Comments on: Hacking a vintage phone into an old VW minibus to use as a kids/driver intercom

By: Tim Downing

Tim Downing — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:33:00 +0000

You usually send 100 V AC through the same pair to get the phone to ring. Ever been working on the line when someone calls in?
The yellow/black pairs don’t carry the ring current. They carry the signals for a second line. You could add a fax machine to your van.

By: Charlie B

Charlie B — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:44:00 +0000

I hear there’s this thing called a “coil” which can supply between 10,000 and 30,000 volts to a spark plug, so it can’t be too tough.

By: jamsie

jamsie — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:43:00 +0000

Very cool idea, and I like using the old phone equipment.

By: Donald Petersen

Donald Petersen — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:43:00 +0000

Aw, there are those who would frown on driving kids around in a VW bus in the first place. No airbags, no crumple zones, geared for a top speed of ~65mph, heater that burns gasoline… if I drove my kids to their preschool in one of these, somebody there would probably call the cops. Who would probably respond to the call via their radio, with a handset. Or are the fuzz all into the Bluetooth these days?

By: nixiebunny

nixiebunny — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 17:03:00 +0000

I one made a cordless desk phone. I rewound the ringer coil with heavier wire to run from 3V and made a little square wave generator to send 20 Hz pulses to it.

By: Ramone

Ramone — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 14:49:00 +0000

So where do you guys live that you assume it’s illegal for everyone to use a handheld phone if you’re driving? In the Great North, there’s no law against it (yet). I imagine there are plenty of other places where talking on a non-hands-free phone is still legal.

By: Stephan

Stephan — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 06:12:00 +0000

Oops missed that. Short attention span.

By: Richard Dagenais

Richard Dagenais — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 06:10:00 +0000

Where do they arrest people for traffic violations?

By: Richard Eldred

Richard Eldred — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 04:47:00 +0000

Where there’s a will there’s a way ;)

By: Richard Dagenais

Richard Dagenais — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 01:11:00 +0000

You could just insulate the van so it isn’t so loud.

By: mccrum

mccrum — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 00:48:00 +0000

Tough to get on a 12v system…

By: mccrum

mccrum — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 00:47:00 +0000

WTFV, you’ll see everyone wearing them while they try out the phone in the driveway.

By: Richard Eldred

Richard Eldred — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 00:22:00 +0000

90vAC should trip the ringer, it does for Australian phones at least :-)

By: hobomike

hobomike — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20:18:00 +0000

…Or, you could just put in some insulation. What I wanted for my bus was an auto-pilot so I could go back to grab a beer without pulling over.

By: AlexG55

AlexG55 — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Not a legal requirement, though I’d probably still retrofit them- my family own 2 old cars that were built without rear seatbelts (1965 Volvo PV544 and 1971 FIAT 500) both of which have had them fitted.

By: Donald Petersen

Donald Petersen — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 19:08:00 +0000

45 years old is still pretty old. Few families still drag their families around in 47-horsepower tin cans with optional seat belts.

By: Joseph Francis

Joseph Francis — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 18:59:00 +0000

Hey, I have a phone! Can he make a minibus from it for me?

By: AirPillo

AirPillo — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 17:52:00 +0000

The VW minibus isn’t *that* old if it’s on a 12V system. Vintage VWs had 6V electrical systems.

By: Stephan

Stephan — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 17:11:00 +0000

More important question: Where are the seatbelts?
“…while we’re flying down the highway…”

By: Funk Daddy

Funk Daddy — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Like a home away from home.

But the older they got the crankier they seemed… especially transmission wise

In 03 I got stuck on a steep uphill in Seattle by a stop light in thick traffic, too it out of gear by habit, realized I would need several feet of rollback to get it back into gear… sweat city.

By: Funk Daddy

Funk Daddy — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Well, I’m pretty sure someone right behind you can initiate communication without a ringing phone… aren’t you sure of that now too? :)

But yeah it’s clearly for funsies not for while driving.

By: Michael Ellis Day

Michael Ellis Day — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Clearly this is intended for use by a nondriving second adult in the front passenger seat, not the driver? After all, without a ringing phone, the only way a front occupant would know someone in the rear wanted to initiate communication would be by turning around and looking in the back — not something to do when driving at 50 MPH. And besides, if there wasn’t a second adult in the front passenger seat, why not have the kid sitting there?

By: bcsizemo

bcsizemo — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 16:06:00 +0000

I think it’s kind of sad that my kids will probably never experience a home land line or the joy of dialing your own number, hanging up, and then laughing as your parents answer and no one is there.

By: zotlerg

zotlerg — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 15:43:00 +0000

How to get arrested for using a phone whilst driving! Part 1.

By: jnordb

jnordb — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 15:23:00 +0000

I miss the VW bus my parents had when I was a kid….

By: Funk Daddy

Funk Daddy — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 15:09:00 +0000

Cool.

Except.

Hands free or gtfo.

LoL, j/k I know it’s not for actual use.