atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems Other Telephones & Systems AT&T 5830 - old model - setup

It may not be that intuitive. I believe that the original 5830 predates Caller ID so there won't be a display and menu.

If it was me, I'd get a new one, but this is my mother-in-law's phone and she's 80 years old and doesn't want anything with frightening digital displays or multiple buttons. So if I took a sledgehammer to this thing, she'd probably go to a thrift store and buy a similarly old phone. Or worse. Seriously, she's got a corded phone in another room that she still uses.

We just need to get some important numbers put into the phone, and dead people removed, and that's about it.

Meanwhile, I contacted AT&T on Facebook, they gave me an email address and and case number, and I've gotten a response saying they're going to put me in contact with someone. Probably some old guy in a basement who has a room full of ancient equipment and dusty manuals.

If she doesn't really use the cordless phone, and is willing to add another corded phone with lots of speed dial memories, I would suggest an AT&T 925 single line telephone. No display but 30+ memory slots.

The phone is also discontinued, but, examples sometimes appear on eBay. I think I have a few somewhere in the basement. The AT&T 922 is the two line version and more common than the 925.

I think she needs to keep at least one cordless, so she's not chained to a wall or desk. It's hard with someone like her - she doesn't want a replacement because this phone still works and she knows how to use it.

I'm still waiting to see if AT&T is of any help with the phone. You'd think they'd have the documentation filed away somewhere, if only for giggles. We'll see.

I'm not sure who actually made that telephone. Starting with divestiture in the early 80s, telephones sporting the AT&T/Lucent logos have been manufactured by several companies including Panasonic, Phillips and...since 2000....VTech.

There are so few of those vintage phones still in use today that VTech...if it has access to a copy of the instruction manual...won't bother to post it.

There is one other place to check...The company that currently runs the telephone rental program that used to be a part of the Bell System, leases old vintage telephones. They might have some leads.

The company is called QLT Consumer Lease Services. The 5830 is not a listed model, but who knows? They still lease rotary dial phones

Cool! Thanks!