OT: Old Alphanumeric Telephone Exchanges in and Around NYC
Otto Yamamoto
http://preview.tinyurl.com/y38s5tl from the site 'Forgotten New York'
--
Otto Yamamoto
Nathan Perry
Otto Yamamoto <ot...@yamamoto.cc> wrote:
> This was a topic of discussion some time ago-here are some around NYC:
> http://preview.tinyurl.com/y38s5tl from the site 'Forgotten New York'
I can remember alpha exchanges still being current (or at least in use)
as late as 1988 in SE Pennsylvania.
And for years after that (If not still) I remember 4-digit dialing in
rural western Mass.
The comment on the linked page about the Ravenswood phones is
nostalgic...hearkens to a time when there was something neighborly about
the first two letters of a phone number. Today, even the area code
doesn't necessarily mean anything, with the portability of mobile phone
numbers and all.
Marc Fannin
> Today, even the area code
> doesn't necessarily mean anything, with the portability of mobile phone
> numbers and all.
"Cell-phone age turns the 614 into just numbers"
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/05/16/0_AREA_CODES.ART_ART_05-16-09_A1_5JDSM84.html
_________________________________________________________________________
Marc Fannin|musxf579 @hotmail.com|http://roadfan.com/ (m.t.r FAQ, etc.)
Elmer
> In article <4bcb1142$0$31277$607ed...@cv.net>,
> Otto Yamamoto <o...@yamamoto.cc> wrote:
>
> > This was a topic of discussion some time ago-here are some around NYC:
>
> I can remember alpha exchanges still being current (or at least in use)
> as late as 1988 in SE Pennsylvania.
>
> And for years after that (If not still) I remember 4-digit dialing in
> rural western Mass.
>
> The comment on the linked page about the Ravenswood phones is
> nostalgic...hearkens to a time when there was something neighborly about
> the first two letters of a phone number. Today, even the area code
> doesn't necessarily mean anything, with the portability of mobile phone
> numbers and all.
If you find nostalgia in the alphanumeric telephone exchanges of
yesteryear, you'll really love hearing what those electromechanical
systems used to sound like. The ringing machines, switching equipment,
and even the power supplies in local central offices gave each
neighborhood a unique sound. Whereas today, every number you call
sounds the same, back in the day, calling the a number in the GEdney-9
exchange for example, sounded different than calling a NEptune-4
number.
Incredibly, back in the 1970's a few foresighted people knew the
electromechanical equipment's days were numbered and traveled the
country making high-quality recordings of the various sounds. Today,
there's a phabulous website phonetrips.com where a vast collection of
the recordings reside. Most of them are also narrated by an "Evan
Doorbell" who explains exactly what every sound means in a very
entertaining manner.
There are dozens of presentations on the site to listen to; each may
run up to an hour long. If you're a newcomer and find it overwhelming,
here's a few recommendations to start with:
Network Sounds of the 70's
Busy signals and ring sounds around the U.S. (1971)
GEdney-9 Panel in Brooklyn NY
NEptune-4 #1 Crossbar in Belle Harbor, Queens
Panel Pulsing Lover's Tape (1977)
How Evan Doorbell became a Phone Phreak
Important: Rather than streaming the recordings from the
phonetrips.com website, use their FTP server to download them as MP3
files: ftp://ftp.wideweb.com/GroupBell
Being a Road Geek as well as a Phone Phreak, I burn the recordings to
CDs and listen to them on road trips. There's really somewhat of a
crossover between the two. Last week while driving up I-81 through
Virginia, I passed the exits for places like Harrisonville, Grottoes
and Weyers Cave, while listening to the recordings Evan made from
those exact places 35 years ago!
I love the old electromechanical sounds so much that I make mash-ups
of them to use as the background sound on road trip videos, like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnUocYpKIY4
Elmer
Elmer
rendering of it:
http://www.wideweb.com/phonetrips/
Elmer
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> If you find nostalgia in the alphanumeric telephone exchanges of
> yesteryear, you'll really love hearing what those electromechanical
> systems used to sound like. The ringing machines, switching equipment,
> and even the power supplies in local central offices gave each
> neighborhood a unique sound. Whereas today, every number you call
> sounds the same, back in the day, calling the a number in the GEdney-9
> exchange for example, sounded different than calling a NEptune-4
> number.
There will be an antique telephone show this coming June in Lancaster,
PA. I don't know what they'll have this year, but last year various
collectors brought in pieces of real _working_ exchange gear and they
networked it together. One could dial a number and watch the
selectors move in response to the dial pulses. They had samples of
step-by-step, panel, and crossbar.
To the human eye the old switchgear ran incredibly fast. It also did
a number of operations _between_ the dial pulses. But of course that
was very slow compared to what electronic gear could do.
To watch it is fascinating. When one realizes it was all developed by
the end of the 1930s makes it all the more amazing.
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> I can remember alpha exchanges still being current (or at least in use)
> as late as 1988 in SE Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia metro area was the last place to convert to ANC (all
number calling) and did so about 1980-81. But old habits die hard.
It is not rare even today to see a form from a business with their
phone number in 2L-5N (ie "KL 5-2368"), a number painted that way on a
building wall sign, or on a truck.
Indeed, a major road contractor used 2L-5N style to show their phone
number on all their trucks and equpment for decades after the
changeover, I think only now their new gear is ANC. Plenty of their
existing fleet is 2L-5N.
> The comment on the linked page about the Ravenswood phones is
> nostalgic...hearkens to a time when there was something neighborly about
> the first two letters of a phone number. Today, even the area code
> doesn't necessarily mean anything, with the portability of mobile phone
> numbers and all.
When area codes were developed in the late 1940s there were purposely
given a middle digit of zero or one to keep them separate from
exchange desigations. Exchanges would _not_ have a zero or one as the
middle digit.
But when they ran out of exchanges, due to the explosion of competing
carriers and the need to assign numbers in 10,000 blocks, they had to
break that convention. So today someone could have a phone number
666-305-1234. The explosion of cellphones isn't helping either.
Well into the 1980s many small towns needed only to dial five digits
for local calls within the town. Again, the explosion of numbers
forced an end to that.
On the telecom newsgroup, comp.dcom.telecom, they announced a new toll
free area code.
Actually, the Bell System wanted to get rid of exchange names and go
ANC way back in 1960 but consumer resistance forced them go to slow.
Some states, like New Jersey, converted early.
The Chief Instigator
True, and when my family lived in Tulsa 50-odd years ago, our number was FI
5-1930 (Fillmore); today it's 918-345-1930, if anyone's claimed it. Down
here in Houston, the number switch started in the early '70s, and my
parents' SU 2-6992 is long gone...but these days, the wife and I live on the
boundary on the Sunset side, while the south side of the street is served by
the Prescott calling office (which had 771, 772, 774, and 777 back then
after the numbers were instituted, like Sunset's 781 and 782). These days,
with cellphones, Houston's 713 NPA had 281 added to it back in the '80s, and
832 around the turn of the millennium; what had been 713 back in 1965 is
now 281, 713, 832, 409, 936 and 979...and a very real possibility that 849
will be activated sometime in the next two or three years.
--
Patrick L. "The Chief Instigator" Humphrey (pat...@io.com) Houston, Texas
www.io.com/~patrick/aeros.php (TCI's 2009-10 Houston Aeros) AA#2273
LAST GAME: San Antonio 3, Houston 2 (April 11)
NEXT GAME: The 2010-11 opener, in October 2010
Otto Yamamoto
> "Cell-phone age turns the 614 into just numbers"
Pretty much. I have an 845 phone that can't be dialled(and can't dial)
without all 10 digits in the majority of the 845 area-since it falls into
the Metro NYC LATA. I'm considering changing it to 718, anyway. It was a
twofer-I gave the other phone to Doug Kerr, who's running around
Binghamton with an 845 and a 315(Lawn Guyland) area code.
--
Otto Yamamoto
Kenny McCormack
<hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
...
>Well into the 1980s many small towns needed only to dial five digits
>for local calls within the town. Again, the explosion of numbers
>forced an end to that.
That's what I've been wondering about all thread. I've always wondered
what the point of these "alpha exchanges" was - it seemed you still had
to dial the numbers (phones don't really have letters on them - they
just pretend to). But I assumed that the reason was that in some cases,
you could get away with just dialing 4 (when the exchange was 3 letters)
or 5 (when the exchange was only 2) digits. But how does that work?
How does the switching hardware (or software) know whether you are
dialing a 4, 5, or 7 digit number?
>On the telecom newsgroup, comp.dcom.telecom, they announced a new toll
>free area code.
I'll have to check that group out. What is the new tfac?
>Actually, the Bell System wanted to get rid of exchange names and go
>ANC way back in 1960 but consumer resistance forced them go to slow.
>Some states, like New Jersey, converted early.
Not surprising that NJ was an early adopter, given that ATT/BellLabs is
there (or was, until they moved to France...). But why would Philly,
which, last I checked, is just across the river from NJ, be the very
last adopter?
--
(This discussion group is about C, ...)
Wrong. It is only OCCASIONALLY a discussion group
about C; mostly, like most "discussion" groups, it is
off-topic Rorsharch revelations of the childhood
traumas of the participants...
Kenny McCormack
I thought that was a given. That you always had to dial 10 digits from
a(ny) cell phone.
Are you saying there still exists cell phones (and cell phone
plans/companies) where you can get away with 7 digit dialing?
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
wrote:
> >Well into the 1980s many small towns needed only to dial five digits
> >for local calls within the town. Again, the explosion of numbers
> >forced an end to that.
>
> That's what I've been wondering about all thread. I've always wondered
> what the point of these "alpha exchanges" was - it seemed you still had
> to dial the numbers (phones don't really have letters on them - they
> just pretend to). But I assumed that the reason was that in some cases,
> you could get away with just dialing 4 (when the exchange was 3 letters)
> or 5 (when the exchange was only 2) digits. But how does that work?
> How does the switching hardware (or software) know whether you are
> dialing a 4, 5, or 7 digit number?
In large cities there were different named exchanges for different
neighborhoods. So, people already were in the habit of asking the
operator for "Main 1234" or "Northwood 5678" to place a call.
When dial came to large cities they ran tests and felt that seven
digits were too many for people to remember and that a name and digits
would be easier, thus the use of letters. Years later they changed
their minds on that.
Before the days of universal 7 digit numbers exchanges would be hard
wired for the number of digits used. If you were in a small town that
used 3 digit dialing, the connection would be made after the 3rd digit
was dialed. Some places had various combinations, that is, numbers
beginning with 2 might be three digit while numbers beginning with 5
might be four digit.
One of the biggest challenges of implementing customer dialed long
distance was making all the exchanges uniform, that is, every
subscriber reachable by a 7 digit number plus area code. Since
everything was hard wired back then this was not an easy task.
> >Actually, the Bell System wanted to get rid of exchange names and go
> >ANC way back in 1960 but consumer resistance forced them go to slow.
> >Some states, like New Jersey, converted early.
>
> Not surprising that NJ was an early adopter, given that ATT/BellLabs is
> there (or was, until they moved to France...). But why would Philly,
> which, last I checked, is just across the river from NJ, be the very
> last adopter?
Philadelphia is a very tradition bound city.
> (This discussion group is about C, ...)
Actually roads played an important part in all of this. As the
highway system was improved and expanded in the postwar era people
travelled more. That meant more business conducted by long distance
and more people visiting different cities and facing different dialing
arrangements.
Motorists on the go were frequent telephone users. Every turnpike
rest stop had a bank of pay phones. Indeed, I passed a rest stop
recently and there was still a few real phone _booths_ outside (I
should've snapped a picture).
Before WW II each town and city had its own home grown telephone
network. About half the network was totally manual, half dial.
Operators did far more work and phone rates reflected that--long
distance was extremely expensive back then. Indeed, people would
often place a call "Get me Joe Smith in Cleveland" and the operator
would call the distant Information to get his phone number then build
up the connection. After the war the Bell System encouraged patrons
to "call by number".
New technology allowed long distance rates to drop and calling
expanded as a result.
Douglas Kerr
"Otto Yamamoto" <ot...@yamamoto.cc> wrote in message
news:4bcc3eb1$0$4999$607e...@cv.net...
I'm back in Albany now. Also, the 315 area code is for Syracuse, Utica,
Watertown and part of the Finger Lakes. 516 and 631 are Long Island area
codes.
>
>
> --
> Otto Yamamoto
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
wrote:
> I thought that was a given. That you always had to dial 10 digits from
> a(ny) cell phone.
>
> Are you saying there still exists cell phones (and cell phone
> plans/companies) where you can get away with 7 digit dialing?
I've made calls with only seven digits on my old cell phone, but I
don't know if that would work today.
Today, many landline phones require ten digits as a result of area
code overlays. But many places still require only seven digits.
Elmer
wrote:
>
> >Well into the 1980s many small towns needed only to dial five digits
> >for local calls within the town. Again, the explosion of numbers
> >forced an end to that.
>
> That's what I've been wondering about all thread. I've always wondered
> what the point of these "alpha exchanges" was - it seemed you still had
> to dial the numbers (phones don't really have letters on them - they
> just pretend to). But I assumed that the reason was that in some cases,
> you could get away with just dialing 4 (when the exchange was 3 letters)
> or 5 (when the exchange was only 2) digits. But how does that work?
> How does the switching hardware (or software) know whether you are
> dialing a 4, 5, or 7 digit number?
>
Initially, the Phone Company felt that seven digit numbers would be
too difficult for people to remember and dial correctly, but that an
alpha name plus five digits would be easier. There was also the
"neighborhood" factor in some places (New York City, for example)
where certain exchange names had a higher "status symbol" than others.
(Even today, there's a prestige of having Manhattan's original 212
area code, as opposed to 718 or others). Strangely, in the later
years, alpha codes were assigned that didn't spell anything (e.g.:
LH-6), although I'm not exactly sure why they did that.
As far as why some places could dial less than seven digits to
complete a call, that happened usually in small towns that had step-by-
step switching equipment. Instead of storing the number dialed and
then processing the call like crossbar switches did, with a step
office, each digit was processed as it was dialed. As you started
dialing, some digits would be absorbed, that is, they weren't really
needed for the local equipment to process the call. For example, if
the number was 962-4720, you could call it by dialing 2-4720, or even
just 4720.
Again, Evan Doorbell's recordings explain how this worked much better
than I can:
http://www.wideweb.com/phonetrips/
This particular presentation there explains very well how strange step-
by-step switching is compared to what we're familiar with today:
" Typical XY Steps in Goldston & Bonlee NC, part 1 (March, 1977)
(Includes "Step is Weird" Demonstration from Bell Step CDO in
Sperryville VA, May, 1975) "
Elmer
Larry Sheldon
> In article <74be050a-acbb-4625...@j17g2000yqa.googlegroups.com>,
> <hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
> ...
>> Well into the 1980s many small towns needed only to dial five digits
>> for local calls within the town. Again, the explosion of numbers
>> forced an end to that.
>
> That's what I've been wondering about all thread. I've always wondered
> what the point of these "alpha exchanges" was - it seemed you still had
> to dial the numbers (phones don't really have letters on them - they
> just pretend to). But I assumed that the reason was that in some cases,
> you could get away with just dialing 4 (when the exchange was 3 letters)
> or 5 (when the exchange was only 2) digits. But how does that work?
> How does the switching hardware (or software) know whether you are
> dialing a 4, 5, or 7 digit number?
It turns out there was telephone service before there was dial telephone
service and call routing was done by human beings. So it didn't much
matter whether you used numbers or words.
In fact in small towns, they didn't often did neither. A recently as
the 1960's if I wanted to talk to the telephone man on Catalina Island I
called the Avalon operator (dial "0", ask for "Avalon oh) and asked for
him by name because the operator would know where he was.
Ditto lots of communities in the Sierra. My favorite story is calling
some town (I've since forgotten which one) and asking for the repairman.
The operator told me he had gone fishing. I asked here when he would
be back (we were supposed to clear trouble tickets in less than two
hours in those days). She said "it shouldn't be too long, he only took
one six-pack."
I don't know what the rationale was for selecting names--place names
were common (My grandparents number -- from Glendale -- was "Madera
417J. The "J" was the ringing combination--might have been "long short
on the tip.)
All the names around Glendale started with "24" dial pulls--CItrus,
CHase, CHurchill, CHapman. I wonder if they had to be globally
unique--although when I was in the Navy I had to say "La Cresenta
California CItrus.... (odd, one of the phone numbers I _don't_
remember). Actually I could cut the call-setup time way down if I
remembered that while my parents had a Glendale mailing address, they
lived next to Montrose, but got their telephone service from an exchange
in La Cresenta, which the telephone company listed in the rate tables as
"Cresenta". If I remembered to say "Cresenta Citrus.... I didn't have
to talk to the La Cresta operator. I don't even know where "La Cresta" is.)
Newberry Park was still 4-digit dial late into the 60's, and when we
move here in 1989-1990 people in Elkhorn fave their numbers as NNNN even
though you had to know to dial "289" in front of what they said. We
live in unincorporated county, have an Elkhorn mailing address and
Gretna telephone number. Most people say we live in Omaha.
>> Actually, the Bell System wanted to get rid of exchange names and go
>> ANC way back in 1960 but consumer resistance forced them go to slow.
>> Some states, like New Jersey, converted early.
It was a religion in San Francisco (where else?), home of the
"Anti-digit Dialing League".
--
Somebody should have said:
A democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.
Freedom under a constitutional republic is a well armed lamb contesting
the vote.
Requiescas in pace o email
Ex turpi causa non oritur actio
Eppure si rinfresca
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Larry Sheldon
> In article <4bcc3eb1$0$4999$607e...@cv.net>,
> Otto Yamamoto <ot...@yamamoto.cc> wrote:
>> On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 12:50:21 -0700, Marc Fannin wrote:
>>
>>> "Cell-phone age turns the 614 into just numbers"
>>
>> Pretty much. I have an 845 phone that can't be dialled(and can't dial)
>> without all 10 digits in the majority of the 845 area-since it falls into
>> the Metro NYC LATA. I'm considering changing it to 718, anyway. It was a
>> twofer-I gave the other phone to Doug Kerr, who's running around
>> Binghamton with an 845 and a 315(Lawn Guyland) area code.
>
> I thought that was a given. That you always had to dial 10 digits from
> a(ny) cell phone.
We don't dial but 7 digits for home-NPA numbers when we are physically
in the home PA. I pit 1-NPA-... in the phone but it (or the tower) are
smart enough to discard the un-needed digits.
>
> Are you saying there still exists cell phones (and cell phone
> plans/companies) where you can get away with 7 digit dialing?
Yes. But the trend is to ten--there are places where wire-line
telephones have to dial ten or eleven no matter what.
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> >free area code.
>
> I'll have to check that group out. What is the new tfac?
I don't know what a tfac is. But the thread on 855, along with many
details, may be found at:
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.dcom.telecom/browse_thread/thread/a0d5e09fedde82ad#
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> . . . Strangely, in the later
> years, alpha codes were assigned that didn't spell anything (e.g.:
> LH-6), although I'm not exactly sure why they did that.
The oddball letter-only codes were tried in a few cities as a way to
'bridge' between names and ANC. The general public liked their
exchange names and didn't want to give them up. There were even
lawsuits and organized protests over it. Certainly EVergreen or
ORchard sounds nicer than 38x or 67x.
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> In fact in small towns, they didn't often did neither. A recently as
> the 1960's if I wanted to talk to the telephone man on Catalina Island I
> called the Avalon operator (dial "0", ask for "Avalon oh) and asked for
> him by name because the operator would know where he was.
Santa Catalina Island was the last Bell System location to be
converted from manual to dial; and did so in the early 1980s. They
had to carefully ship a modularized exchange out to it.
Kenny McCormack
<hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
>On Apr 19, 8:50 am, gaze...@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack)
>wrote:
>> >On the telecom newsgroup, comp.dcom.telecom, they announced a new toll
>> >free area code.
>>
>> I'll have to check that group out. What is the new tfac?
>
>I don't know what a tfac is.
Toll Free Area Code. I thought it would be obvious; I just didn't feel
like writing it out again. Or yank/putting it...
>But the thread on 855,
Well, there's my answer. Thanks.
Kenny McCormack
<hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
>On Apr 19, 8:51 am, gaze...@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack)
>wrote:
>
>> I thought that was a given. That you always had to dial 10 digits from
>> a(ny) cell phone.
>>
>> Are you saying there still exists cell phones (and cell phone
>> plans/companies) where you can get away with 7 digit dialing?
>
>
>I've made calls with only seven digits on my old cell phone, but I
>don't know if that would work today.
Yeah, me too. But my sense is that current equipment doesn't work that
way. (Although I'm sure someone will come along with an exception...)
>Today, many landline phones require ten digits as a result of area
>code overlays. But many places still require only seven digits.
Everyplace I've lived allows (and still does, AFAIK) 7 digit dialing on
regular, residential lines. But when I switched to MagicJack, this
changed (of course).
Nathan Perry
gaz...@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) wrote:
> Are you saying there still exists cell phones (and cell phone
> plans/companies) where you can get away with 7 digit dialing?
Yes, mine for example, if dialing within my own area code.
Kenny McCormack
Interesting. Good to know.
If you don't mind my asking, what is your area code?
Elmer
wrote:
> In article <nperry-F74FEE.11434619042...@news.frontiernet.net>,
> Nathan Perry <npe...@rochester.rr.com> wrote:
>
> >In article <hqhjle$9l...@news.xmission.com>,
> > gaze...@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) wrote:
>
> >> Are you saying there still exists cell phones (and cell phone
> >> plans/companies) where you can get away with 7 digit dialing?
>
> >Yes, mine for example, if dialing within my own area code.
>
> Interesting. Good to know.
>
> If you don't mind my asking, what is your area code?
>
Sometimes, that is a feature of the cell phone itself, rather than the
carrier. In other words, you tell the cell phone what your home area
code is and it will automatically be inserted when you dial a seven
digit number. Some phones can even be programmed to insert more than
just the area code; it's particularly useful for businesses who have a
lot of phone numbers (extensions) within the same central office. A
user can dial just the last few digits (i.e.: the extension number)
instead of the complete ten-digit number. Technology going complete-
circle to simulate something the old step-by-step equipment did. The
nature of cell phones, where you press the "Send" button after
dialing, makes this possible because you specifically tell the
equipment you've finished dialing all the digits on every call.
Elmer
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> Sometimes, that is a feature of the cell phone itself, rather than the
> carrier. In other words, you tell the cell phone what your home area
> code is and it will automatically be inserted when you dial a seven
> digit number. Some phones can even be programmed to insert more than
> just the area code; it's particularly useful for businesses who have a
> lot of phone numbers (extensions) within the same central office. . . .
I find cell phones very frustrating. I managed to learn all the bells
and whistles of my cell phone when the battery died (wouldn't hold a
charge). The carrier would not give me a new battery but would give a
free new phone. So I got a new phone but it's bells and whistles
worked differently than my old phone. I haven't had time nor the
interest to learn anything beyond how to make and receive a simple
call. I was getting spam text messages--which I had to pay for--so I
had them turn texting off.
I also found talking on the cell phone, even with a headset, very
distracting so I don't do it. If I absolutely have to call somebody
I'll pull over to a safe place. In that way I can safely and
comfortably write notes and concentrate on the call rather than split
my attention.
Also to me the sound quality of cell phones is really bad. Cellphone-
to-cellphone calls are particularly hard to hear. (Does sound quality
vary by manufacturer or model of the cell phone?) My old Motorola
analog flip phone was superior. Though it was bigger than today's
tiny handsets, it wasn't that bulky and easy to carry in a pouch on my
belt. I suspect they try to compress the conversations too much to
maximize the usage of the radio channel, but that means a lower voice
quality.
George Conklin
"The Chief Instigator" <pat...@io.com> wrote in message
news:slrnhsnnf1....@eris.io.com...
Does anyone remember the Liz Taylor movie, "Butterfied 8"? I guess no one
would understand today that was in reference to a phone number!!! We had
GEdney, not exactly a sweet name. They made that one up somehow. Later we
had EVergreen. Much better (in Philadelphia). In NYC they used to push
MElrose 5-5300 in TV ads. I forget who that was for. Anyone remember?
Michael Angelo Ravera
I can still dial 510 area numbers from my 510 phone without an area
code.
Elmer
> "The Chief Instigator" <patr...@io.com> wrote in messagenews:slrnhsnnf1....@eris.io.com...> > > In article <4bcb1142$0$31277$607ed...@cv.net>,
> > > Otto Yamamoto <o...@yamamoto.cc> wrote:
>
> > >> This was a topic of discussion some time ago-here are some around NYC:
You were in the famous GEdney exchange?!! Wow!! There are three parts
dedicated to the GEdney-9 exchange (with more parts coming) on the
PhoneTrips.com website. Part-3 is particularly fascinating as it
explains in detail how the panel exchange actually worked. Where I
grew up, I knew we had crossbar exchanges and step offices, but panel
was always somewhat of a mystery to me. Evan's recordings are
fascinating! Being from the GEdney exchange, I've got to wonder if
you've listened to the GEdney-9 recordings and did they bring back
memories?
The GEdney-9 recordings are located at:
ftp://ftp.wideweb.com/GroupBell
(If you use a Mac, from the Finder: Go > Connect to Server, and paste
in the address. When prompted, connect as "Guest".)
The filenames are:
GE9 1HQ.zip
GE9 2HQ.zip
GE9 3HQ.zip
After downloading they will unzip to MP3 files that you can play as
desired.
Elmer
Elmer
>
> I also found talking on the cell phone, even with a headset, very
> distracting so I don't do it. If I absolutely have to call somebody
> I'll pull over to a safe place. In that way I can safely and
> comfortably write notes and concentrate on the call rather than split
> my attention.
I agree with you. When driving, I'll usually just not answer the
phone. Occasionally, I'll answer on the speakerphone, but ignore the
caller except maybe to say I'm driving and I'll talk to them later.
Your brain shifts into completely different mode when you try to carry
out a conversation on the phone as opposed to with someone sitting in
the car next to you. I don't like the feeling and I won't do it!
Elmer
Paul Anderson
<15569073-6a39-4bcf...@u21g2000yqc.googlegroups.com>,
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> Also to me the sound quality of cell phones is really bad.
> Cellphone- to-cellphone calls are particularly hard to hear.
I agree.
Not that long ago, Sprint had the TV ad with the pin dropping, implying
that their voice quality was so good you could hear a pin drop. I
remember, when everyone had land lines, the voice quality in general
was excellent. Now it's often crap, probably because so many people
use cell phones or are talking in noisy areas or buy cheap phones and
don't care. Heck, people listen to compressed MP3 music and think it
sounds good.
My phone number as a kid was in the CHestnut-5 exchange in Roselle
Park, New Jersey. It sure was weird when we started to say "245"
instead of "CH5". I remember this happening around the same time as
Touch Tone phones were introduced.
Paul
Elmer
>
> > Sometimes, that is a feature of the cell phone itself, rather than the
> > carrier. In other words, you tell the cell phone what your home area
> > code is and it will automatically be inserted when you dial a seven
> > digit number. Some phones can even be programmed to insert more than
> > just the area code; it's particularly useful for businesses who have a
> > lot of phone numbers (extensions) within the same central office. . . .
>
> I find cell phones very frustrating. I managed to learn all the bells
> and whistles of my cell phone when the battery died (wouldn't hold a
> charge). The carrier would not give me a new battery but would give a
> free new phone. So I got a new phone but it's bells and whistles
> worked differently than my old phone. I haven't had time nor the
> interest to learn anything beyond how to make and receive a simple
> call. I was getting spam text messages--which I had to pay for--so I
> had them turn texting off.
>
> vary by manufacturer or model of the cell phone?) My old Motorola
> analog flip phone was superior. Though it was bigger than today's
> tiny handsets, it wasn't that bulky and easy to carry in a pouch on my
> belt. I suspect they try to compress the conversations too much to
> maximize the usage of the radio channel, but that means a lower voice
> quality.
Maybe I'm overly suspicious, but I've noticed a pattern with the cell
phones I've owned that when the contract is getting close to term,
strange behavior starts to happen. Annoying little things that don't
put the phone completely out of service, like one digit that sometimes
doesn't work, or intermittently only being able to hear if using the
speakerphone. The carriers are more than happy to give you a fancy new
phone, but it means extending your contract again.
My Sprint contract is up next month and my phone is beginning to act
up; I want to get an iPhone this time but will wait until the new
models come out in June.
Elmer
Nathan Perry
gaz...@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) wrote:
> In article <nperry-F74FEE....@news.frontiernet.net>,
> Nathan Perry <npe...@rochester.rr.com> wrote:
> >In article <hqhjle$9la$3...@news.xmission.com>,
> > gaz...@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) wrote:
> >
> >> Are you saying there still exists cell phones (and cell phone
> >> plans/companies) where you can get away with 7 digit dialing?
> >
> >Yes, mine for example, if dialing within my own area code.
>
> Interesting. Good to know.
>
> If you don't mind my asking, what is your area code?
585, from when I first bought a cell phone in Rochester, NY, not long
after it lost the 716 area code. Of course, I now live in PA and my
current phone was bought in Springfield, MO.
Full disclosure: I actually can't remember the last time I made a
7-digit dial on this phone, but if I were in my home area code and
dialing a local number (not on speed dial!) I'd definitely do only 7. Of
course, the phone probably automatically adds the area code if I don't,
so the fact that I don't dial 10 digits doesn't mean they cellular
network doesn't require it!
Nathan Perry
> I find cell phones very frustrating. I managed to learn all the bells
> and whistles of my cell phone when the battery died (wouldn't hold a
> charge). The carrier would not give me a new battery but would give a
> free new phone. So I got a new phone but it's bells and whistles
> worked differently than my old phone. I haven't had time nor the
> interest to learn anything beyond how to make and receive a simple
> call. I was getting spam text messages--which I had to pay for--so I
> had them turn texting off.
I avoided getting any kind of bells-and-whistles phone for as long time,
mainly because I wanted to wait for a phone that actually had pretty
much all of them. Then I bought an iPhone.
>
> I also found talking on the cell phone, even with a headset, very
> distracting so I don't do it. If I absolutely have to call somebody
> I'll pull over to a safe place. In that way I can safely and
> comfortably write notes and concentrate on the call rather than split
> my attention.
I believe I talk far less on the phone since I dropped my land line, and
that usage seems to have dropped further with the iPhone. I went from
having a phone that was only a phone, to having one on which I do just
about everything but talk on the phone! Go figure...
>
> Also to me the sound quality of cell phones is really bad. Cellphone-
> to-cellphone calls are particularly hard to hear. (Does sound quality
> vary by manufacturer or model of the cell phone?) My old Motorola
> analog flip phone was superior. Though it was bigger than today's
> tiny handsets, it wasn't that bulky and easy to carry in a pouch on my
> belt. I suspect they try to compress the conversations too much to
> maximize the usage of the radio channel, but that means a lower voice
> quality.
And if you're talking to someone like me, who actually has poor voice
quality in real life, well then!
Kenny McCormack
Elmer <elme...@gmail.com> wrote:
...
> ftp://ftp.wideweb.com/GroupBell
>
>(If you use a Mac, from the Finder: Go > Connect to Server, and paste
>in the address. When prompted, connect as "Guest".)
Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just open up a Terminal window, and type:
ftp ftp.wideweb.com
(man ftp if you need more info about what to do after that)
Remember: Current Macs run Unix.
Elmer
wrote:
> In article <f404f86c-a3a6-4d31-9c49-d72337a2c...@s22g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>,Elmer <elmer...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> ...
>
> > ftp://ftp.wideweb.com/GroupBell
>
> >(If you use a Mac, from the Finder: Go > Connect to Server, and paste
> >in the address. When prompted, connect as "Guest".)
>
> Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just open up a Terminal window, and type:
>
> ftp ftp.wideweb.com
>
> (man ftp if you need more info about what to do after that)
>
> Remember: Current Macs run Unix.
I don't think so at all. Using the Finder is super easy and if you put
it in list view you can sort by date, size, etc. Then, simply click
and drag the files you want to the Desktop or wherever. No typing
needed. Certainly, the Unix-based Terminal is indispensable for some
things, but IMO the Finder is better for this.
Elmer
Otto Yamamoto
> I thought that was a given. That you always had to dial 10 digits from
> a(ny) cell phone.
>
> Are you saying there still exists cell phones (and cell phone
> plans/companies) where you can get away with 7 digit dialing?
I can dial 7 digits to *any* 845 number while in my LATA-which for my
Blackberry is southeastern Orange and all of Rockland County, NY.
Otherwise I'm considered to be 'roaming on the system', and have to dial
all 10 digits.
--
Otto Yamamoto
Otto Yamamoto
> I'm back in Albany now. Also, the 315 area code is for Syracuse, Utica,
> Watertown and part of the Finger Lakes. 516 and 631 are Long Island
> area codes.
Silly me. Got the numbers mixed up. I think of you more as being from
Long Island than Western NY.
--
Otto Yamamoto
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> Part-3 is particularly fascinating as it
> explains in detail how the panel exchange actually worked. Where I
> grew up, I knew we had crossbar exchanges and step offices, but panel
> was always somewhat of a mystery to me.
Panel in essence is a step switch unrolled with many more contacts to
choose from. The common control translates the dialed decimal number
to that of the matrix which gives panel much more efficient use of
inter-office trunking. This is important in a large city where panel
was used.
One exception was Los Angeles which should've had panel but had step.
In the late years of step Bell applied various tools to extend and
improve it. Some exchanges had some basic translation done first
through a front end electronic box which then controlled the switches;
this gave more flexibility.
Ironically, step was used to provide Centrex service, a modern
offering, (along with crossbar), but panel couldn't be used for
Centrex.
A key part of the original panel was its ability to interface with
existing manual exchanges. A panel subscriber would dial all numbers,
whether they were in an automatic or manual exchange. For calls to
manual exchanges, the panel switch would send out pulses that light
the desired number on a display for the operator, who would make the
connection. For calls from manual exchanges, an operator would key in
the desired number at a console. This stuff sounds trivial now, but
was significant technology in 1922, especially given the high volume
of calls it was to handle reliably.
Panel also accomodated party lines which each party having its own
assigned number, eliminating the need for operators or funky ringing
codes. Only the desired party's phone rang. Party lines were very
common when panel first came out. (The Bell System varied the ground
and bias to apply unique ringing, while the Independent companies used
frequencies.)
Common back to roads, motorists may have noticed different kinds of
pay phones in the towns they passed through, with either pre-pay or
post-pay. In the 1960s, direct dial of coin calls started to be
implemented. Then 3-slot 'ding ding' pay phones were replaced by
single slot phones.
Telephone buffs could tell by looking at the payphone dial whether it
was a Bell System or Independent phone. The dial on Independent
phones was mounted slightly differently (zero in 6 o'clock position,
Bell zero at 4 o'clock) and sounded smoother. The principal producer
of Independent phones was the Automatic Electric Company based in
Chicago, though there were others.
Douglas Kerr
"Otto Yamamoto" <ot...@yamamoto.cc> wrote in message
news:4bcd085c$0$22510$607e...@cv.net...
I grew up on Long Island, but I've been settled around Upstate NY for some
time now.
>
>
> --
> Otto Yamamoto
Otto Yamamoto
> I grew up on Long Island, but I've been settled around Upstate NY for
> some time now.
Yeah, I know. You do spend a few minutes out on the Island now and again.
Never mind me. Senility is setting in.
--
Otto Yamamoto
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> I grew up on Long Island, but I've been settled around Upstate NY for some
> time now.
Unrelated question: Fisher's Island, in Long Island Sound, is part of
New York State, but appears to be much closer to Connecticut than it
is to LI. Would anyone know how it ended up part of NYS instead of
Conn.?
As an aside, Fisher's Island's telephone system was one of the last
step-by-step offices to switch to ESS.
Nathan Perry
<47f5b1f3-4715-4521...@x42g2000vba.googlegroups.com>,
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> On Apr 20, 7:00 am, "Douglas Kerr" <dougt...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I grew up on Long Island, but I've been settled around Upstate NY for some
> > time now.
>
> Unrelated question: Fisher's Island, in Long Island Sound, is part of
> New York State, but appears to be much closer to Connecticut than it
> is to LI. Would anyone know how it ended up part of NYS instead of
> Conn.?
From Wikipedia:
"The island was the subject of a border dispute between New York and
Connecticut. A 1664 land patent granted to the Duke of York included all
islands in Long Island sound, effectively granting the island to New
York. However, when Winthrop became governor of Connecticut in 1657, he
had included Fishers Island in Connecticut's charter. The dispute would
not be settled until 1879 when a joint commission decided that the
island was part of New York. New York State, Connecticut and Rhode
Island meet in the waters east of Fishers Island."
It might also make a little more sense if you recall that New York
colony once included more of the offshore lands south of New England,
including Dukes County (now in MA), to go with Dutchess County, which
also included Nantucket.
I don't know if Block Island was ever part of any colony other than
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> I avoided getting any kind of bells-and-whistles phone for as long time,
> mainly because I wanted to wait for a phone that actually had pretty
> much all of them. Then I bought an iPhone.
My cellphones have always been free with contract because I always
have taken the basic model. (I wonder what the handset actually costs
the carrier to purchase wholesale.)
By 'bells and whistles' I mean features such as:
alarm clock (multiple settings)
calendar
camera
voice recorder
picture transmission and reception
text message transmission and reception (includes email in both
directions).
web access
calculator
GPS reporter
fancy ringtones
These are considered basic and as far as I know, are on all
cellphones.
My point is that I figured out how to use some of them on my old
handset, but when I replaced it I don't know how to use them on the
new handset and won't bother with most or even all of them. I
basically only use the phone for urgent calls which are rare. (One
friend refuses to have a cell phone or even make calls to one out of
principle; though he uses other modern technology.)
Nathan Perry
<6b836156-46b9-4ce4...@u32g2000vbc.googlegroups.com>,
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> On Apr 19, 7:13 pm, Nathan Perry <npe...@rochester.rr.com> wrote:
> > I avoided getting any kind of bells-and-whistles phone for as long time,
> > mainly because I wanted to wait for a phone that actually had pretty
> > much all of them. Then I bought an iPhone.
>
> My cellphones have always been free with contract because I always
> have taken the basic model. (I wonder what the handset actually costs
> the carrier to purchase wholesale.)
Exactly; same here, always the free phone. I wasn't interested in paying
money for a camera phone, or one with a keyboard, until such time as the
features were more or less perfected, and combined into a single device.
(We're talking five or so years ago, when phone gadgets were still up
and coming.)
>
> By 'bells and whistles' I mean features such as:
>
> alarm clock (multiple settings)
> calendar
> camera
> voice recorder
> picture transmission and reception
> text message transmission and reception (includes email in both
> directions).
> web access
> calculator
> GPS reporter
> fancy ringtones
>
> These are considered basic and as far as I know, are on all
> cellphones.
Probably today. When I was choosing phones, picture messaging and web
access were far from standard. At first, even text messaging was an
add-on. Remember asking other cell phone owners if they could text?
>
> My point is that I figured out how to use some of them on my old
> handset, but when I replaced it I don't know how to use them on the
> new handset and won't bother with most or even all of them. I
> basically only use the phone for urgent calls which are rare. (One
> friend refuses to have a cell phone or even make calls to one out of
> principle; though he uses other modern technology.)
I know such a guy: he doesn't have e-mail or a phone of any kind, and
purposely drives 60s-vintage autos, for the same basic reason. But his
hobby is flying RC airplanes, go figure.
george conklin
"Elmer" <elme...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:f404f86c-a3a6-4d31...@s22g2000vbb.googlegroups.com...
ftp://ftp.wideweb.com/GroupBell
The filenames are:
Elmer
We were on the GEdney 4 exchange. 434-5278.
Elmer
> Panel in essence is a step switch unrolled with many more contacts to
> choose from.
Although panel was also electromechanical, in many ways it was very
different from step switching systems. Like crossbar switches, panel
stored the number being dialed and passed it to common equipment (the
Decoder) which determined how to route the call. On a step switch,
each digit was processed as it was dialed.
Another major difference was that step switches were directly
controlled by the dial pulses and would advance forward with each
pulse of the dial. On a panel switch it worked kind of backwards
because the switches were motor-driven and moved at their own speed.
Instead of direct pulsing, panel used "Revertive Pulsing". As the
switches moved, they'd send pulses back to the calling exchange which
would then tell it what digit to stop at.
The mechanical design of the switches themselves were completely
different between the two systems. Panel was based on a grid of 500
numbers. The equipment made it's selection by first choosing one of
five brushes which would snap into place and then ascend vertically
through an array of 100 contacts on the panel frame.
Because of the difference between regular and revertive pulsing, panel
could not easily interface with step exchanges; it was not practical
for cities like Los Angeles and Atlanta that had smaller communities
with step offices in their calling areas. However, panel remained in
service in New York City for many years because all of the surrounding
areas typically had crossbar equipment which did interface with panel.
Part 3 of Evan's GEdney-9 series explains the inner workings of panel
equipment in wonderful detail:
http://www.wideweb.com/phonetrips/
( For best results, download "GE9 3HQ.zip" from ftp://ftp.wideweb.com/GroupBell
)
Elmer
george conklin
Did GEdney 4 run the same way? Just curious. My brother was a DMS100
switchman, but it is all computer-based. When the trade center collapsed,
his exchange in Staten Island became the 911 center for NYC and he drove
over to the island all by himself on the bridge because otherwise it was
closed. (His was the only car crossing).
Elmer
> "Elmer" <elmer...@gmail.com> wrote in message
I know that GEdney-5 was panel, so GEdney-4 probably was too,
especially if you were all in the same Brooklyn neighborhood.
A friend who is a central office engineer was showing me his
switchroom the other day. Much of the space is filled with racks and
racks of DMS equipment that he said is now obsolete and will soon be
removed. All of it is replaced by a tiny "metaswitch" box no bigger
than a microwave oven. It's pretty amazing!
Elmer
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> > (One
> > friend refuses to have a cell phone or even make calls to one out of
> > principle; though he uses other modern technology.)
>
> I know such a guy: he doesn't have e-mail or a phone of any kind, and
> purposely drives 60s-vintage autos, for the same basic reason. But his
> hobby is flying RC airplanes, go figure.
This guy heavilly uses the 'net, e-commerce, email, spreadsheets, and
word processing. He uses his regular phone all the time and has
unlimited national long distance. Has digital cable. But he has some
sort of grudge (I don't understand) against cell phones. He not only
won't get one, he won't call anyone on their cellphone. Someone gave
him their old handset which are still usable to make free calls to 911
(as an emergency phone) but he refused to learn how to use that.
(IMHO he's being foolish, especially about refusing to carry the 911
cellphone for emergency use).
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> The mechanical design of the switches themselves were completely
> different between the two systems. Panel was based on a grid of 500
> numbers. The equipment made it's selection by first choosing one of
> five brushes which would snap into place and then ascend vertically
> through an array of 100 contacts on the panel frame.
At the Lancaster PA show last year they had a small demo of a panel
unit (and step and crossbar). Hopefully they'll have them at this
year's show. Fascinating to watch.
> However, panel remained in
> service in New York City for many years because all of the surrounding
> areas typically had crossbar equipment which did interface with panel.
I believe one source said _new_ panel was installed in NYC in 1950.
They had No. 1 crossbar by then and I don't why they didn't use that.
They were certainly adding parts to panel switches to handle increased
volume.
Unfortunately, NYC kept panel a little too long (it first came in in
1922) and by the late 1960s it was not in good shape; it was one of
several factors contributing to NYC's telephone service crisis of the
1970s.
It amazes that they could develop logic circuits in 1922 to handle
NYC's complexity of exchanges. Today it's trivial, but then we all
know computer logic and could do it in software. Computers were still
far in the future in 1922.
The NYT has a free archives which has a number of interesting articles
on the 1922 implementation. www.nytimes.com then use advanced search
date range for 1/1/1922-12/31/1922 "dial telephone" or "new york
telephone"
Nathan Perry
<023bee31-645f-4307...@g23g2000yqn.googlegroups.com>,
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
Hmm, that's a little more odd I'd say. Although, I wasn't all that keen
on using cell phones when they were new (and before they were
essential). I still barely talk on it as it is, and I certainly pass up
answering a lot of calls because it's not an appropriate time.
Pete Jenior
"Kenny McCormack" <gaz...@shell.xmission.com> wrote in message
news:hqhjle$9la$3...@news.xmission.com...
> In article <4bcc3eb1$0$4999$607e...@cv.net>,
> Otto Yamamoto <ot...@yamamoto.cc> wrote:
>>On Sun, 18 Apr 2010 12:50:21 -0700, Marc Fannin wrote:
>>
>>> "Cell-phone age turns the 614 into just numbers"
>>
>>Pretty much. I have an 845 phone that can't be dialled(and can't dial)
>>without all 10 digits in the majority of the 845 area-since it falls into
>>the Metro NYC LATA. I'm considering changing it to 718, anyway. It was a
>>twofer-I gave the other phone to Doug Kerr, who's running around
>>Binghamton with an 845 and a 315(Lawn Guyland) area code.
>
> I thought that was a given. That you always had to dial 10 digits from
> a(ny) cell phone.
>
> Are you saying there still exists cell phones (and cell phone
> plans/companies) where you can get away with 7 digit dialing?
>
from landlines. When I'm in Cincinnati (which is about 5 days a year), I can
dial other 513 numbers with 7 digit dialing. I've tried doing outside of
Cincinnati, but it doesn't work.
Pete
bugo
"Pete Jenior" <pete....@FILTERgmail.com> wrote in message
news:hsnrue$297$1...@news-int2.gatech.edu...
I haven't tried dialing outside of town, but my 918 cell phone can call
local numbers using 7 digits.
lil abner
Kenny McCormack
...
>until 10 years ago we only had to dial 4 digits for local numbers.
Which begs the question: Where is that?
--
> No, I haven't, that's why I'm asking questions. If you won't help me,
> why don't you just go find your lost manhood elsewhere.
CLC in a nutshell.
Clark F Morris
(Kenny McCormack) wrote:
>In article <2gUHn.14019$0M5...@newsfe07.iad>, lil abner <@daisey.mae> wrote:
>...
>>until 10 years ago we only had to dial 4 digits for local numbers.
>
>Which begs the question: Where is that?
20 years ago in at least parts of rural Nova Scotia including
Bridgetown and vicinity.
lil abner
Steve Sobol
> until 10 years ago we only had to dial 4 digits for local numbers.
Until a few months ago, we could dial 7 digits to any phone in my area
code. Now we have an overlay, so we have to dial 11 digits.
--
Steve Sobol, Victorville, California, USA
sjs...@JustThe.net
Kenny McCormack
Steve Sobol <sjs...@JustThe.net> wrote:
>In article <2gUHn.14019$0M5...@newsfe07.iad>, lil abner <@daisey.mae>
>says...
>
>
>> until 10 years ago we only had to dial 4 digits for local numbers.
>
>Until a few months ago, we could dial 7 digits to any phone in my area
>code. Now we have an overlay, so we have to dial 11 digits.
I think 7 digit dialing is standard all over the US (not sure about
other countries, such as Canada), provided both of the following are
true:
1) Your area code is not "overlaid".
2) You are using a regular, residential line. I.e., not a cell phone.
What I'm interested in hearing about is either:
1) Places/timeframes where you can dial less then 7 (I guess this
hasn't been true anywhere for at least 25 years)
2) Places/timeframes where you can dial just 7 on a cell phone.
Nathan Perry
gaz...@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) wrote:
> What I'm interested in hearing about is either:
> 1) Places/timeframes where you can dial less then 7 (I guess this
> hasn't been true anywhere for at least 25 years)
It was true in Berkshire County, MA considerably more recently than
that. Might still be, for all I know...
> 2) Places/timeframes where you can dial just 7 on a cell phone.
...without the phone filling in the rest? Do they still make such a
phone?
Clark F Morris
(Kenny McCormack) wrote:
>In article <MPG.2659e7931...@news.justthe.net>,
>Steve Sobol <sjs...@JustThe.net> wrote:
>>In article <2gUHn.14019$0M5...@newsfe07.iad>, lil abner <@daisey.mae>
>>says...
>>
>>
>>> until 10 years ago we only had to dial 4 digits for local numbers.
>>
>>Until a few months ago, we could dial 7 digits to any phone in my area
>>code. Now we have an overlay, so we have to dial 11 digits.
>
>I think 7 digit dialing is standard all over the US (not sure about
>other countries, such as Canada), provided both of the following are
>true:
> 1) Your area code is not "overlaid".
> 2) You are using a regular, residential line. I.e., not a cell phone.
>
>What I'm interested in hearing about is either:
> 1) Places/timeframes where you can dial less then 7 (I guess this
> hasn't been true anywhere for at least 25 years)
> 2) Places/timeframes where you can dial just 7 on a cell phone.
Currently, I can do it within any LATA in Nova Scotia, i.e. Halifax
numbers in Halifax and Bridgetown numbers in Bridgetown.
Gary Ansok
news:hsq09i$n4t$1...@news.xmission.com:
> 1) Places/timeframes where you can dial less then 7 (I guess this
> hasn't been true anywhere for at least 25 years)
> 2) Places/timeframes where you can dial just 7 on a cell phone.
I can dial 7 digits on my (AT&T) cell phone now, as long as I'm within
my home area code (805).
Gary Ansok
--
Any attempt to brew coffee with a teapot should result in the error code
"418 I'm a teapot". The resulting entity body MAY be short and stout.
�- RFC 2324, Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol (HTCPCP)/1.0
hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com
> Until a few months ago, we could dial 7 digits to any phone in my area
> code. Now we have an overlay, so we have to dial 11 digits.
I think in overlays one needs to dial only 10 digits. It's long
distance calls that require the "1" prefix. Though I think if you
dial the 1 it doesn't hurt.
The Chief Instigator
Since you're in 918, when my parents moved to Tulsa, they got a house up in
Lakeview Heights, which had a phone in the Filmore calling office, so our
phone was FI 5-1930 (we're talking mid '50s and early '60s), and when we
moved six miles away to Crescent Heights (before the Mingo Valley Expressway
was anywhere near construction), the home phone was in the Temple office
(TE 8-8572).
--
Patrick "The Chief Instigator" Humphrey (pat...@io.com) Houston, Texas
www.prismnet.com/~patrick/aeros.php (TCI's 2009-10 Houston Aeros) AA#2273
LAST GAME: San Antonio 3, Houston 2 (April 11)
NEXT GAME: The 2010-11 opener, in October 2010
The Chief Instigator
> In article <2gUHn.14019$0M5...@newsfe07.iad>, lil abner <@daisey.mae>
> says...
>
>
>> until 10 years ago we only had to dial 4 digits for local numbers.
>
> Until a few months ago, we could dial 7 digits to any phone in my area
> code. Now we have an overlay, so we have to dial 11 digits.
Here in Houston (281/713/832, and 849 possibly by 2014), if it's local, no 1
is needed.
Steve Sobol
@z17g2000vbd.googlegroups.com>, hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com says...
I don't think I can dial 10 digits from my landline (phone service
through Charter Communications, my cable company).
I'd have to check, though. Not sure.
I can dial 10 or 11 digits on my cell phone.
Steve Sobol
> I think 7 digit dialing is standard all over the US (not sure about
> other countries, such as Canada), provided both of the following are
> true:
> 1) Your area code is not "overlaid".
> 2) You are using a regular, residential line. I.e., not a cell phone.
Verizon's 7-digit dialing in area code 760 was most definitely not
standard. You forgot the typical third requirement for 7-digit dialing:
3) The call is not a toll call.
This requirement is in place in most areas, but before the 760/442
overlay, I could dial San Diego suburbs in my area code (2+ hours south
of my home), and numbers in the Sierra Nevadas (1+ hour northwest),
using only seven digits... even though the calls were *not* local calls.
Steve Sobol
says...
>
> On Sun, 16 May 2010 16:35:22 -0700, Steve Sobol <sjs...@JustThe.net> wrote:
> > In article <2gUHn.14019$0M5...@newsfe07.iad>, lil abner <@daisey.mae>
> > says...
> >
> >
> >> until 10 years ago we only had to dial 4 digits for local numbers.
> >
> > Until a few months ago, we could dial 7 digits to any phone in my area
> > code. Now we have an overlay, so we have to dial 11 digits.
>
> Here in Houston (281/713/832, and 849 possibly by 2014), if it's local, no 1
> is needed.
It may be a requirement of my cable company (through whom I have
landline service). I'm not going to be home 'til tomorrow; I'll try
then.
Mark Roberts
|
| 3) The call is not a toll call.
|
| This requirement is in place in most areas, but before the 760/442
| overlay, I could dial San Diego suburbs in my area code (2+ hours south
| of my home), and numbers in the Sierra Nevadas (1+ hour northwest),
| using only seven digits... even though the calls were *not* local calls.
This is normal in California, which does not use 1+ for toll
signaling. Local vs. toll is determined strictly by distance
(between COs). If a number is in your area code in California,
you will be able to dial it with seven digits. This is true for
landlines and for mobile calls when the mobile phone is physically
present in its home area code.
--
Mark Roberts - E-Mail address is valid but I don't use Google Groups
If you quote, please quote only relevant passages and not the whole article.
Josh
(Kenny McCormack) wrote:
>In article <MPG.2659e7931...@news.justthe.net>,
>Steve Sobol <sjs...@JustThe.net> wrote:
>>In article <2gUHn.14019$0M5...@newsfe07.iad>, lil abner <@daisey.mae>
>>says...
>>
>>
>>> until 10 years ago we only had to dial 4 digits for local numbers.
>>
>>Until a few months ago, we could dial 7 digits to any phone in my area
>>code. Now we have an overlay, so we have to dial 11 digits.
>
>I think 7 digit dialing is standard all over the US (not sure about
>other countries, such as Canada), provided both of the following are
>true:
> 1) Your area code is not "overlaid".
> 2) You are using a regular, residential line. I.e., not a cell phone.
>
>What I'm interested in hearing about is either:
> 1) Places/timeframes where you can dial less then 7 (I guess this
> hasn't been true anywhere for at least 25 years)
> 2) Places/timeframes where you can dial just 7 on a cell phone.
With both AT&T and Verizon cell phones, I can dial 7 digits here in
the 916, and believe I have done so in other places that don't have
overlays. Just confirmed 30 seconds ago.
The caveat is that the default area code is wherever you're standing,
so if you put 7 digit numbers in your phonebook, they won't work when
outside the area. For example, if I go 5 miles to the east of wher I
am now (530 area code), I wouldn't be able to call my house with 7
digits.
Josh