Re: Since the list is so quiet....

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ryuji Suzuki" <rs@silvergrain.org>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 10:14 PM
Subject: Re: Since the list is so quiet....

> From: Sandy King <sanking@clemson.edu>
> Subject: Re: Since the list is so quiet....
> Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:57:29 -0400
>
>> My suggestion is junk the old rotary phone.
>
> Don't junk it. If it's a classic phone, I want it (So do
> many).
>
> Like old cameras, old telephone sets are fixable and it
> should keep
> working to the day no one remembers the day when telephone
> was
> wired to the wall, and all the way to the person you are
> calling. Of
> course, I may have to decode dial pulses and re-encode in
> DTMF, or
> even to make a device to interface to a cell phone or
> computer for
> skype.
>
  I probably posted my reply to Judy about when you posted.
I do remember wall phones very well. I spent my summers in
rural Michigan where we were on a magneto type system. Each
phone had a couple of No.6 batteries in it and a magneto for
ringing. This was on a party line, I have no idea how many
subscribers were on the same line. The procedure was simple
enough, pick up the receiver and listen for a moment to make
sure the line was clear. Put the receiver back on the hook
and crank the magneto to ring the operator. Pick up the
receiver again and wait for the operator who would ask
"number please", she would connect you. That's it. I don't
think we had to crank to notify the operator when finished
but some systems were completely without any supervisory
signals and required that. This system used to go out
anytime there was a threat of a thundershower. I used to
think it was because some line went down but later found out
that they would ground the line at the C/O to prevent
lightning damage. This was c.the mid to late 1940's. I am
sure this sytem has long been out of service.
   BTW, all wall phones were installed for people taller
than anyone in the house. Being a little kid I had to stand
on a chair the few times I actually used it.

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com