#telephonehistory — Public Fediverse posts

I’ve just bought a second hand book* published in May 1955.

I did not expect to get a handwritten note from the person responsible for its publication!

#telephoneHistory #telecoms #telecomsHeritage #telephone

* “compendium of the technical recommendations issued by CCIP, CCIT, CCIR of the international telecommunications union”

Basically the standard that describes how the post-war telecoms networks operated at an international level

Are you really really REALLY bored and want 500ish pages listing all the parts/cable/equipment that was available for a BT engineer to order through the British Telecom Stores department in 1996?

Then my friend, I have you covered:
https://downloads.paulseward.com/Telephony_Catalogues/BT-Stores-1996/

Have at it folks, tag me if you find anything weird/amusing

#britishTelecom #telecomsHistory #TelephoneHistory #telecomsHeritage #telephoneHistory #telephone #phone #phoneExchange #telephoneExchange

I never knew Missouri had its own telephone museum, until recently. Today I made the 100-plus-mile trip to St. Louis to visit it, allowing me to see its vast collection in person. Stay tuned for a blog post on the Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum to see some cool nerdy stuff. #telephonehistory #techhistory

Hey #telephone people - does anyone have a recording of a call to any of the 1990s "chat and date" services (eg, 0891 505050 - or 0891 343434)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wBifkGjrx4

The TV adverts were great, but I didn't have enough money to call one!

I'm told they were a maze like menu system, that took ages before you could chat with anyone

I'd like to make a realistic recreation, so If you have a recording you can share - please DM me! (discretion assured!)

#phone #chatline #1990s #telephoneHistory

Just sorted out a light-touch refurb on this GPO Tele 745 weatherproof #phone

The handset is a bit faded, scratched and tatty, but it’s had a good clean and a new cord, so it’s perfectly serviceable for #emf2024 and suitable @cutel mischief.

I bought this with the intention of installing it in the garden, it really needs a strip down and repaint… but I can get to all that after #emf 😀

#telephone #dialPhone #telecoms #telecom #telecomsHeritage #telephoneHistory

Now this is a nice find!

I've been passed a scan of a notebook from the late 1950s containing details of all the #telephoneExchanges in the UK

This sort of information was used by #telephone enthusiasts (UK #phreaks) to navigate their way around the toll (trunk) network

There were various techniques to get yourself onto a trunk, but once you were there the dialling codes in this notebook would get you anywhere in the country!

#phone #telephoneHistory #telecoms #phreak #telephoneHeritage

My new bedtime reading has arrived…

In the UK, AC13 telephone signalling used pulses of 2280Hz to represent the digits of a dialled phone number, call progress state etc.

This training document from 1983 was pretty late in the lifespan of in-band signalling like this, which had been around for 20+ years by this point.

It’ll be fun reading this from a “what would it do if I poked $thing at $time” point of view

#telephoneHistory #telecomHistory #telephone #telecoms #phreak #phreaking #phones

This is extremely silly.

I have a Nokia 105 #phone. No data or apps. Just a plain, dumb, mobile phone

Using a sim from aa.net.uk I've connect it to the C*Net VoIP network https://ckts.info

It's accessible on a CNet number, and can place calls just like any other phone on CNet!

Do I need this?
No.

Can it make normal calls?
Absolutely not!

Is it useful?
Not in the slightest.

Is it cool as heck?
Absolutely!

I'll make a demo video later…

#phreak #telephoneHistory #telephoneHeritage

I've just been thoroughly nerd sniped by someone telling me that the #asterisk SMS module supports BT Text, and that it should be possible to make that work on https://ckts.info

#telephone #phone #telephoneExchange #telephoneHistory

I love the product names in this extract from Telephone Rentals document "EP2/4055 - S50 - FACILITIES, DICTATION RECORDING" (30th Nov 1964)

It lists approved suppliers of centralised recording equipment, to be connected to their internal telephone systems

Centralising the recording equipment was much cheaper than duplicating it for each exec.

A central typing pool would retrieve the recordings, type them up and send them out

#telephoneHistory #telephone #phone #telecoms #phoneExchange

Oh yeah! I was posting Christmas telephone stuff this month wasn't I..

On Friday I mentioned that The Hull Corporation telephone company launched their Santa service.

Well, here are three examples of the recorded messages that kids could dial up and listen to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI4Gt5YKAWs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvpTfQCNP7o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBEmAsACQc4

#telephone #phone #telephoneHistory #telecom #telecoms #telecomHistory #TelephoneHistory #vintagePhone #telephoneExchange #phoneExchange #Hull #kcom

In 1952, The Hull Corporation (who provided #telephone service in #Hull, UK) launched a recorded message service where children could dial 211211 and listen to Father Christmas tell them all about his festive preparations!

The recording included a message from Santa, carol singing, and stories written and performed by Hull Telephone Department Employees.

There's more info and a lot of photos here: https://www.kcom.com/home/discover/categories/kcom-news/take-a-look-back-at-the-spirit-of-kcoms-christmas-past/

#phone #telecom #telecomHistory #TelephoneHistory

This christmas tree made from a telephone cable was an exhibit at the “Young People's Exhibition”, Imperial Institute, London, 29 December 1936

The cable dates from before PVC insulation was widespread. Each wire was individually insulated with paper, and the whole cable was covered in a lead sheath.

Arranged in “pairs” there are 6024 wires in total.

Photo from BT Archives, finding No TCB 417/E 9977

#telephone #phone #telephoneExchange #telecom #telecomHistory #telephoneHistory

Happy 31st birthday to the SMS text message!

The first message was sent on this day in 1992

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0EEcfKMmvrA

#phone #telephone #TelephoneHistory #Telecoms #TelecomHistory #SMS #Vodafone

What’s this mystery object stuck to my telephone?

https://youtu.be/F8R8rWIt2yI

#Phone #telephone #TelephoneHistory #telecom #telecoms #TelecomHistory #vintage #vintagePhone #vintageTelephone #vintage #mysteryObject

This is what a Phonair #telephone #handset #airFreshener looks like installed in it's natural envrionment, on the mouthpiece of a lovely red #GPO706

#phone #telephoneHeritage #telephoneHistory #vintagePhone #vintageTelephone #telephoneSanitiser

Does your #telephone #handset smell of old feet for some reason?

Stop sniffing it like a weirdo, and install a “Phonair” telephone freshener!

This little silver puck clips on to the mouthpiece of your GPO telephone and makes it smell lemon fresh for up to 3 months!

Also available in rose and “original” flavour.

(Not suitable for trimphones)

Uk Pat No 1157643, issued circa 1965

#phone #telephoneHistory #vintageTelephone #vintagePhone #telecoms #POTelephones

I had to get a silly thing out of my head

Dialling 100 digits of #pi on a GPO 748 telephone from 1971

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z45q-W02f4I

#telephone #phone #telecoms #telecomHistory #telephoneHistory #phoneHistory #pointless #GPO #BritishTelecom

I spent today with a friend troubleshooting the “non-multiple extension phone” relayset he’s built for his GPO HES4 demo

It’s a reproduction of the original “House Exchange System No4” equipment, which is impossible to find these days.

We confirmed the fault, know what the cause is (his electronic #PBX can’t source enough current to operate the differential D relay) but we can’t fix it… yet!

#Phone #Telephone #TelecomHistory #TelephoneHistory #project #strowger #POTelephones

I love the art style on this poster produced by Post Office Telecomunications in the UK.

These posters would have been at least A2 in size, and were available to schools to help teach students how to use the telephone.

I'm not sure of the date, but I would guess late 60s - early 70s.

This poster, and more can be found here: http://www.samhallas.co.uk/repository/documents/wall_charts.pdf

#Telephone #TelephoneHistory #GPO #telecom #telecoms #telecomHistory #TelecomsHistory #Poster #telephoneExchanges #TelephoneExchange

@connections

fedi is a bit light on telecom history, but together we can change that right?!

So...

Follow me!

I usually post UK telephone heritage content (been a bit slack recently and have mostly been boosting/replying)

but also:

@CuTEL
@dialupworld
@shadytel
@keelan

@TelecomsHeritageGroup are only just working out the fediverse, they could do with some love too

I also recommend following hashtags relevant to your interests, eg: #TelephoneHistory #telcom #telephone #phreaking etc

I'm in the process of moving a small #strowger #TelephoneExchange demonstration rack on to its next home.

Before I say goodbye to it, I thought I'd video a short tour...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EarxXwMvjKw

#Telephone #TelephoneHistory #Phone #PhoneExchange #Telecoms #TelecomsHistory

Short extract from the Post Office Engineering Department report for the year ending 31st March 1939

There's a section about #shortwave #radio links that were used to connect various #Scottish islands in the 30s. (Thurso-Kirkwall, Kirkwall - Isle of Stronsay, Ullapool - Stornoway)

This was low powered equipment, and was powered by a small wind generator.

Full report available from:
http://www.digitalarchives.bt.com/CalmView/GetDocument.ashx?db=Catalog&fname=TCB_135%2fE-in-C+Report+1938+to+1939.pdf

#SustainableEnergy #Telecoms #Telephone #Phone #TelephoneHistory #WindPower