BT line tester

A lot of electronic bells require the 3rd wire.
As you say if phone has only 2 wires, that is the best indicator
 
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Technically you are correct, officially and as far as the public were concerned the code and number went from 0171 plus7 to 020 plus8 etc. The practicalities of the changeover were a different matter which is why the numbers became 11 digit for the duration of the changeover. ... Even now, 20+ years on many of the public still don't understand the correct number, but it doesn't matter in the slightest.
I have to say, personally, that whilst I have known what was 'technically correct' from the start, I still very much think in terms of 0207/0208 followed by 3+4 and, indeed, I think that I still nearly always verbalise or write them as such.

As you say, it doesn't really make any difference at all - except, I presume, for those who live in those areas (which I haven't for ~35 years),who I presume can dial just the 4+4 for calls within their (0207 or 0208) area.

Kind Regards, John
 
As you say, it doesn't really make any difference at all - except, I presume, for those who live in those areas (which I haven't for ~35 years),who I presume can dial just the 4+4 for calls within their (0207 or 0208) area.

Kind Regards, John
Indeed they can for calls within their 020 area. (You still got it wrong at the end of the last line!).

More to the point people who get it wrong try to dial 3+4 and wonder why it does not work.

Incidentally I don't remember having to dial 11 digits at any time during the changeover except for calls outer to inner.
 
Indeed they can for calls within their 020 area. (You still got it wrong at the end of the last line!).
I guess that illustrates how 'fixed' my thinking still is :)

However, functionally speaking, I did not "get it wrong", witness my reference to their dialing "4+4". However. I agree that what I wrote in brackets was 'wrong' - I should either have written (like you have) "within their 020 area" or (which is probably what I really intended) "within their (020 7xxx xxx or 020 8xxx xxxx) area".

Do I take it that, within the 020 area, this also works for 020 3xxx xxxx numbers (or any other 'fourth digit which may exist or appear)?
 
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Incidentally I don't remember having to dial 11 digits at any time during the changeover except for calls outer to inner.
Ah that may very possibly have been the case depending on where you were, as exchanges 'changed over' at different times, accordingly different arrangements were in place at different times. However the publicity at the time was massive, as someone has already mentioned, so there should be no excuse for not knowing the 'official' situation.
 
Oh how times change.

My Wellingborough number was 0933 78671 to 0933 278671 to 01933 278671. We used to Call Northampton, we dialled 88 as a 'speed dial' Do those still exist?

My old phone number in London as a kid 1984 (Grahame Park, Colindale NW London) 01 205 3750

Working in Telco, Cable tele years ago, we did get ars£y neighbour who would refuse 2 feet of bush being used to install a neighboUr's services. On the odd occasion, we could have a wayleave in 4 hours, but we always got a return.

And why do virgin offer less per month for a telco contract included (No wiring needed, it plugs directly into the 'modem' now. Powercut, phone line now useless.
 
Short Access 'codes' (speed dial) went around the time (but before) of the national code change. They had to go as the codes were restricting the available number ranges in any 'phone area.
 
Short Access 'codes' (speed dial) went around the time (but before) of the national code change. They had to go as the codes were restricting the available number ranges in any 'phone area.
About the same time mobile phones were all changed to 07..... IIRC
 
Yes they still are their property as it is very likely that they are connected to a a pair ( of wires ) in a distribution cable.

They need to protect the other circuits in a multipair cable from spurious signals that could be created by some one using a seemingly defunct telephone pair for an internal ( inside the house ) data or voice connection.

The pair may be dissed at the exchange or in a street cabinet so it appears to be dead but is still capacitively coupled to other pairs in the cable betweem house and cabinet / exchange

I appreciate your, and others' posts, but...

The cables that were not connected to the 10 core cable coming out of the ground- I removed them.

The old cable that supplied the Banham alarm was showing 48v. The customer asked me to remove it. He now has a 3G MODEM. I cut it back and used gel crimps on the two wires that trace back to the 10 core cable. The two remaining cables that run back to the 10 core cable but are not terminated to any fittings in the house, I did the same thing.

I could not see why snipping a wire that is, for example 2m long, but not connected to anything other than the ground level BT cable would harm their network. We are talking about 2 cores being used, and not 4 pairs of twisted cable. If anything, I worked n the assumption that cross talk is more likely if old cables are running in to old properties and not terminated as close to the BT 10 core cable.

If I am wrong, then please do provide links and I genuinely will read them.

At the risk of sounding flippant, which isn't my intention, I appreciate that what I may have done is not legal, but I am not going to lose any sleep- unless someone can demonstrate that my actions have harmed anything. If that happens, I will take steps accordingly to mitigate any (potential) problems.
 
The old cable that supplied the Banham alarm was showing 48v. The customer asked me to remove it.

A telephone connection to the alarm suggests the alarm is ( was ) connected to a monitoring system. If the monitoring system contract has been terminated then I would expect the telephone line would have been discontinued / parked and dissed at the exchange.

If the monitoring contract has not been terminated then if the monitoring system performs a routine line check then the system will probably flag up a line fault.
 
I appreciate your, and others' posts, but...

The cables that were not connected to the 10 core cable coming out of the ground- I removed them.

The old cable that supplied the Banham alarm was showing 48v. The customer asked me to remove it. He now has a 3G MODEM. I cut it back and used gel crimps on the two wires that trace back to the 10 core cable. The two remaining cables that run back to the 10 core cable but are not terminated to any fittings in the house, I did the same thing.

I could not see why snipping a wire that is, for example 2m long, but not connected to anything other than the ground level BT cable would harm their network. We are talking about 2 cores being used, and not 4 pairs of twisted cable. If anything, I worked n the assumption that cross talk is more likely if old cables are running in to old properties and not terminated as close to the BT 10 core cable.

If I am wrong, then please do provide links and I genuinely will read them.

At the risk of sounding flippant, which isn't my intention, I appreciate that what I may have done is not legal, but I am not going to lose any sleep- unless someone can demonstrate that my actions have harmed anything. If that happens, I will take steps accordingly to mitigate any (potential) problems.
It sounds to me that you have been vigilant and careful with your actions. I very much expect your customer will hear nothing more from any officialdom.(y) from me.
 
3G modem ? Probably a dual com unit or other …. Soon find out when it flags up the secondary path is down …
 
Just an afterthought working in cable. At the time, Wellingborough (01933) Had numbers starting, in 2, 4 and 6. Comtel numbers started with a 3. I installed a residential address, and they were given 01933 333 333. Why did the comms company not put that number up for bid. I understand the numbers were random, but come on ?? Perfect for a taxi or take away...
 
A telephone connection to the alarm suggests the alarm is ( was ) connected to a monitoring system. If the monitoring system contract has been terminated then I would expect the telephone line would have been discontinued / parked and dissed at the exchange.

If the monitoring contract has not been terminated then if the monitoring system performs a routine line check then the system will probably flag up a line fault.

Banham moved the customer from a monitored service to a SIM based MODEM about 4 months ago.

With regards to the termination at the exchange- I can't comment on that. I do not know if Banham use their own monitoring "station" or a third party. Nevertheless it was Banaham that disconnected the fixed wire MODEM and replaced it with a SIM based set up. I guess that it is possible that in X months the line would have been terminated at the exchange regardless.

On the off chance that the customer had given me incorrect information- I removed the faceplate from the NTE5 box. The alarm keypad showed no signs of "distress".
 

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