
This is me, making a phone call through two of my 1950s electromechanical phone exchanges and through two asterisk voip servers that are 30 miles apart, liked by the internets.
By dialling 10 digits, I can make a phone ring about 6ft away from where I started - but the kit involved makes a lovely noise while I do it.
I'm aware this is not normal behaviour.
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:36, Reply)

*clicks*
*clicks* again in analogue.
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:38, Reply)

The red phone (GPO 706) is on my AT&E 50/7A PAX.
Dialing 30 takes you out through an outgoing tie line and onto the junction selector, 0 takes you back into the 50/7A on an incoming tie line, 50 takes you out through another tieline and into my asterisk server. 91 are the access digits which take you in to the asterisk server at the Dean Forest Railway, 491 then takes you back into my asterisk server, which then dials "39" on your behalf which takes you out *another* tie line into my 10/2A PAX and then it finally dials a 5 to ring the black phone (also a 706)
Two 1950s strowger PAXes, a home-brew junction selector, two asterisk servers and a load of internet later - and I've phoned from one side of my front room to the other.
This is what happens when you throw your TV out and find something else to do with your evenings.
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:39, Reply)

and do stupid shit like this, but wouldnt know where to start :(
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:42, Reply)

getting rid of your tv! The rest seemed to follow naturally...
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:43, Reply)

But Ive just bought a stupid big 3d one :(
Although, I still have the old massive CRT one that is too heavy for me to get out of my house...
*edit* free to anyone that can move it, panasonic, 34 inch I think, silver. Weighs tons.
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:46, Reply)

to get it down 3 flights of stairs. I do not envy you.
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:04, Reply)

still on the first floor. And thats where its staying unless A, someone comes for it or B, I take it apart to move it.
I suppose I should put it on gumtree or freecycle.
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:15, Reply)

it'll make a lovely noise when it lands!
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:16, Reply)

and it wouldn't fit through the window :(
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:18, Reply)

It nearly killed me to get it up to the third floor, and I'm five years older and wiser now.
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:09, Reply)

people back on their feet in new homes. These people have nothing so something we treat as unfashionable is given a new lease of life.
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:49, Reply)

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:36, Reply)

a lot harder to do it. If you have an interesting enough hobby it will happen on its own any way. I am not even sure if it even counts as a hobby if it takes up all your time. I go to work to have a rest from it.
( , Sat 2 Nov 2013, 22:35, Reply)

Amazing work there!
Reminds me of an old Louis CK bit, (to paraphrase) 'it was such an ache on your fingers, for instance if a friend had two 9s in his number - fuck him - how much do I wanna talk to that guy?'
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:49, Reply)

you telephone nutter! D: x
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:16, Reply)

"roboplegicwrongphone"
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:36, Reply)


What a great sound too!
Is this what you were building in the shed?
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:05, Reply)

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:10, Reply)

I used to love messing about with old video recorders, betamax and the like but digital has taken away moving parts and a lot of the fun.
Click!
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:47, Reply)

I once set up something similar with two rotary phones, two ATA boxes and Asterisk - not nearly as beautiful as this.
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 22:13, Reply)

I got a bit carried away though. It's taken over my house.
( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 22:29, Reply)

That LP did indeed kidnap, and hold to ransom*, the entire staff and holdings of the 1960 GPO.
TruFax.
*Which was never payed, and they were subsequently substituted by Tory enslaved muppets (but that's another story...
( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 0:08, Reply)

It's hooked up to a similar (but bigger) exchange in the Forest of Dean,and that's almost wales...
I have considered hooking it up to www.ckts.info so I can call similar nutters on the other side of the world, but haven't done so yet for various reasons.
One of which is that I'm not sure I want to actually have a conversation with any of them...
( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 7:24, Reply)

I'd go as far as a creamy-yellow vintage phone - but not the whole exchange, unless its the one with ladies.
I'd get rid of my TV if the kids weren't glued to it, and then do something similar to this.
( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 1:53, Reply)

'Twas a magical place!
( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 8:05, Reply)

I've never been in a big exchange at busy hour, the noise must have been fabulous.
The busiest one I work in now is at the Forest of Dean Railway, which gets about 10 calls an hour through it.
( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 9:10, Reply)

Wonderful. Evokes memories of my earlier career in GPO strowger exchanges as a callow youth.
Damn system X. Damn you all to hell.
( , Fri 1 Nov 2013, 19:50, Reply)

I remember spending several weeks staring into a giant magnifying glass and learning to stroke the relays. I am an old git.
( , Fri 1 Nov 2013, 20:58, Reply)