Weird Telephone Question

milessthomas · Feb 11, 2008

I'm living in my grandparents house in Saint Louis, MO while they are out of town for a few months. Their telephones here in their house have an odd type of connector and they've been this way since I was little visiting them here. I don't know what this type of plug is called, all I know is that you have to buy these cheap adaptors at target that break all the time to connect a standard phone jack into the plug.

This is definitely not the RJ11 phone jack. This plug is like a square box, with 4 round connectors, and the box adapts to the standard rj11 plug.

My question is what are these plugs called? Anyone happen to know?

Looks like below:

Soulwar · Feb 11, 2008

It looks similar to a Korean Modem Adapter.
It's actually an old USA phone jack.

PerryLynch · Feb 11, 2008

That is an AT283B Phone connector. Back in the days before everything was modular, most phones were hard-wired to the phone wiring, and these simple adapters were used for those that needed the 'luxury' of being able to move a phone from one room to another. Also, remember that you didn't own your own phone back then, you paid between $2 and $4 per month for each phone from the phone company. So it was cheaper in the long run to pay for extra jacks, and have one of your rented phones be 'portable.'

milessthomas · Feb 11, 2008

PerryLynch said:
That is an AT283B Phone connector. Back in the days before everything was modular, most phones were hard-wired to the phone wiring, and these simple adapters were used for those that needed the 'luxury' of being able to move a phone from one room to another. Also, remember that you didn't own your own phone back then, you paid between $2 and $4 per month for each phone from the phone company. So it was cheaper in the long run to pay for extra jacks, and have one of your rented phones be 'portable.'

Thanks PerryLynch this was the response I was looking for!

PerryLynch · Feb 11, 2008

No problem. Also, you can replace the whole jack for about the same price as one of those adapters. Go to Lowes or Home Depot, and you will find phone jacks on the shelf in the electrical section for between $4 - $6. http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productList&N=0&Ntk=i_products&Ntt=phone jack

It's fairly simple to match the wires up, red:red / green:green etc. You shouldn't need more than a screwdriver and a little time. Of course, should you fail, the house wiring will need to be replaced and the phone companies Men In Black will show up knocking at the door...<just kidding>

PapaNoHair · Feb 11, 2008

milessthomas said:
I'm living in my grandparents house in Saint Louis, MO while they are out of town for a few months. Their telephones here in their house have an odd type of connector and they've been this way since I was little visiting them here. I don't know what this type of plug is called, all I know is that you have to buy these cheap adaptors at target that break all the time to connect a standard phone jack into the plug.

This is definitely not the RJ11 phone jack. This plug is like a square box, with 4 round connectors, and the box adapts to the standard rj11 plug.

My question is what are these plugs called? Anyone happen to know?

Looks like below:
View attachment 7979

Wow - thanks for the memories!!

milessthomas · Feb 11, 2008

Actually it doesn't bother me, the only connections like that are the ones in the upstairs bedrooms. They had the downstairs converted when my grandparents decided to move downstairs instead of strain themselves to get up the stairs.

They bought a house in Florida that they live in most of the year (11 months out of the year) so I am paying the utilities and staying in their house otherwise rent free. I don't use the home telephone so no point in upgrading the sockets.

fearlessfreap24 · Feb 11, 2008

be careful touching the red and green at the same time. especially when someone is calling.

baggss · Feb 11, 2008

Dude! I have not sen one of those in 20 years or more!

technologist · Feb 11, 2008

Whatever you do, hold on to the phones they're attached to. Those old phones were rented, and were built to last forever so that The Phone Company wouldn't have to repair them. They're indestructible; a mechanical wonder.

PerryLynch · Feb 12, 2008

Just make sure they aren't still on the phone bill with a rental fee. Don't laugh, it's been known to happen. If so, the phone company owes your grandparents a refund dating back to 1984.

milessthomas · Feb 12, 2008

No there were no phones attached. The little adapter connects from the 4 prong to the RJ11 standard. I remember my grandpa having a big yellow pulse phone in his office that weighed a lot that was hardwired to one of those 4 prong adaptors. Its in the basement now, I will take a picture and post it and see if you all think its one of the phone companies phones.

(which btw technologist, this may not be one, because this phone doesn't work you can hear people but they can't hear you on it)