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From: Feinberg@YUKON.SCRC.Symbolics.COM (Neal Feinberg)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Key Phones
Message-ID: <19871016163331.9.FEINBERG@BLACKSTONE.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>
Date: Fri, 16-Oct-87 12:33:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: BLACKSTO.19871016163331.9.FEINBERG
Posted: Fri Oct 16 12:33:00 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Oct-87 01:07:21 EDT
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We have an ancient 5 line key phone system at our house.  It consists of
three rotary phones (each with 5 big push-button line selectors plus
hold) and a box in the basement which makes mechanical-sounding noises.
Currently it costs us a lot of money to rent these phones and the box in
the basement from AT&T.  It would also cost a lot of money to buy the
system from AT&T.  Clearly they don't want to support this klunky
equipment anymore.  Rat Snack claims to sell key phones for $150, but I
don't really trust them to be of suitable quality.  Questions:

1) Who sells reasonable quality key phones at a good price?

2) What does the box in the basement do? Do modern key phones need this
   box? If so, where can we buy one?