Cell phones are considered an absolute necessity these days, but that doesn't mean land lines are total relics. Investing in a run of the mill old school telephone is a wise decision. After all, in an emergency situation, a land line can be a true life saver. For example, in a power outage, a charged cell phone provides access to the police, fire department, etc. But what happens when that cell phone dies due to a loss of battery power? The same rule applies to non-cellular cordless telephones; they are all but useless in the event of a serious electrical problem. Take a tip from the Boy Scouts and always be prepared by having a land line with a classic non-cordless phone.
Before getting into the specifics of purchasing this device, it's interesting to learn about how this amazing tool came about. Most people take telephones for granted because they have grown up with the technology. It's easy to assume relatively older technology has simply always been there, but that is not the case. The telephone was invented at virtually the same time by two different men: Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray. The name Bell probably sounds familiar although Gray's remain obscure because Bell obtained a patent on this machine before Gray. Since that time, his name has become engrained in colloquial trivia as the telephone's sole inventor while Gray's faded into the background.
Bell labored for several years before coming up with the finished product. During the 1870s, the telegraph dominated mass communications, though it was incapable of transmitting more than one message at a time. Bell used his extensive knowledge of sound and music to figure out how to send multiple messages simultaneously using a single wire. In 1876, his dream became a reality when his "harmonic telegraph" sent its first voice message: "Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you." The rest is history.
Contemporary phones consist of the following parts: a microphone, speaker, touchtone key pad and frequency generator, duplex coil, hook switch, ringer, and wall jack. When a user speaks into the mouth piece, its internal microphone converts vocal sounds into electrical impulses. These impulses are then sent over cables to into the end user's receiver. Their phone reverses the process by turning the electrical impulses back into sound waves. In other words, all phones utilize electricity, but the amount they require is minuscule in comparison to other common electronic devices. Consequently, in an extended power failure, even a phone attached to a land line will eventually stop working. However, old school phones will work for a while, which is far better than having no access at all.
Corded phones can be purchased almost anywhere from generalized department stores like Wal-Mart to electronic stores and outlets. Many of the top electronics companies, such as Panasonic, AT&T, and Uniden still manufacture corded phones. The price range is anywhere from $6.00 - $100.00 for specialty models designed for consumers with vision and/or hearing difficulties. There are numerous cordless phones available with attractive features including speaker phone, answering machines, built in caller ID, and multiple receivers. Their prices vary considerably by make/model/manufacturer.
