Editing Rotary dial (section)

==Function==
For dialing a digit of the telephone number, the user inserts a finger into the corresponding finger hole and rotates the dial clockwise until the finger reaches the finger stop. The user then releases the finger wheel by pulling the finger from the hole. A spring around the dial shaft rotates it back to the rest position. During the period of return, the dial operates electrical contacts that break the electrical continuity of the local loop, and interrupt the current flow a certain number of times for each digit marked on the front of the dial.

The number of pulses sent for each digit is defined by the type of dial system in use. The encoding has traditionally varied by country, or by the manufacturer of the telephone system. For example, [[Sweden]] used one pulse to signal the number zero, and ten pulses to signal the number nine. In [[Finland]], where many telephones were of Swedish manufacture, one pulse signaled digit ''1'', and ten pulses ''0''. [[New Zealand]] used ten pulses minus the number desired; so dialing the digit ''7'' produces three pulses. In [[Norway]], the North American system with the digit ''1'' corresponding to one pulse was used, except for the capital city, [[Oslo]], which used the same "inverse" system as in New Zealand. The sequencing of the digits on the dial varies accordingly. 

Rotary dials have no redial feature; the entire telephone number must be dialed for every attempted call. The time it took for dialing depended on the digit, i.e. how far the dial had to travel to return to the rest position.