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Port-O-Rotary_UG_v071219
© 2007 SparkFun Electronics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements and availability are subject to change without notice. Port-O-Rotary is a trademark of SparkFun Electronics, Inc. All other
trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Warning: The power cord on this product contains lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.
2 0 0 7 . 1 2 . 1 9
Port-O-Rotary Phone User Guide
into a normal cellular phone. You should be able to disable the PIN #
requirement under the Security Settings type menu. After it is removed,
re-insert it into your Port-o-rotary phone . the unit will now boot without
pausing for a PIN # entry.
2.3.3 Cellular Band Selection
different cellular bands are used throughout the world. the Port-o-
rotary phone will attempt to use the north american bands first. if, after
30 seconds, the Port-o-rotary phone is not able to detect a signal, it will
switch to the european bands. the Port-o-rotary phone will attempt to
get a signal on the european bands for 30 seconds. if a signal is still not
found, the Port-O-Rotary phone will flash the PIC Status LED with 3 short
pulses and 3 seconds of off time.
if this happens, and you are in europe or america, check the antenna
connection and move to an area with better reception.
2.4 Receiving Calls
Give it a try! once the unit has been powered and closed up, call your
cellular number from another phone. the Port-o-rotary phone will ring
the vintage bell ringer quite loudly. Picking up the handset at any time
will connect the call as normal. if the handset is not picked up after
4-5 rings, the caller will be directed automatically to your voicemail
(assuming you have voicemail with your cellular service). The ring
volume can be adjusted by the dial on the bottom of the phone.
Note: If you need to ‘mute’ the ringer, simply take the handset off the
hook. No minutes will be used as the phone will be expecting you to
dial a number and the ringer will not actuate while the handset is off
the hook.
2.5 Placing Calls
You can pick up the handset at any time. You will hear a dial tone – as
far as we know, the Port-o-rotary is the only cellular phone that gives
you a dial tone.
the Port-o-rotary phone accepts up to 15-digit phone numbers. You dial
just like you would on your cellular phone. For instance, if you needed
to call us here at Spark Fun : (303)-284-0979, you would pick up the
handset and dial 3 0 3 2 8 4 0 9 7 9. no preceding 1, no dialing 9 for an
outside line (hah!). If you mess up at any time (it can be a little tricky at
first) simply press down on the handset for a second and release; any
previously dialed number will be lost and you can start again.
Any length phone number can now be entered! Whether it’s ‘911’ or
‘001-776-33267-3409’, you’ll get through! The phone allows you to dial
up to 15 digits. the Port-o-rotary phone looks for a minimum pause of
4 seconds before sending the current dialed number. that means, if you
are in the middle of dialing a number and wait more than 4 seconds
between numbers, the Port-o-rotary phone will try to connect the call
before you have finished dialing! Be sure to have the number ready!
the Port-o-rotary phone can handle even international numbers as
well! If you need to dial +07995632 (we don’t know where it goes),
how does one dial a ‘+’? By dialing a double ‘9’ at the beginning of the
number, a ‘+’ will be sent. This means you would dial 9 9 0 7 9 9 5 6 3
2 and the phone will dial +07995632. If you ever have a phone number
that truly starts with ‘99’, please let us know!
3
Phone Power
3.1 Charging
the Port-o-rotary phone uses an advanced battery chemistry called
Lithium-ion Polymer (LiPoly). These new batteries pack quite a bit of
energy into a very small space. the 2000mah liPoly battery will run the
Port-o-rotary phone for 4-5 days on a full charge in stand-by and give
you 10 hours of talk time. if your phone is not ringing when there is an
incoming call or if you have unsuccessfully tried multiple times to place
an outgoing call, you may need to charge the battery.
LiPoly batteries are quite finicky when it comes to charging:
• Never ever use a charger other than the one provided to you
by Spark Fun Electronics
• Never use this battery for use in anything but the Port-O-
rotary phone
• Do not dispose of Lithium Batteries in normal trash
These cells are quite hardy and can be recharged and used reliably for
over three years. to charge the lithium Polymer in your phone, please
use the included charger (5V regulated 1A center positive). The charger
plugs into any north american outlet and inserts into the back of the
Port-o-rotary phone.
Please note: inserting the charger into the back of your phone will
disconnect power to the main circuit and you will not be able to receive
calls while the phone is charging. this is a nice way to power down the
phone without opening the case.
3.2 Turning Off/On
opening the cover of the phone can be a hassle. You can turn off the
phone by inserting the charger into the jack on the rear of the phone. if
the charger is plugged into the wall, the phone will charge. if the charger
is not plugged into the wall, the phone will happily sit in the off state until
you remove the charge plug from the phone.
that’s it! Please feel free to email
if you have
any questions about how to use your phone.
the looks from family, friends, and even bartenders as the Port-o-
rotary phone rings for the first time have given us endless amounts of
entertainment. We hope you enjoy using your new phone!
