Don't throw away your old phone

[zminstral]

I was recently floodbound and without power for 5 days. As a consequence my cordless phone was useless nor was I able recharge my cell phone.
Luckily I had kept my old landline handset and was therefore able to communicate with the outside world. Sometimes it pays to be a bit of a hoarder.

 

[diklik]

I was recently floodbound and without power for 5 days. As a consequence my cordless phone was useless nor was I able recharge my cell phone.
Luckily I had kept my old landline handset and was therefore able to communicate with the outside world. Sometimes it pays to be a bit of a hoarder.

We sometimes forget that anything cordless in the home like a phone, needs a powered base station to operate. No power, no phone. The telephone company line may be operative but a cordless phone won't be any good. I went out and bought two el cheapo wired handsets, for just that kind of emergency. Ya never know.

 

[diklik]

Here, if there's no electricity, there's no phone either.

My comments relate to North American phone systems, and those in many parts of Europe. Almost every phone company (landline phone of course not mobile) has generator backup to carry the load of battery charging and central office functions, for at least 24 hours. So basic service like getting a dial tone and dialing out will generally work. That being said, if your phone at home depends on house current to ring or do other stuff, of course that will be dead during a power failure. However, phones are designed to be able to dial out and speak to the other party, with just the basic current (48 DC volts at about 35 ma) that the telco (telephone company) places on the line to facilitate standard dial up and talk functions. This DC loop voltage and current is usually supplied through a battery system that is constantly on a charge cycle. When there is a power failure, the battery system usually holds out for about 24 hours.

 

[diklik]

I know that. I was born and grew up in Europe. This is why I didn't quote you in my post. I was only responding to the Author of the thread.

Ahh, thanks for the clarification.

 

[valid]

our power used to go out constantly, and our phone was always a lifesaver

 

[jeansGuyOZ]

In the days before mobile or cordless phones, I worked an office job that involved early morning shifts.
One morning I was alone in the office, in the process of preparing some very important stuff to fax to clients, and the power went off. ALL the power. I was forced to navigate around the office with tthe aid of my bicycle lamp.

When I attempted to ring the sister office interstate to advise them of the problem and ask them to take over and issue the stuff on our behalf, I discovered that the phones were also not operational. The office used a PABX internal exchange system, which required mains power to operate. I ended up having to grab a pocketful of coins and walk down the road to a public call box.