12 November 2011
469
R. Linda:
A friend of mine was telling me about the troubles she had with her "smartphone." She was one of the first to get one way back when and told me they are super phones now. In talking about phone service (she is from England), she mentioned "telephony" has come a long way. She told me a story I just have to share from those archaic times before the wireless phone came into being.
It was common practice in England to ring a telephone by sending extra voltage across one side of a two-wire circuit and ground (earth in England). When the subscriber answered the phone, it would switch to the two-wire circuit for the conversation. This method allowed parties on the same line to be signalled without disturbing each other.
Now, if you have figured that out, you are a better man than me. I have no head for wiring and all things electric. Anyway, an elderly lady with an elderly German shepherd dog called the phone company to say her telephone failed to ring when her friends called and that on the few occasions when it did ring, her dog always barked first. The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog.
He climbed a nearby telephone pole, hooked in his test kit, and dialled the subscriber's house. The phone didn't ring. He tried again. The dog barked loudly, followed by a ringing telephone.
Climbing down from the pole, the repairman found several things as an explanation.
1. The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground post via an iron chain and collar. Right there I'd be suspicious what be up.
2. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signalling current. OUCH!
3. After several such jolts, the dog would start barking and urinating on the ground. Well, that's understandable.
AND,
4. The wet ground completed the circuit, and the phone would ring. OH MY.
This goes to show that some problems can be fixed by just pissing on them. But only temporarily. ;)
Gabe
Copyright © 2011 All rights reserved
R. Linda:
A friend of mine was telling me about the troubles she had with her "smartphone." She was one of the first to get one way back when and told me they are super phones now. In talking about phone service (she is from England), she mentioned "telephony" has come a long way. She told me a story I just have to share from those archaic times before the wireless phone came into being.
It was common practice in England to ring a telephone by sending extra voltage across one side of a two-wire circuit and ground (earth in England). When the subscriber answered the phone, it would switch to the two-wire circuit for the conversation. This method allowed parties on the same line to be signalled without disturbing each other.
Now, if you have figured that out, you are a better man than me. I have no head for wiring and all things electric. Anyway, an elderly lady with an elderly German shepherd dog called the phone company to say her telephone failed to ring when her friends called and that on the few occasions when it did ring, her dog always barked first. The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog.
He climbed a nearby telephone pole, hooked in his test kit, and dialled the subscriber's house. The phone didn't ring. He tried again. The dog barked loudly, followed by a ringing telephone.
Climbing down from the pole, the repairman found several things as an explanation.
1. The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground post via an iron chain and collar. Right there I'd be suspicious what be up.
2. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signalling current. OUCH!
3. After several such jolts, the dog would start barking and urinating on the ground. Well, that's understandable.
AND,
4. The wet ground completed the circuit, and the phone would ring. OH MY.
This goes to show that some problems can be fixed by just pissing on them. But only temporarily. ;)
Gabe
Copyright © 2011 All rights reserved
1 comment:
BT still work that way over there? Anyone know?
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