Hi there --

I'm looking for a way to connect a *paper* fax machine to a cell phone,
in order to transmit (not receive) paper faxes while on the road,
remote locations, mobile office, etc.

Note that I'm NOT looking to fax directly from a computer -- I can
already do that.  What I guess I'm looking for is some kind of a
breakout connector which would allow connection to a physical fax
machine (whether that would be an RJ11 or handset connector).  I
suppose an acoustic coupler of some sort might be a worst-case
scenario, but I'd really rather avoid this in favor of a direct, more
streamlined solution.

Any solutions come to mind?  Are any brands of cell phone more
amenable to this than others?

Many thanks!

Interesting request. I found something with Google Search
rj11 cell phone connection
and www.cellsocket.com came up. Interesting (and expensive?) product
at $139. Now, why I'm bringing it up is because of this part of the
FAQ:
Can I use the CellSocket for my Internet/fax/modem/credit card
terminal connections?
You will not be able use the CellSocket with the above. The reason is
because it will not work on a digital cellular connection. Digital
cellular connections use compression algorithms that will not allow
modem or fax tones to pass through the network. It may work on an
analog connection. However, in the United States it is common for
cellular service providers to deny an analog call to be made if a
digital connection is available. We have a lot of interest in this,
and may provide this capability in a future model.


I'd have to agree. It appears you'll need to be on an analog service
in order to send faxes via cell. I'd like to suggest a digital service
like www.efax.com which you could use in conjunction with an Internet
connection via your cell phone to send from a laptop and a portable
scanner such as ://www.google.com/froogle?q=SXP1001-DB&btnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=p
.
Please don't be upset because I suggested something you specifically
requested not to have. Perhaps a Researcher would be able to provide
something more.

Hi, crythias-ga --

Thanks so much for the comment.  You may well be right that about not
being able to accomplish this over a digital cellular connection; I'll
be interested to see what a company like CellSocket might come up
with.

However, the CellSocket device is quite interesting to me in itself! 
I will investigate this with interest.

(As for eFax, I already subscribe to a similar service, ureach.com. 
The purpose of the inquiry was to be able to fax more expediently,
i.e., without having to use a scanner.  I do appreciate the info,
though.)

Thanks for the comment!

P.S.  Thanks as well for the portable scanner suggestion.  Hadn't
thought of this, though it could be a manageable workaround.

The Visioneer doesn't look like it will work with my Apple Powerbook,
but there appear to be others (e.g, the Ambir Visigo A4).

I appreciate the alternative, thanks!

:) You're welcome. And if you feel the question has been answered by a
comment, please feel free to cancel/expire the question. No pressure
either way, mind you. :)