# Calling all telephone/crypto/comm guys! (Warning: Geeky!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-telephone-crypto-comm-guys-warning-geeky/121549 "2002-07-30T16:43:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-telephone-crypto-comm-guys-warning-geeky/121549/1 "2002-07-30T16:43:38Z")
Alright, I’ll get right to the point. I like cool toys. Therefore, I’m going to by a pair of TA-954 desk phones (brand spankin’ new US Army surplus - never been used), and am going to try to wire 'em up so I can use it as my normal desk phone at home. Some of the specs are confusing me. But, what I basically am looking for is anyone that’s either tried this, or has been able to simply slap a 2-wire copper landline into the side of the phone to get it to work. I don’t know what a typical “Baby Bell” runs on phone lines as voltage, and I don’t know what kind of carrier frequency it runs on. Yet, I know this thing usually works on a particular type of switchboard. I guess my question is: is a military switchboard line and a typical residential line similar enough that I can get away with this, or will I have just a really cool looking paperweight? Tripler I like my toys. . . ---
**Author:** ![Starbury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Starbury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starbury)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-telephone-crypto-comm-guys-warning-geeky/121549/2 "2002-07-30T21:33:41Z")
I don’t know if this will help you but here are the specs for it: Technical Characteristics Channel Interface-Field Wire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-wire field cable Transmission Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 km (2.4 mi) max Input Power-Power Drain: On Hook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300 mW, max Off Hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 W, max Power Requirement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .+24 to +56 V DC Current Drain: On Hook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12.5 Ma, +24 V DC 5.0 Ma, +56 V DC Off Hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Ma, +24 V DC 25 Ma, +56 V DC Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.7 kg (5.8 lb) I searched through a few message boards devoted to military gear, and it seems like the TA-954 can’t be hooked up to commercial telco lines. However, I did find a way to hook up rotary military phones if you ever need that – you need to change the rotary setting from 4-wire (military standard) to 2-wire (commercial standard). But it didn’t look like this was an option for the TA-954. Oh well…at the very least its a cool topic of discussion at your next dinner party. For anyone that’s interested, [here](http://www.mindspring.com/~gtwitty/fldphone.html) is a picture of one. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-telephone-crypto-comm-guys-warning-geeky/121549/3 "2002-07-31T17:06:34Z")
The TA-954 is a digital telephone. It won’t work. If you can get a TA-312, I know those work, but there’s no dial – maybe your telco still supports the ring generator? In any case, you could get a touch-tone dialer from Radio Shack. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-telephone-crypto-comm-guys-warning-geeky/121549/4 "2002-07-31T17:35:55Z")
If nothing else, you should be able to replace the guts with those for a normal civilian telephone, and just hook up to the original speaker and microphone. It won’t be “authentic”, but it’d still look the same, and serve just as well as a conversation piece. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-telephone-crypto-comm-guys-warning-geeky/121549/5 "2002-07-31T18:25:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Balthisar \* > \*\*The TA-954 is a digital telephone. It won’t work. If you can get a TA-312, I know those work, but there’s no dial – maybe your telco still supports the ring generator? In any case, you could get a touch-tone dialer from Radio Shack. \*\* Aaah, just the sort of answer I was looking for. I assume if it sends a digital signal, there’s gotta be some rectifier or modem on some sort of switchboard to convert it to analog. I’ll just have to keep looking. And **Chronos** , I may do just that. . . I’ll let you know. Tripler I’m still gonna buy 'em. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-telephone-crypto-comm-guys-warning-geeky/121549/6 "2002-07-31T18:29:59Z")
Cool! It’s got the ‘other’ four DTMF tone-combinations (or at least, buttons for them)! If you press the FO button, can you make a priority call to the local pizza place during peak hour? 🙂