It’s nice to do things correctly though
Makes a difference to the ringers on some phones. I knew this argument would start
Makes a difference to the ringers on some phones. I knew this argument would start
Unused BT line, can I move it/remove it?
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The only time I can recall the polarity changing during a call was when it was used as a signal to lock the coin slot on early call box phones. What is is used for on domestic phones?
Not in the UK for the last 30 odd years.
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Only when the phone rings AC sinewave, Other than that, it's just DC.
If the polarity affects a phone, then the phone does not conform to appropriate approvals.
It's not used for domestic phones but it was used within the switching network EDIT: and the line polarity reversed during every successful call, well up as far as Crossbar, TXE2,TXE4, System X & System Y. [I left BT in1994]
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Yes but now it's called [and is] something else.
System X and System Y digital exchanges did not have the facility for party lines ??
I do believe you are basically correct Sir. Why did you mention it?
You said it was used in Sys X&Y, remember them outdating the 'party lines' I saw parties old earth clamped between houses and questioned what it was for as I was Cable TV and phone, not BT. I saw a lot when I worked in Birmingham. (94-96)
It's (Polarity changing) not used for domestic phones but it was used within the switching network EDIT: and the line polarity reversed during every successful call, well up as far as Crossbar, TXE2,TXE4, System X & System Y. [I left BT in1994]
Yes, and if you connected a diode across the dial contacts, you could dial in the money instead of putting coins in. Kept BT puzzling for ages over the STD coinbox outside the Elect Eng lab at UCL.
And if you had a BMW jack and a short length of scaffolding pole, you could buy fags, fizzy pop and sweets. FU BT for surrounding the cash box. All we could do then was stuff tissue in the return coin slot and hope for the best.
The tissue paper trick did work a couple of times
In Walthamstow High Street there were two phone boxes side by side from which two window panels had been removed. This allowed the handset from one box to be passed into the other box. The windows were replaced a couple of times, eventually tamper proof screws were used.
You could dial a call from a phone box to somewhere and you could hear the person when they answered but until you pressed Button A they could not hear you. It was assumed that the culprit was conversing with someone who was also using a similar pair of phone boxes and neither pressing Button A.
Then pressing Button B and getting their money back.
There were several other methods of getting local calls without being charged
Long distance calls via the operator required sixpence pieces and/or shillings to be inserted. The operator could tell which coins were being insert as there was a bell in the money box and a microphone next to it. One "ding" from this bell was a 6d coin and a shilling was 2 "dings". As I recall it the culprits inserted a penny to create the coin break to the exchange and used a bell to create a "ding" to mislead the operator into thinking a 6d had been inserted.
In Walthamstow High Street there were two phone boxes side by side from which two window panels had been removed. This allowed the handset from one box to be passed into the other box. The windows were replaced a couple of times, eventually tamper proof screws were used.
You could dial a call from a phone box to somewhere and you could hear the person when they answered but until you pressed Button A they could not hear you. It was assumed that the culprit was conversing with someone who was also using a similar pair of phone boxes and neither pressing Button A.
Then pressing Button B and getting their money back.
There were several other methods of getting local calls without being charged
Long distance calls via the operator required sixpence pieces and/or shillings to be inserted. The operator could tell which coins were being insert as there was a bell in the money box and a microphone next to it. One "ding" from this bell was a 6d coin and a shilling was 2 "dings". As I recall it the culprits inserted a penny to create the coin break to the exchange and used a bell to create a "ding" to mislead the operator into thinking a 6d had been inserted.
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