Well I enjoy the telephone stuff anyway. Its interesting to see because it is where all the computer stuff started with colossus being made from telephone parts. Look mum some proto-computers...
Used to work on them when I first started working. Actually designed a basic exchange for the college I was studying at. They wanted it to show some of the work they were training people for. It was so long ago!! But nice reminder of my early life . Hope all your bits and pieces grow and all success to your museum.
Thanks there were two types of strowger I think one was 2000 and the 4000 but that's a hazy memory. They were putting in TXK reed relay systems when I was working there. Also they were waiting for the computer controlled system I think TXE but don't quote me on the names. As an aside I installed one of the first computer controlled PBXs I was there for about 2 years we maintained it as well. It was for Lloyds of London a brand new site next to a river , built on ex dockyard.
I believe the cable pressure alarm is for the major underground cables going out to the field (distribution boxes and subscribers) they are usually sealed and pressurised with nitrogen, if a cable gets damaged, the pressure drops and warns the exchange Part of my job was woorking on suite fuse alarms (suite of racks), so my timesheet often said 'suite FA' :D The meters don't have a reset, someone comes in with a camera with a conical hood and takes a photo of groups of meters, they are then checked and you are charged for th units since the last reading, just like an electricity meter. The timing of the meter pulses must be adjusted throughout the day for peak hours etc, but the master clock sends constant pulses, i'm thinking that S&Z might be the mofification I was never sure how the ringer creates dial tone etc, but it sounds like it's serrated discs with coild, very much like the Hammond organ
That's what I thought on the cable pressure but I'm not sure why it would be on this rack that's all. I need to source where it's coming from. As the outward wiring and pressure meters would have been on another rack
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER Yeah, normally you would expect it to be near the MDF (main distribution frame), maaybe that frame was in a small local or business exchange, the alarm may have been put there for convenience with the FA etc.
Have you considered making a phone-phreaking setup to go along with the telephone exchanges? Lots of interesting stuff to read up on in that realm of things. One thing that always struck me about that community, was someone (either Woz or Captain Crunch) talked about listening to the equipment in the exchange through the phone receiver to try and figure out how to further manipulate it.
What about having a computer on the micro museum side use a historic 9600 baud modem to talk to a modem on your side connected to some simple logic to control a sequencer or a synth in some way? You could run the audio back over a second line to a speaker, or 7 or 8 bit digitize it and the computer the other end can play it back. I believe the Amstrad CPC can do a pretty ropey 5bit natively. Or, maybe make a rudimentary DAC card for one of those old machines to do 7 or 8 bit audio. 9600 baud would be enough for a "classic" computer sound. A text-based remote analog synth system :^)
I absolutely love the idea of calling the synthesizers! Maybe you could put an indicator to show which synthesizers are active. An old status indicator panel from IEE would be perfect for that! Also l, how come you changed the name of the channel?
I love telephony stuff.. This will never get old, at least to me. I was super into this stuff, phreaking and whatnot when I was younger. Haha, keep up the good work! 🤙 Hope you do a Vectrex video soon too!
Yep. Same place on github. Commented on the last video, but I figured I'd say it here just in case. I replace the hard delays with another timer, so it doesn't pause the program.
Amazing stuff just wish we could travel. I'm impressed with your focus and determination, my mind fogs trying to keep track of the sheer amount of projects you have undertaken and achieved. Bravo for being so driven and enquiring.
This is so cool, I started messing around with discord and I think it would great the exchange set up. Multi voice channel. Just an idea for you. So great to be part of your journey Sam. 🙂
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER Yes discord you can multi text and voice chat rooms. So I was thinking you could have a few voice chat rooms linked up with a soundcard to each phone line on the exchane. So discord could be linked the same as Techmoan tape machine. That's what's popped into my head trying to keep it simple and cheap for the start. I do electronics in communication bridging mobile phones to walkie talkies and built some prototypes. I will keep on it and give some updates if I feel they could be useful for you.
Cable pressure alarm.. a great thing about these videos is that you learn lots of random (and not so random) bits of information along the way. I didn't know they got an alarm when there's a hole in the cable, although it makes perfect sense.
Wire up a telephone in the micro museum, put a home micro near each phone on each side. Then you can do that thing of call the other person, tell them you wanna send them data, jam the phones into couplers and let the computers talk over the phone line you set up.
I love telephone exchanges, something quite cool, mysterious and atmospheric about them. clicking away , moving automatically with voices inside them. Been great to learn and see how they actually work.
Hey LMNC. Did you know you can dial numbers on your old telephone without having to use the dial? Just tap the receiver buttons the right number of taps for each digit, leaving a 1/2 second gap between each set of taps. I used this trick to get around the little key lock that some Tightwad ( my Dad ) used to try and use on our home phone in the 70's. Really puzzled him when he saw the bill.
I remember a few smaller X Bar systems where the cabinet doors were removed or they'd overheat. System X -- I was at BT when it went in at Euston exchange. Heavy business use area -- configured for domestic traffic by 'planners'. Fell over more frequently than a drunk on a escalator.
would love to haha not surehow to implement it without having to modify it, might be easier just to pauy someone to answer the phone and read it out hahahahaha where is johnny 5 when you need him
I hope you keep doing videos on the telephone exchange stuff! I could play around with that stuff for hours. An idea if it isn't too difficult to set up: easter egg numbers, ones which aren't listed anywhere but if they are called they do or play something special. Also perhaps some novel ways of interacting with the exchange besides regular telephones?
Yeah! When I figure out a decent circuit to interface in like a phone then yeah! Like the transformer I’ll figure out to wire into the synths to listen to em:)
Imagine one of the city exchanges with banks and banks of these, no wonder GPO/BT engineers like my Dad and Grandad went deaf. These exchanges were horrendously loud.
Some photos of old technology, to supplement items in your museum, might be interesting to have and to cover blank wall spaces. Ye olde libraries might have loads of stuff you could scan and get printed!
Great to see the strowger systems going again especially as analogue lines(pstn) coming to an end in 2025 with only Voip. The switch over has started. One thing to look out for is old auto pulse dialers which are still out there as worked on them if it ain't broke don't fix.
I could easily think I was watching a video from the 'CuriousMarc' channel. Even with such different channels, this seems like a small area of intersection.
now I wonder how the modern stuff actually works- I am guessing with everything being VOIP now there are not a lot physical connections being switched- but how did they do it before that...
These exchanges were replaced with digital switching exchanges, the signals were still analogue though; have a look for information on System X which was developed by GPT
I'm sure you already are looking daily, but I hope you manage to find some spare parts - it would be awesome if you could find someone who has a box of finders or selectors in their cellar
PG Alarm = Permanent Glow Alarm - i.e. a phone has been left off-hook. It dates from the manual telephony days when an operator would know that a phone had been picked up because a lamp glowed on the panel in front of her.
How is it you haven’t gone down the pinball rabbit hole yet? Seems like an old electromechanical machine would be a great, playable display for the museum.
Yeah they are cool but never really been into that kinda stuff. But who knows maybe one day if I can find a cheap one. They all too much now adays too many people want em unlike this crap haha
FACIT is pronounced like Far (english pronunciation without the r) and Sit, FarSit. Or Father and then removeve the "ther". Hope this is being helpful.
But you were pretty close! BTW The swedish word facit means, uhm... answer, fact, record, hindsight, retrospect, depending on the context. But only the word makes most people think of something like the appendix with all the answers for all questions and exercises in a school book.
@@fetus2280 ok cool fetus thanks! I haven't got that email on me phone I'll have to check in morning as not got me computer aaah but I'll check straight away!
Haha yeah I was wondering where that came from haha thanks!!! Unfortunately it would not work with these things :( however I'll be making a converter for some touch tone phones!! And it will make an appearance :D
The idea of calling from a nearby museum using an old school phone and listening to different synthesizers is super rad.
Yeah! I’ll ask em!
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER it's a cool idea. Could be combined with accoustic couplers and old modems.
Holy fuck it's Wilford Brimley! Diabeetus
i really like the Strowger sidetrack A LOT!
Good to know!
I'll second that.
Well I enjoy the telephone stuff anyway. Its interesting to see because it is where all the computer stuff started with colossus being made from telephone parts.
Look mum some proto-computers...
Yeah! Well making a sort of computer thingy out a strowger switch in the next month or two! Watch this space ha
Used to work on them when I first started working. Actually designed a basic exchange for the college I was studying at. They wanted it to show some of the work they were training people for. It was so long ago!! But nice reminder of my early life . Hope all your bits and pieces grow and all success to your museum.
Thanks there were two types of strowger I think one was 2000 and the 4000 but that's a hazy memory. They were putting in TXK reed relay systems when I was working there. Also they were waiting for the computer controlled system I think TXE but don't quote me on the names. As an aside I installed one of the first computer controlled PBXs I was there for about 2 years we maintained it as well. It was for Lloyds of London a brand new site next to a river , built on ex dockyard.
I believe the cable pressure alarm is for the major underground cables going out to the field (distribution boxes and subscribers) they are usually sealed and pressurised with nitrogen, if a cable gets damaged, the pressure drops and warns the exchange
Part of my job was woorking on suite fuse alarms (suite of racks), so my timesheet often said 'suite FA' :D
The meters don't have a reset, someone comes in with a camera with a conical hood and takes a photo of groups of meters, they are then checked and you are charged for th units since the last reading, just like an electricity meter.
The timing of the meter pulses must be adjusted throughout the day for peak hours etc, but the master clock sends constant pulses, i'm thinking that S&Z might be the mofification
I was never sure how the ringer creates dial tone etc, but it sounds like it's serrated discs with coild, very much like the Hammond organ
That's what I thought on the cable pressure but I'm not sure why it would be on this rack that's all. I need to source where it's coming from. As the outward wiring and pressure meters would have been on another rack
But cool on the FA. so yeah I guess the question is why was the CPA on this rack?
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER Yeah, normally you would expect it to be near the MDF (main distribution frame), maaybe that frame was in a small local or business exchange, the alarm may have been put there for convenience with the FA etc.
Have you considered making a phone-phreaking setup to go along with the telephone exchanges? Lots of interesting stuff to read up on in that realm of things. One thing that always struck me about that community, was someone (either Woz or Captain Crunch) talked about listening to the equipment in the exchange through the phone receiver to try and figure out how to further manipulate it.
The 8-Bit-Guy also made a pretty good video about it where he explains how the phreaking worked (th-cam.com/video/4tHyZdtXULw/w-d-xo.html)
What about having a computer on the micro museum side use a historic 9600 baud modem to talk to a modem on your side connected to some simple logic to control a sequencer or a synth in some way? You could run the audio back over a second line to a speaker, or 7 or 8 bit digitize it and the computer the other end can play it back. I believe the Amstrad CPC can do a pretty ropey 5bit natively. Or, maybe make a rudimentary DAC card for one of those old machines to do 7 or 8 bit audio. 9600 baud would be enough for a "classic" computer sound. A text-based remote analog synth system :^)
I would even go so far as setting up an internal bbs, and maybe some oldskool dialup multiplayer thing.
rig a vocoder loopback
I absolutely love the idea of calling the synthesizers! Maybe you could put an indicator to show which synthesizers are active. An old status indicator panel from IEE would be perfect for that!
Also l, how come you changed the name of the channel?
Ha nice yeah good idea on the to do list
I like/love to see you work....and explaining....an inspiration for all Those Youngsters,....
I love telephony stuff.. This will never get old, at least to me. I was super into this stuff, phreaking and whatnot when I was younger. Haha, keep up the good work! 🤙
Hope you do a Vectrex video soon too!
Oh hey, that's me! 💛 I fixed the code and tested it with an led and lot. Let me know if you need anything else!
Oh cool! I'll check first thing tomorrow morning is it on the GitHub? Thanks
Yep. Same place on github. Commented on the last video, but I figured I'd say it here just in case. I replace the hard delays with another timer, so it doesn't pause the program.
Amazing stuff just wish we could travel. I'm impressed with your focus and determination, my mind fogs trying to keep track of the sheer amount of projects you have undertaken and achieved. Bravo for being so driven and enquiring.
This is so cool, I started messing around with discord and I think it would great the exchange set up. Multi voice channel. Just an idea for you. So great to be part of your journey Sam. 🙂
In what way? As in wire up discord to the exchange?? Trying to figure out what you mean haha
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER Yes discord you can multi text and voice chat rooms. So I was thinking you could have a few voice chat rooms linked up with a soundcard to each phone line on the exchane. So discord could be linked the same as Techmoan tape machine. That's what's popped into my head trying to keep it simple and cheap for the start. I do electronics in communication bridging mobile phones to walkie talkies and built some prototypes. I will keep on it and give some updates if I feel they could be useful for you.
@@TRIPPLEJAY00 oh I see
@@TRIPPLEJAY00 that would be easy. Making multiple phones call the same line is doable would need a lot of final selsectors though haha
There used to be numbers you could dial to do that, I bet there's some old hardware for it.
Cable pressure alarm.. a great thing about these videos is that you learn lots of random (and not so random) bits of information along the way. I didn't know they got an alarm when there's a hole in the cable, although it makes perfect sense.
Im loving the plans for these. Very ambitious! The cases for these are very sweet.
Great, thank you for the update!
It would be interesting to see fax or even dialup running through that exchange
Yeah deffo
wait until sam discovers TELEX....
Wire up a telephone in the micro museum, put a home micro near each phone on each side. Then you can do that thing of call the other person, tell them you wanna send them data, jam the phones into couplers and let the computers talk over the phone line you set up.
The telephone relay stuff is absolutely fascinating and sounds amazing. Keep going.
Looked up line finders because I didn't really have an idea for how they'd work, and OMG there's an almost 2-hour video on just line finders
I love telephone exchanges, something quite cool, mysterious and atmospheric about them. clicking away , moving automatically with voices inside them. Been great to learn and see how they actually work.
They are very barometric
Thx for the update! Cheers!
Hey LMNC. Did you know you can dial numbers on your old telephone without having to use the dial?
Just tap the receiver buttons the right number of taps for each digit, leaving a 1/2 second gap between each set of taps. I used this trick to get around the little key lock that some Tightwad ( my Dad ) used to try and use on our home phone in the 70's. Really puzzled him when he saw the bill.
ha yeah its cool aint it! its one of the things we shot at the museum.
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER Dang. I missed that. Failed in my attempt to give high quality input. :-)
Great to see Strowger gear in action. Are you gonna get a TXE4 switch too? Avoid a System X though. 😀 My first job was at STC.
I remember a few smaller X Bar systems where the cabinet doors were removed or they'd overheat.
System X -- I was at BT when it went in at Euston exchange.
Heavy business use area -- configured for domestic traffic by 'planners'.
Fell over more frequently than a drunk on a escalator.
@@keithsquawk 😁 I love that analogy!
Could you build a speaking clock type machine that reads out the current Googol counter value?
would love to haha not surehow to implement it without having to modify it, might be easier just to pauy someone to answer the phone and read it out hahahahaha where is johnny 5 when you need him
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER Johnny Five would probably get bored waiting for the phone to ring and wander off to play with the synths instead.
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER Just set up a webcam and OCR the LEDs. 🤖
I hope you keep doing videos on the telephone exchange stuff! I could play around with that stuff for hours. An idea if it isn't too difficult to set up: easter egg numbers, ones which aren't listed anywhere but if they are called they do or play something special. Also perhaps some novel ways of interacting with the exchange besides regular telephones?
Yeah! When I figure out a decent circuit to interface in like a phone then yeah! Like the transformer I’ll figure out to wire into the synths to listen to em:)
i love the idea of there being phone numbers hidden around the museum that people can type in to get special stuff.
Dial a synth, I love it !
Cable Pressure Alarm? Is that the alarm "it's compromized" for cables that went through pressurized pipes for confidential / secret communications?
Where is the museum located
Ramsgate, Kent
Imagine one of the city exchanges with banks and banks of these, no wonder GPO/BT engineers like my Dad and Grandad went deaf. These exchanges were horrendously loud.
I love the telephone exchange stuff
oh man those strowgers turned into an epic rabbit hole!
That is so clever, being able to call different exhibits!
Some photos of old technology, to supplement items in your museum, might be interesting to have and to cover blank wall spaces. Ye olde libraries might have loads of stuff you could scan and get printed!
Could you use all the different dialing tones to trigger oscilators?
thats one of the plans next :)
Amazing, how did you connect the smartphone to this o_O!
There's a lot of children's phone toys you could wire it up to?
Great to see the strowger systems going again especially as analogue lines(pstn) coming to an end in 2025 with only Voip. The switch over has started. One thing to look out for is old auto pulse dialers which are still out there as worked on them if it ain't broke don't fix.
...a constant source of inspiration and good vibe in a generally crappy world...
Good to know you enjoy the vids :)
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER I'd be a museum visitor if it wasn't so damn far from Chicago!
Modeselektor should donate some line selectors. That would be rad.
My 8 or 10 year old self is jealous, after I discovered parts of an exchange in a scrap yard and wanted to have my own. :)
I could easily think I was watching a video from the 'CuriousMarc' channel.
Even with such different channels, this seems like a small area of intersection.
Wow. I used to clean those things. 😁😁😁
Could you color code the wires coming from each phone, so it’s easier to trace?
In which aspect? The wires are colour coded here and there wel the single core stuff
can i call in via public phone to the instruments in the museum?
No but you could through the internet
Phreaker feature, noice!
Nice
Niceee
Super !!!
Aren’t risk assessments fun!!
oh daang dont you just know it. ha
Love the RNLI flag in the background.
Why you don't support people for fix old music stuff, you know like fix old cassette recorders or turntables too. Awesome channel man. You rule
Funnily enough fixed someone technics this morning I shoulda filmed it’ aaah good point haha
Best second channel ever
now I wonder how the modern stuff actually works- I am guessing with everything being VOIP now there are not a lot physical connections being switched- but how did they do it before that...
These exchanges were replaced with digital switching exchanges, the signals were still analogue though; have a look for information on System X which was developed by GPT
Dial-a-synth!
You need Tim Hunkin!!!
seriously, email him, he's very responsive. If i remember correctly he knew quite a bit about click and bang!
I'm sure you already are looking daily, but I hope you manage to find some spare parts - it would be awesome if you could find someone who has a box of finders or selectors in their cellar
yeah thats what im on the hunt for!
PG Alarm = Permanent Glow Alarm - i.e. a phone has been left off-hook. It dates from the manual telephony days when an operator would know that a phone had been picked up because a lamp glowed on the panel in front of her.
I can remember when they sent a siren tone down the line when that happened!
@@cambridgemart2075 Yes - I remember that too! It was quite an eerie sound if you didn't know where it was coming from!
How is it you haven’t gone down the pinball rabbit hole yet? Seems like an old electromechanical machine would be a great, playable display for the museum.
Yeah they are cool but never really been into that kinda stuff. But who knows maybe one day if I can find a cheap one. They all too much now adays too many people want em unlike this crap haha
Awesome
Rad
You should work on what you want to work on! That's the magic of this channel!
FACIT is pronounced like Far (english pronunciation without the r) and Sit, FarSit. Or Father and then removeve the "ther". Hope this is being helpful.
it could be cool if you could call the museum and talk to people at the museum when it's open
Yep that’s one of the plans but it’ll be over the internet
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER cool
Facit is pronounced Fa-sitt, with emphasis on the letter A, and fa with a long A in the back of your throat like in FAr away. :)
Ha yeah I figured just doesn’t work with my accent that’s all
But you were pretty close!
BTW The swedish word facit means, uhm... answer, fact, record, hindsight, retrospect, depending on the context. But only the word makes most people think of something like the appendix with all the answers for all questions and exercises in a school book.
Ok i figured out how to donate items to you so im filling out the form on your website ... I have some things that can help you with your projects :)
Oooh intriguing!!
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER Just clicked send to you so theres a donate form filled awaiting your response :)
@@fetus2280 ok cool fetus thanks! I haven't got that email on me phone I'll have to check in morning as not got me computer aaah but I'll check straight away!
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER I just hope i can help you bud. You deserve it . All the best mate . Cheers.
I'd also love to donate some treasures but the Freight from Australia is too much.
" these two are actually 3 , waiting for phone calls" etc😱😱😳
Did a homeless skull arrive at the museum looking for a job ?
Haha yeah I was wondering where that came from haha thanks!!! Unfortunately it would not work with these things :( however I'll be making a converter for some touch tone phones!! And it will make an appearance :D
@@LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTERhis name is Doomgardener, he has an album out on Spotify etc😊😂👍
Yes, I'd love to call 0800-MEGADRONE :)
How much is the electric bill lol
It’s about on average £120 a month. Not loads but not cheap
Calling some number. Announcer say - "current crypto currency trade status is..." and then sound of live feed crypto currency synth.
Haha
Nice