it drastically better at capturing and outputting audio. Secondly, the face enveloping form creates a more focused and intimate conversation. Somehow this small change in device shape causes the user to stop multitasking and focus on the conversation.
This electronics mash up combines the retro handset with a standard Bluetooth headset, a headphone amp, a few RadioShack components, and some bespoke parts.
The existing microphone and speaker were scrapped in favor of the Bluetooth headset’s microphone and RadioShack speaker. The Bluetooth headset is mounted to a custom rapid prototyped carrier in the microphone side of the headset. The speaker and amp are mounted to another custom carrier located on the other side of the phone. The headphone amp was used because the Bluetooth headset couldn’t provide enough power for the larger RadioShack speaker. A pair of digital switches allow the single external button to manage the amp power and headset power.
The bespoke power/answer button needed to have the right look to really emphasize the irony. The button was created from an acrylic tube, aluminum rod, snap dome switch, and white LED. The LED color was tinted yellow with Kapton tape to give the illusion of a filament based lamp.
The end result is playful, surprisingly functional, and draws many second looks from passersby.
The next revision will employ an accelerometer to allow the user to answer a call by simply picking up the phone, further emulating the original experience.
Components:
- Vintage ITT phone handset – Removed from late 1970’s Princess phone. No, I’m not joking.
- Samsung WEP 460 Bluetooth headset – The cheapest one sold at RadioShack.
- FiiO headphone amplifier – Available through eBay and shipped straight from Hong Kong. The battery from this devices is used to power the phone.
- STG719 SPDT Switch – There are lot of options out there but I had these lying around.
- Cree XP-E LED – Serious overkill but, again, I had it lying around.
- RadioShack 8 Ohm speaker
- 3/8” OD, ¼” ID Acrylic Tubing
- ¼” OD Aluminum Rod
Technical Notes:
Although the Bluetooth headset and headphone amp share a battery, the switching circuit is required because of the differences in how the power button is wired in the two devices. In one of the devices the button closes a circuit to ground while the other closes a circuit to the positive battery lead. Ideally a speaker that makes the most of the headsets modest output would be used and the amp would be omitted. This would make the entire device much less complex.
Nik
30/06/2010 at 7:18 am // PermalinkSuperb stuff!
Leigh Marriner
30/06/2010 at 11:20 am // PermalinkI love the observation about the better user experience. But CHP will still give you a ticket for talking on the phone while driving!
Gentry
01/07/2010 at 5:06 pm // PermalinkI want one.
bill
02/07/2010 at 7:23 am // PermalinkI rarely say “Oh, I WANT one of those”. This triggered one. Elegant, functional, and whimsical. What could be better?
Christopher Doll
06/07/2010 at 12:35 pm // PermalinkEasily one of the most fun “MAKER” projects yet. Nicely done.
Magda
06/07/2010 at 1:01 pm // PermalinkYes, I want one! Will you sell this, or will you publish instructions on how regular people like me can make this?
Ellie
08/07/2010 at 11:48 pm // PermalinkAbsolutely. I have no electronics experience whatsoever so I’d love an idiots step by step guide to making this. It would be a fantastic educational tool to do with kids.
Michael
11/07/2010 at 6:17 pm // PermalinkFor anyone interested in buying one of these, ThinkGeek sells them:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/8928/
Cool project nonetheless.
Neil Wieloch
27/07/2010 at 3:10 pm // PermalinkI love it! I miss those solid handsets…
Can you also offer it with a coiled cord that has to constantly be untangled (just for nostalgia’s sake)? Or maybe one of those “hands-free” add-on pieces so you can hold it between your ear and shoulder…
Paris Vega
04/08/2010 at 11:12 pm // PermalinkLove this. Want this.
I like your version better than the model sold at ThinkGeek mentioned above. Your handset has a more classic form.
Jeremy
14/09/2010 at 8:50 pm // PermalinkOne of the biggest functional benefits is its TTY (Text Telephone) retro fitting capability. Most modern TTY’s have headphone jacks for device to device communication but I would guess that most of our deaf senior citizens still have a TTY device manufactured from the late 90′s or early 2000′s. In order for owners of these devices to call their relatives and friends their TTY”s must be operated with a cradle phone. It’s a great gadget that should also be marketed to the deaf and their friends and family.
Winston Quin
14/12/2010 at 1:37 pm // PermalinkHipsters would love this thing. You should make a rotary dialer that doubles as a stand and rings when a call comes in. Potential must-have novelty item.
Winston Quin
14/12/2010 at 1:39 pm // PermalinkBTW @Michael Thanks for saving the day, Captain Buzzkill!
macdroog
30/12/2010 at 5:06 pm // Permalinknice, very nice
i want one
greetings from hungary
Tim N
02/03/2011 at 9:13 pm // PermalinkThis would be hilarious if it came shaped as a banana.
Rob
20/05/2011 at 9:40 am // PermalinkVery cool! Definitely going on the gadget wishlist.
SMS
11/06/2011 at 3:33 am // Permalinkwow! its so cool! where to buy??
Daniel
29/07/2011 at 4:26 am // Permalinkyou might want to check out “Hulger”.
The project was featured in the Design and the Elastic Mind exhibition by MoMA.
http://www.hulger.com/
http://www.hulger.com/aboutHistory.html
MARINA
30/08/2011 at 9:05 am // PermalinkAMAZING!!!! I want one
AIDAS
26/01/2012 at 2:38 am // PermalinkLove IT
sms interceptor
20/03/2012 at 3:47 pm // PermalinkThat is a cool gadget to put together.
Axel
06/05/2013 at 5:02 am // PermalinkInstead of adding an accelerometer I would prefer it you’d add a tiny white momentary push button to the downside edge of the microphone.
Lifting the handset would release the momentary switch and activate the handset.
It’d be as easy as that.