Introduction: Private Phone Line for Under $10
I will teach you how to make a private phone line with two non-cordless phones with stuff you can find mostly around your house! Great for kids and there clubhouses!
Follow my instructable and/or just watch this step by step video
If you like my instrucables PLEASE visit my Metacafe channel and watch the videos and give them 5 stars and or digg them.
Thank you so much enjoy,
Flippi273
Step 1: What You Need
The items that you need are:
2 phones (dont use cordless, well you can if you want...)
2 phone cords
4 alligator clip leads
1 300 ohm 1/2 W resistor
1 9V battery
2 phone jacks
Step 2: Connect Your Phones to Wires and Jacks
Okay first thing we do is connect our phone cords to our phones.
Then we connect the other ends of the cords to our phone jacks.
Step 3: First Alligator Clip
Now take one of your alligator clips and clip it to the red wire (metal part of it) on the back of one of your phone jacks.
This part can mess up if your phones work so make sure the alligator clip is on right.
Then take the other end and clip it to any end of the 9V battery.
Step 4: Second and Third Alligator Clip
Now we take another alligator clip and clip it to the other side of the 9V battery.
Take the other side and clip it to one side of the ohm resistor.
Take your third alligator clip and clip it to the other side of the ohm resistor.
Like before now we take the other end of this alligator clip and clip it to the red wire on the other phone jack.
Step 5: Last Alligator Clip
Finally we grab our last alligator clip and clip one side onto the green wire on one phone jack and the other side onto the green wire on the other phone jack.
Step 6: Talk Away!
Now make sure all connections are secure and your phones will work! You can now communicate between both phones
They will work for as long as your wires are so you can span them across your house, or even to a neighbors!
Like I said before you can choose to solder your wires for a more secure connection too.
Hope you all have phun with your own private phone lines!
(Stay tuned for the next instructable which will teach you how to make them ring, this is a bit costly though =/ )
If you like my instrucables PLEASE visit my Metacafe channel and watch the videos and give them 5 stars and/or digg them.
Thank you so much enjoy,
Flippi273
48 Comments
12 years ago on Introduction
Is 270 ohm 2w OK?
13 years ago on Introduction
This is excellent!! I was thinking of rigging up the local storm drains with something like this, and maybe even use some doorbells as ringing devices... hmmmm
14 years ago on Step 6
Nice, but kinda stupid to talk like this. a LONG cable running from phone to phone ? NO thank you. nice instructable tho
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
You can use two cordless phones.
Reply 14 years ago on Step 6
Well, it's not something for everybody, but (IMHO) it's a nice idea if you have small kids. This is the kind of thing that if I put one in my son's playhouse and one somewhere else he'd use it on playdates ("Hey Jimmy, you better to get the base -- there's a secret message coming in!"). A non-DYI solution (which includes ring) would be a "ring down" box (or line simulator, line tester, etc). Viking makes one. These can be expensive brand new, but can be found at ham fests, eBay, etc from time to time. But I'm not trying to take away from this Instructable -- good job, Flippi273!
13 years ago on Introduction
If you didn't have the resistor than what voltage would you supply?
14 years ago on Introduction
thank you, I don't know so much english, but i needed this... i'll try it in my house
15 years ago on Introduction
This is a really sweet idea. Can you make the phones ring or do you just pick them up to talk?
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
I actually do know how to make them ring, but you need extra hardware which cost some money, so once i get some money get all the stuff ( im a poor teenager haha!) ill show you guys! but right now u just pic them up and talk
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
lol im poor aswell...although,im 14 and have a job...lol
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
oh and also,it would be easier to hook up two LED's to switches and a power source,so if you wan someone to pick up,flip the switch to tell the other person to pick up
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
To make the phone ring you would want about 90V @ ~40Hz AC sent across the line and you would need to remove the 9v battery as you send it.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
no, all u would need is a diode to prevent flow to the + terminal of the battery
15 years ago on Introduction
couldn you just use a corless phone, have someone have the base, other people use all the handsets and use intercom?
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
Some of us can't afford fancy multi-handset intercom phones.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
how much do u think they cost? i saw one at bennys for like 20-30 dollars.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
oh,wow that's cheap i probably will buy that tomorrow ill see if it works
15 years ago on Introduction
if i use a cordless phone will it run the 9volt dead quicker than with a wired phone
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
no,not at all just connect the base to power
15 years ago on Introduction
What would happen if u dont use a resister