British/European telephone for use in US?

[cashewbeast2]

I've always been annoyed by the shrill ring of American telephones (landlines, that is). And I've always admired, if that's the word, the soft buzz of telephones in European films. Could I possibly get my hands on a British/European phone for use in the US? Would an adapter for the outlet be enough, or are there other telephonic equipment standards

Comments

[stueypark]

It would probably be easiest to just get a phone with a programmable ringer.

[bloodofareptile]

Uh, this.

We have cordless phones and they sound just like my mother's cordless phone in the US...

[intendent]

yeah.. same.

although mine is argos value, ha.

[pickleboot]

we have cordless that has the same ring as my in-laws phone in the uk.

[tisiphone]

Go to Wal-mart. Buy a "Trim-fone." It's the same ring, and it'l run you like $7.

[catyak]

With a suitable adapter, a UK phone will work in the US. However, many UK phones require an external ring capacitor to work (big yellow thing built into the master socket), whereas US phones don't, so you might never hear incoming calls. The transmission plan is different, so a UK phone will have the wrong gain for a US system. I forget which way round it is, but either you'll sound quiet and the other party loud or vice versa.

Be careful about cordless systems, US spectrum allocations for such things are different to those for Europe, so anything you buy in Europe will probably not be legal in the US.

D

[sensaes]

Stick a tea-cosy over it...

[december_clouds]

HAHAHAHAHHAHA.

Actually, I like that tea cosy.

[sensaes]

It's what any self-respecting mad old cat lady would do to a shrill telephone. (As suggested in my forthcoming book of hints and tips, What Would Jesus a Mad Old Cat Lady Do?.)