Does anyone have any experience hooking up a payphone?

[hookandbook]

Does anyone have any experience hooking up a payphone?


Hey all!

I don't know who else to ask so I figured what the hell I will give Signs101 a shot!


I have a family friend who needs to install a payphone outside his tire business in the rare case that a trucker pulled up to his shop ( without a cell phone ) at 3am and needed something he could contact him for service. We wanted to screw this thing up outside his business on a wall that is protected from the rain and wind. He got a payphone off of craigslist a few years ago from a restaurant that was going under and just now got around to putting it up. He wanted to hook it up on his office fax line since at night the line will be free.

I know to give a correct diagnosis model/type and pictures of the pay phone will be needed but I figured I would toss this out in our little pond to see if I got any responses and go from there. I guess what I am looking for is does anyone here have any experience with payphones? If YES then do we need a special type of line ran from the telephone company? I know we are kind of going the ghetto route hooking it up to the fax line but maybe once a month someone might use this phone so paying for a dedicated line seems like a waste. I popped this thing open and the connections look similar to a normal house phone but when connected its dead, no voice no nothing.

Any help will be appreciated since I have no idea who else to ask!!

 

[pointjockey]

best advise is not to hook up a pay phone. Pay Phones attract the worst crowds these days...besides every hooker and drug dealer I know has at least a prepaid phone! LOL

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

get an air machine...opps you're in CA.. can't sell air. Sorry. I imagine a valid defense is the air is free, you're just charging to compress it.

 

[Mosh]

Mosher types hang around these places...WHAT? WTF? Well I have a great idea, go on a forum for sign making and ask that group, I am sure they can give you an answer!

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

yes. the line is "special". Here's a more profitable idea. Have him wait for 3-4 weeks. And when that trucker pulls up have him say "Next payphone's about 65 miles that way", but you can use my pre-paid cellular for $5. Now if this happens to be one of the only truckers in the US without a cellphone he makes out like a bandit.

 

[steve b]

Does anyone have any experience hooking up a payphone?

I popped this thing open and the connections look similar to a normal house phone but when connected its dead, no voice no nothing.

Any help will be appreciated since I have no idea who else to ask!!

Did you put money in it???

And Call your service provider for direction on this.....

steveb

 

[vinylbarry]

I had on about 5 years ago but it had a special phone line so dont know how his own line will work.

Pay phones are not worth it anymore 99% of truckers will have a cell phone or even a computer in there truck.

If you really want to hook it up there should be a reg phone style line in the back side (probaly under the cover if they just cut it) just hook color to color .