Is there some type of testing device that I can use to check if my old telephones are working properly? I don't have access to a phone line service. I have a budget of $50 dollars . Thanks in advance

google Telephone Line Simulator

There are several schematics, and links to things like Teletone TLS-2, Viking's ring down simulator, Mike Sandman's page, even pick up an old Partner system

Here's a link to get started with
https://www.telephonetribute.com/telco_line_simulators.html

$1.25 bus ride to a friend's house with a landline?

$50 once, and $29.95 per year for a Magic Jack?

$9.90 for a 20 Hz ringing generator?

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=121058890727

(NOTE that the Ebay description states that the output frequency is "20 mHz" which is a tad fast, by a factor of 1,000,000, for most ringers I've met.)

Just add a 24 to 48 Vdc filtered supply and you can test talking and ringing.

If you need to test rotary dials for % M/B and speed, or DTMF dials for frequency accuracy, you'll need to spend real money for real equipment. Here's a rare example of a Teltone unit for cheap.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Teltone-TLS-5-Telephone-line-simulator-4-line-/331088222269

Thanks for the links and the suggestions. I'll check them out. I'm going to add a bid right before the auction ends, hopefully I won't get outbid. I think I have a 24vdc power supply. How do I connect the ringer and the power supply together? Is there a simple schematic that I can use as a reference?

The talking circuit uses DC. The ringing circuit uses AC. You can use them separately just to test the functions of the phone.

DC = talking, sidetone, transmission, reception, dial pulses or DTMF tones

AC = ringer

You need to study up on how telephones work. Google is the best way to get started. My fingers would wear out if I were to try to teach you everything you need to know about this subject. I figured you already were conversant with the basics and just needed to know how to test old phones for proper operation.

https://oldphoneguy.com/

Nothing flashy on the above site, just lots of great info.

Recommended reading.

Jim Bennett
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Please hit "Enter" twice, it's a long way to Utah.

Thanks Jim!

Teletone's are the way to go. If you want cid use a tls-5 but simple dtmf a tls-2 or -3 will work fine for ring and voice and dtmf from the phone by ear.

I have a land line. I have always had a land. I am fortunate to live in an area where the telco does not want to take land lines away. We had a tornado go through and guess what!? My cell phone died but my land line worked! By the way I use it to work on old telephone sets.

I'm a phone collector and my cheap and easy way of getting dial tone etc to test has always been with a "freepbx" asterisk system on an old cheap laptop. i put one extension through to a cheap cisco ATA, they can be had for less than your budget.

Panasonic KXT series KSU will handle single line phones. There are cheap, bordering on free. They even accept pulse dialing.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-...KSU-3-Lines-x-8-Extensions-/301049307140

Ditto for older Avaya Partner equipment.

same with a nortel CICS it has a single analog extension, and handles pulse dialing

If you're patient, the old Radio Shack phone testers come up on eBay now and then. I've got one, and it gives talk power, ringing, rotary/tone dial testing and line/receiver cord testing. One sold for $50 three weeks ago.