From FB reply to video of a European gutting a 500 style phone to make a desk light:
The ‘giant’ (mini) toggle switch wasn’t the pain; it was the hole drilled right through the dial that made me cringe. I would’ve used an invention I made for a project I built. I put the switch inside and I straightened out a paper clip, and put the stiff wire through a tiny hole, with a small loop in the wire for a handle. Pull on the handle to turn it on, push in to turn it off. Another way is to use a reed switch inside and a magnet on the outside.
The removing of any part of the phone was not necessary. The guy took out the network to make room for the AC adapter. But the adapter could have been used on the wall as it was meant to be used, and not put inside of the phone. Likewise, the phone wiring could have been left intact and heavier wires could have been used, through the phone and coiled cord to the handset. The handset could have not been changed, but the LEDs could be mounted on a heat sink and mounted to the handset with small screws. There are these shiny aluminum heatsinks that are great looking, very decorative, and about the same size as the round parts of the handset.
(to Trevor Hammonds)
The switch hook could be used, but not with its own handset, since it is on a ‘gooseneck’ that won’t go on hook. One would have to have another handset or weight to hold down the hook switch. And since the wiring would have to be modified, I thought that it would make it difficult to restore the set to its original state. But I can see getting around the wiring modification with a bit of electronics.
Yeah, that would work, but that would go against my leaving the phone unmodified.
What would work well is a power MOSFET to control the DC and invert the signal. The switch hook would ground the gate of the MOSFET, turning the light off when off hook. The switch hook would open when on hook, causing the MOSFET to conduct and turn on the light. There would be no connections inside the phone other than the tip and ring, leaving it unmodified.
