"Terry" wrote in message
...
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

Just post the number, we'll call you

Terry wrote:
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

use your cell phone to call your home phone. Or have a neighbor call
you. Or ask the operator to call you.

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:39:44 -0500, Terry
wrote:

I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.


BR-549!

(Honest as the Day is Long Junior Samples)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FeDX6ESys...elated&search=

"Terry" wrote in message
...
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

Just post a "free car" ad on craigslist with your # in it.

Terry, that number was unique to local exchanges. The same number
did not work universally and differed from place to place. You
might stop at a local phone truck, but I'm not sure they will
share the number with you.

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Terry" wrote in message
...
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit
phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard
phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by
plugging
it into another phone outlet.

He's not. There are millions of us.


"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...
Terry wrote:
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.



Are you the last person on earth without a cell phone you could call your
home phone from? G

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

Terry wrote:
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.



Are you the last person on earth without a cell phone you could call
your home phone from? G

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:39:44 -0500, Terry
wrote:

I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.


We used to have that here (it was probably intended for calling on a
party line). It went away when the new ESS exchange was added.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

Got a wireless (cellular) phone? That's how I do it.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"DISCLAIMER If you find a posting or message
from me offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive,
please ignore it. If you don't know how to
ignore a posting, complain to me and I will
demonstrate."

Mark Lloyd wrote:
On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:39:44 -0500, Terry
wrote:

I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

That feature is usually called "reverting ring".

We used to have that here (it was probably intended for calling on a
party line). It went away when the new ESS exchange was added.

It has other purposes too, but yes it works for party
lines (of which there are virtually none left today?).

Most digital switching systems implement it in a very
simple way: dial your own number!

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

Got a wireless (cellular) phone? That's how I do it.

That works too.

--
Floyd L. Davidson http://www.apaflo.com/floyd_davidson
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:39:44 -0500, Terry wrote:

I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

It depends on where you live. See:

http://www.tech-faq.com/ringback-number.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringback_number

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

call it with your cell phone. Don't have one? Borrow one.

s


"Terry" wrote in message
...
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

Well, with me make that 3, anyway.


"k" wrote in message
...
He's not. There are millions of us.


"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...
Terry wrote:
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.



Are you the last person on earth without a cell phone you could call your
home phone from? G

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Also, does anyone know the number for finding out what the number is
of the phone one is using? Few phones have the phone number on them
anymore.

I'm glad you stared this thread.

Thanks, Don. My area code isn't there, but I'll try the common ones
as suggested.

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:39:44 -0500, Terry wrote:

I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.\

1197 But that was one city 45 years ago. Maybe 1191 somewhere else,
but still 45 years ago.

When I dial my own number, I get a busy signal. Except when I had an
internet answering machine, Buzme, so I had forward on busy, and then
it would ring Buzme and I could get my messages.

Barely related: The clerk at the supermarket gave me a four digit
number which I could use in place of a 10-digit number for those damn
price reductions that require cards. I've forgotten it, but she also
said that any 10-digit number will work, so I just make one up.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

In the electronics ng, I tried to find out how to make one of my fax
machines call the other, without using the phone system. I didnt'
want to tie up my phone line. It turns out to be really hard, even if
you buy a tone generator etc..

SteveB wrote:
"k" wrote in message
...
He's not. There are millions of us.

I lost mine about three months ago, and I don't miss it one bit.

Steve


That was yours? It sure came in handy on that long trip I just came back
from! Thanks!

--
aem sends...

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:51:18 -0400, mm wrote:

Also, does anyone know the number for finding out what the number is
of the phone one is using? Few phones have the phone number on them
anymore.

I used to know these numbers. I simply ask the installer and he tells me.
But then I don't remember them.

One of the long distance companies has a toll-free number that identifies
the number. All I recall is it had a lot of repeating numbers.

Wait. I just tried 958. It identified itself as Bell Atlantic and then read
me my phone number.

The one that I do remember is xxx-xxx-9901. At least in some switches
around here that will identify the name of the switch and possibly its
location (at least with respect that the name is often based on its
location).

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:39:44 -0500, Terry wrote:

I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

Here's a web page that will do this for you: http://www.phonemyphone.com/

It's main purpose is to schedule a call so you can escape boring meetings
or end sucky dates early. But it also has the option to call now.

The newsgroup that is best to ask these telephone questions is
comp.home.automation. Those guys are really into this stuff.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

Also, does anyone know the number for finding out what the number is
of the phone one is using?

1-800-444-4444

In article ,
(Floyd L. Davidson) wrote:

It has other purposes too, but yes it works for party
lines (of which there are virtually none left today?).

I'm sure there are a few party lines still in service somewhere,
probably in very small, rural exchanges.

Multi-party service was developed to accommodate demand for "lines" when
it out-paced the deployment of facilities.

Four, six and eight-party lines in rural areas were common until the
'70s. The exchange I serviced (local call to Omaha) had a couple or
three-dozen, two-party lines when I started the job in 1982. By then,
however, they had all been converted to the Central Office: They were
"bridged" in the C.O. (as opposed to out in the country) because, by
then, there were sufficient cable pairs to provide PRIVATE service to
all customers all the way from the C.O.

It is interesting to note that multi-party service actually requires
more equipment, work and trouble-shooting skill than private service.

It was rather amusing to be a ahem PARTY to the company process to
ENCOURAGE the last two-party subscribers to regrade to either private
service or, to still get the lower monthly rate, measured private
service:

After a few years, many two-party subscribers were "bridged alone".
That is, they did not have a party mate. Their party mate had either
disconnected their service or regraded to 1FR (private) service.

When the telco contacted them, encouraging them to regrade to private
service which was, of course, a few bucks more per month, some converted
to private service. However, many saw no advantage to converting as
they hadn't had to share their line in a few years.

It was at this point the fun began: Those remaining, two-party
subscribers that were bridged alone were subsequently MATED to another
subscriber.

After years of virtually private service, they found themselves again
having to SHARE the line with a partymate. Most of the former hold outs
promptly called the Business Office and regraded to 1FR.

Most digital switching systems implement [ringback] in a very
simple way: dial your own number!

That does not, and never has, worked for ringing-back your own line.

With my ESS service, including No Solicitation and Voice Messaging
Service, dialing-back my own number invokes the No Solicitation
intercept and then proceeds to VMS.

My "plain" line, when dialed-back, simply rings busy as has been the
case for almost a century.

ANI (Automatic Number Identification) was implemented in numerous ways
over the years. The old, three-digit "958" probably doesn't work
anywhere anymore. Following The Divestiture (1984) and competition, it
was changed to a 7-digit number, the last four of which were changed
quarterly to prevent usage by non-telco personnel, particularly
competitors.

Today, even the 7-digit ANI is all but gone. Instead, a technician
calls a toll-free number that connects to a voice-responding testing
system that reads-back the line number at the very least.

With the proliferation of Caller ID and wireless service, the need to
provide telco-based ANI and ringback is all but gone.
--

JR

On Mar 25, 7:39*pm, Terry wrote:
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. *My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

My parents used to hassle me if I wanted to go out but didn't have a
good reason or destination. Sometimes I was just going to find out
where my friends were hanging out. Way before cell phones...

I used to ring my phone back, answer it, and act like I was talking to
a friend. When I hung up, I'd say something like "Going bowling with
Russ" or "Greg needs help on his car" and off I'd go...more or less
with their blessing.

Jeff Wisnia wrote in
:

Terry wrote:
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.



Are you the last person on earth without a cell phone you could call
your home phone from? G

Jeff


I'm #4

I hate em. 5x the cost of a landline and 1/10 the quality and
reliability.

I still have one from when I tried it in 2000. I keep it in the car even
though I have no service. It still works. I can dial 911 if needed.

"k" wrote in message
...
He's not. There are millions of us.

I lost mine about three months ago, and I don't miss it one bit.

Steve

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:23:50 -0000, Red Green wrote:

Jeff Wisnia wrote in

Are you the last person on earth without a cell phone you could call
your home phone from? G

I hate em. 5x the cost of a landline and 1/10 the quality and
reliability.

There are plenty of people without cell phones. They will tend to be older.
They will tend to be male. In my case I don't own a car. I'm either next to
my office phone, or my home phone, or on public transportation (or my
bicycle) where I don't want to make or take a call. And for the rare
occasion of coordinating a meeting with someone, it is a rather high
expense.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:01:43 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

On Mar 25, 7:39*pm, Terry wrote:
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. *My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

My parents used to hassle me if I wanted to go out but didn't have a
good reason or destination. Sometimes I was just going to find out
where my friends were hanging out. Way before cell phones...

I used to ring my phone back, answer it, and act like I was talking to
a friend. When I hung up, I'd say something like "Going bowling with
Russ" or "Greg needs help on his car" and off I'd go...more or less
with their blessing.

Dad, you never told me about this before. Do Grampa and Gramma know?

I'm sure I won't have to go to that much trouble to go out for the
night, right, if you don't want them to find out.

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Mar 25, 7:39 pm, Terry wrote:
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

My parents used to hassle me if I wanted to go out but didn't have a
good reason or destination. Sometimes I was just going to find out
where my friends were hanging out. Way before cell phones...

I used to ring my phone back, answer it, and act like I was talking to
a friend. When I hung up, I'd say something like "Going bowling with
Russ" or "Greg needs help on his car" and off I'd go...more or less
with their blessing.

Did anybody else, in the pre-ESS days, ever deliberately call a busy
number (like your own), and then have conversations with other people
doing the same thing? Back then, the busy signal for each switch came
from a common source, and you could, sort of, talk between beeps. We
called it the 'beep line', and their was much mourning when the
electronic switches made it go away. Remember, this was small town, pre
internet, pre chatline, pre-blog, pre-chatroom, pre cellphone, pre CB
radio, etc. If you couldn't drive, and it was too far to walk and too
crappy out to ride a bike, you took your social contact where you could
find it.

Yeah, we were pathetic.

--
aem sends...

In article
,
Jim Redelfs wrote:

Most digital switching systems implement [ringback] in a very
simple way: dial your own number!

That does not, and never has, worked for ringing-back your own line.

It did when I was a kid. My brother and I used to do it. My father would
answer, and then become furious when no one was there. (****ing off dad
without getting the heat for it rated 5 stars on the amusement scale.)

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:54:53 -0700 (PDT), wrote:


Also, does anyone know the number for finding out what the number is
of the phone one is using?

1-800-444-4444

Hey, that works great. And since it's provided by MCI and not a local
phone company, it probably works for everyone in the USA (and Canada).

This will be great when I'm delivering groceries. There are a lot of
hot-looking chicks on my route, and and I can ask to borrow the phone
and find out their number. Then I can give the number to my friend
Pete, and he can call them and pretend her father gave him her number.
He'll do the same for me.

Just kidding. I don't deliver groceries.

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:19:41 -0400, mm
wrote:

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:54:53 -0700 (PDT), wrote:


Also, does anyone know the number for finding out what the number is
of the phone one is using?

1-800-444-4444

Hey, that works great. And since it's provided by MCI and not a local
phone company, it probably works for everyone in the USA (and Canada).

This will be great when I'm delivering groceries. There are a lot of
hot-looking chicks on my route, and and I can ask to borrow the phone
and find out their number. Then I can give the number to my friend
Pete, and he can call them and pretend her father gave him her number.
He'll do the same for me.

Just kidding. I don't deliver groceries.

I think there is a law against having a hot looking chick route,
without actually having a job.

Jim Redelfs wrote:
In article ,
(Floyd L. Davidson) wrote:

It has other purposes too, but yes it works for party
lines (of which there are virtually none left today?).

I'm sure there are a few party lines still in service somewhere,
probably in very small, rural exchanges.

I doubt it. As you noted in your discussion, it is not
economical, and hasn't been since the 1980s.

Most digital switching systems implement [ringback] in a very
simple way: dial your own number!

That does not, and never has, worked for ringing-back your own line.

Trust that that is not the case; it is indeed very
common. For example, Nortel DMS systems implement it
that way.

With my ESS service, including No Solicitation and Voice Messaging
Service, dialing-back my own number invokes the No Solicitation
intercept and then proceeds to VMS.

Yours is different; but that doesn't change the fact
that most digital switching systems implement reverting
call in that way.

ANI (Automatic Number Identification) was implemented in numerous ways
over the years. The old, three-digit "958" probably doesn't work
anywhere anymore.

My memory is foggy on that, but wasn't 958 a Wire
Chief's line on the CO's 2-wire board?

I'm fuzzy on some of that because in Alaska we were
virtually 100% digital by the mid-1980's, and at that
time the US in general was only about 33% digital. So
it has been more than just a couple decades since I've
seen a Step office, for example.

Following The Divestiture (1984) and competition, it
was changed to a 7-digit number, the last four of which were changed
quarterly to prevent usage by non-telco personnel, particularly
competitors.

Different LECs invented different policy.

For example, the damnedest on I can remember is a
private network (within the Oil Industry) where they
chose to have *all* of the test numbers utilize the
extra 4 digits from a 4x4 keypad that are not on a 3x4
keypad. If I remember right, they are commonly called
'A', 'B', 'C', and 'D'. But with a DMS-200 if one
enters "907852AAAA", it doesn't dial it. I don't
remember now what the offset was, but something like
starting at 'K' instead of 'A'. It was annoying.

With the PSTN we could have Carrier Relations simply
tell them that was unacceptable, change it or else. But
on a private network, they could do as they wished.

Today, even the 7-digit ANI is all but gone. Instead, a technician
calls a toll-free number that connects to a voice-responding testing
system that reads-back the line number at the very least.

With the proliferation of Caller ID and wireless service, the need to
provide telco-based ANI and ringback is all but gone.

True.

--
Floyd L. Davidson http://www.apaflo.com/floyd_davidson
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)

On Mar 26, 12:07 am, Smitty Two wrote:
In article
,
Jim Redelfs wrote:

Most digital switching systems implement [ringback] in a very
simple way: dial your own number!

That does not, and never has, worked for ringing-back your own line.

It did when I was a kid.

Ditto. Party line and private line. I'd get a busy signal, hang up,
and the phone would ring.

Dad...? I'm stupid, not crazy.

But for little sisters midway between cycles waiting for a call from a
older boy... nnnn... wait for it.... Priceless!

I wrote that... still in court...
-----

- gpsman

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:03:58 -0400, Don Wiss
wrote:

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:23:50 -0000, Red Green wrote:
Jeff Wisnia wrote in

Are you the last person on earth without a cell phone you could call
your home phone from? G

I hate em. 5x the cost of a landline and 1/10 the quality and
reliability.

There are plenty of people without cell phones. They will tend to be older.
They will tend to be male. In my case I don't own a car. I'm either next to
my office phone, or my home phone, or on public transportation (or my
bicycle) where I don't want to make or take a call. And for the rare
occasion of coordinating a meeting with someone, it is a rather high
expense.

A voice of reason! I resisted getting a pager for many of these
reasons: I'm near a computer most hours of the day, so why pay $30+ a
month just to be bothered at others' whim? The only time I really
like the pager is when I'm traveling, and that's not very often (but I
will be traveling quite a bit later in the year...).

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:50:19 GMT, KLS wrote:

A voice of reason! I resisted getting a pager for many of these
reasons: I'm near a computer most hours of the day, so why pay $30+ a
month just to be bothered at others' whim? The only time I really
like the pager is when I'm traveling, and that's not very often (but I
will be traveling quite a bit later in the year...).

When I'm traveling I cut myself completely off. No telephone calls. No
e-mail. The only electronics I carry is my camera.

I do leave an itinerary behind. So if something important happens, e.g. a
death in the family, I can be reached.

This is, of course, personal travel. You may be referring to business
travel.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

I hate em. 5x the cost of a landline and 1/10 the quality and
reliability.

I still have one from when I tried it in 2000. I keep it in the car even
though I have no service. It still works. I can dial 911 if needed.- Hide quoted text -

analog service is ending, if its a old analog phone it may not work
when you need it the most

On Mar 25, 11:03*pm, Don Wiss wrote:
On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:23:50 -0000, Red Green wrote:
Jeff Wisnia wrote in

Are you the last person on earth without a cell phone you could call
your home phone from? G
I hate em. 5x the cost of a landline and 1/10 the quality and
reliability.

There are plenty of people without cell phones. They will tend to be older..
They will tend to be male. In my case I don't own a car. I'm either next to
my office phone, or my home phone, or on public transportation (or my
bicycle) where I don't want to make or take a call. And for the rare
occasion of coordinating a meeting with someone, it is a rather high
expense.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

They will tend to be older

We will all tend to be older...hopefully.

On Mar 25, 11:26*pm, aemeijers wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Mar 25, 7:39 pm, Terry wrote:
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. *My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

My parents used to hassle me if I wanted to go out but didn't have a
good reason or destination. Sometimes I was just going to find out
where my friends were hanging out. *Way before cell phones...

I used to ring my phone back, answer it, and act like I was talking to
a friend. When I hung up, I'd say something like "Going bowling with
Russ" or "Greg needs help on his car" and off I'd go...more or less
with their blessing.

Did anybody else, in the pre-ESS days, ever deliberately call a busy
number (like your own), and then have conversations with other people
doing the same thing? Back then, the busy signal for each switch came
from a common source, and you could, sort of, talk between beeps. We
called it the 'beep line', and their was much mourning when the
electronic switches made it go away. Remember, this was small town, pre
internet, pre chatline, pre-blog, pre-chatroom, pre cellphone, pre CB
radio, etc. If you couldn't drive, and it was too far to walk and too
crappy out to ride a bike, you took your social contact where you could
find it.

Yeah, we were pathetic.

--
aem sends...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

How did you arrange these "beep talk sessions"? Did people just hang
around listening to busy signals hoping someone else joined the party?

"We were pathetic" might be the understatement of the year! g

On Mar 25, 11:25*pm, DerbySon01 wrote:
On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:01:43 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03





wrote:
On Mar 25, 7:39*pm, Terry wrote:
I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. *My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

My parents used to hassle me if I wanted to go out but didn't have a
good reason or destination. Sometimes I was just going to find out
where my friends were hanging out. *Way before cell phones...

I used to ring my phone back, answer it, and act like I was talking to
a friend. When I hung up, I'd say something like "Going bowling with
Russ" or "Greg needs help on his car" and off I'd go...more or less
with their blessing.

Dad, you never told me about this before. Do Grampa and Gramma know?

I'm sure I won't have to go to that much trouble to go out for the
night, right, if you don't want them to find out.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Go ahead and tell Grampa and Gramma, you little snot faced brat.

I think you'll find that adults stick together, especially when they
see a kid trying to usurp the authority of their parents.

Let me know how that works out for you.

DerbyDad03 wrote:
....

Did anybody else, in the pre-ESS days, ever deliberately call a busy
number (like your own), and then have conversations with other people
doing the same thing? Back then, the busy signal for each switch came
from a common source, and you could, sort of, talk between beeps. ...

How did you arrange these "beep talk sessions"? Did people just hang
around listening to busy signals hoping someone else joined the party?

"We were pathetic" might be the understatement of the year! g

We just cranked the handled and "Central" picked up and would plug us
onto the line--normally whether they were already talking or not...

And, of course, w/ the party line, all you had to do was pick up and
join in almost any time...

--

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Mar 25, 11:26 pm, aemeijers wrote:

DerbyDad03 wrote:

On Mar 25, 7:39 pm, Terry wrote:

I can remember when I was a kid that you could dial a 4 digit phone
number and hang up and your phone would ring.

I am having trouble with an AT&T cordless phone. My standard phone
works fine, but the cordless won't ring.

I would like to be able to make my phone ring to test it by plugging
it into another phone outlet.

My parents used to hassle me if I wanted to go out but didn't have a
good reason or destination. Sometimes I was just going to find out
where my friends were hanging out. Way before cell phones...

I used to ring my phone back, answer it, and act like I was talking to
a friend. When I hung up, I'd say something like "Going bowling with
Russ" or "Greg needs help on his car" and off I'd go...more or less
with their blessing.

Did anybody else, in the pre-ESS days, ever deliberately call a busy
number (like your own), and then have conversations with other people
doing the same thing? Back then, the busy signal for each switch came
from a common source, and you could, sort of, talk between beeps. We
called it the 'beep line', and their was much mourning when the
electronic switches made it go away. Remember, this was small town, pre
internet, pre chatline, pre-blog, pre-chatroom, pre cellphone, pre CB
radio, etc. If you couldn't drive, and it was too far to walk and too
crappy out to ride a bike, you took your social contact where you could
find it.

Yeah, we were pathetic.

--
aem sends...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


How did you arrange these "beep talk sessions"? Did people just hang
around listening to busy signals hoping someone else joined the party?

"We were pathetic" might be the understatement of the year! g


This worked best on old step offices (Stroger) since busy
tone was delivered to groups of 8 lines. The tone level
dropped as each new recipient was added, so it was easier to
talk over it. You all called the same busy number at the
same time to end up on the same tone source.

The "feature" didn't last long in college towns. It caused
all circuit busy for all 100 numbers in that group, ie: the
busy target was 555-1234, when 8 calls were setting on busy,
the rest of 555-1200 to 555-1299 couldn't receive calls.

Easy fix, busy tone was raised 20db, eight pairs of
resistors dropped it back to normal. That put 40 db loss
between each busy. Soldering resistors was a welcome break
from replacing relay contacts, washing the racks and floors,
for the new guy in 1968 ;-)

-- larry/dallas

On Mar 26, 10:30*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
That's MCI computer, but it does give the number you're using. Thank you.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.

wrote in message

...

Also, does anyone know the number for finding out what the number is
of the phone one is using?

1-800-444-4444

Unless you're behind an office phone system (or whatever the technical
term for that is).

I just tried it from my office and it returned the main number for the
complex, even though you can direct dial into my phone.

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:54:54 -0500, wrote:

On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:34:54 -0400, Don Wiss wrote:

When I'm traveling I cut myself completely off. No telephone calls. No
e-mail. The only electronics I carry is my camera.

I do leave an itinerary behind. So if something important happens, e.g. a
death in the family, I can be reached.

I agree. A vacation is to get away.

BTW if someone did die and they couldn't tell you right away what
would happen? They wouldn't still be dead when you got home?

Well, on my Ireland trip I did not leave a detailed itinerary behind. I
spent two weeks driving from B&B to B&B, with the next selected each
afternoon. I had no contact with home. My parents (at the time 84 and 86)
later said they did not realize I had not left a detailed itinerary (just
the flights and the first night). Would they have waited? Or held the
funeral without me? I guess I'll never know.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).