Great video Sarah, i love to see you tell how the old network worked, it could be fun to see you make some videos with evan doorbell, i think you two could make some very interesting videos together 😉😊
"through the magic of having two of them" is a very direct reference and I love it. If Sarah decided to watch and copy his style a bit, I'd say it's definitely a good thing.
Just came across your channel. Very good info. FWIW, you are aware that the spring between the motor and the magneto at 9:33 is to align the two different shafts so there is no misalignment and take up shock between the 2.
You are so good at putting across information in a clear way. I only recently discovered your videos and intend to spend time watching more. I used to be a telephone technician in both step by step and crossbar exchanges in Australia until I transferred into the airline industry. Now I am retired, your videos are bringing back so many memories. Thank you.
I often watch videos on the channel, they are very interesting, this one is now a very good summary one of the early telecommunication technologies. Anyway, I think I can say on behalf of many of us, thank you so much for keeping these machines and for them to be seen in operation by those who didn’t even live when they were in their heyday.
Great Video. When you make the next video about the ringing generator, tell them that the ringing cycle was three seconds long. It was divided into three groups. Each group would ring for one second in sequence. This way the generator only had to power one third of the ringing phones at a time.
I can’t get enough of your videos, Sarah! Not only do you know your stuff, but you’re excellent at CONVEYING that info, while keeping it interesting. Looking forward to the next installment!
"Ring Off" Love the postcard proudly displayed on your switchboard at 5:42 Excellent presentation, more please. I was in Vietnam we use magneto field phones and switchboards, no one rang off so the gruff sounding male operator operator would brake in into the phone conversation saying "working" and if you didn't answer working working, quickly he would break down the line.
The 5 ESS uses the High Level Service Circuit which can generate any ringing voltage plus any coin phone control voltage. It is a four quadrant voltage source completely under software control. Output was +/- 200V. If a power surge came in during ringing, it would convert it to DC and charge the office battery. IIRC, it is the TN848, but it has been a long time.
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Absolutely wonderful! Can't wait for the next video. Where else will you find videos with people excited at describing ringing generators and tone plants!
The ringtone as I remembered was 109 volts, the ring generator was down with the power supply for the communication systems. All the wet cell batteries will link together either 24 or 48 volts. I am not a power expert but I am an expert in electronics switching number one number four number five, tsps and ETS systems, 36 years, working for Western Electric, AT&T, qualified system specialist. In all of the above. Today's date 9/11/2022, the worst day in our history. Make all those that lost their lives rest in peace.
I only got the 10c spiel on ring generators, I've mostly done wireless cell/MTSO. It probably varies depending on generation of equipment, manufacturer etc. The ring voltage was a doubling of whatever the DC plant voltage was. A 48v plant is almost never running at 48 volts. Primarily, at least in smaller plants the manufacturer's specified float voltage range for the batteries dictates how the voltage is set. Plus you figure in voltage drop between the DC plant and the ring generators but that should be small. So you can see 49 and change to 56 volts at the plant. Typically 52 (ish) volts. I know I've come across 110v ring voltage, it hurt.
Great job keep up the work you're doing your educating me and I had 36 years with the company, West electric and AT&T. I never was involved with the power system I was more into the switching systems, but many things you had mentioned I was totally unaware of. As a retiree for a number of years now I'm still learning about how various systems within the system worked. You doing a great job keep it up for all us retired employees. When I look at the older equipment it brings back very fine memories God bless you stay safe keep doing what you're doing you're educating the world actually.
As a retired SxS switchman for SouthwesternBell in the 70's, I can't wait for the next video. These bring back alot of memories. Namely a very fulfilling career. Thank you so much.
THANK YOU, Maestro! I can claim to fame as 1 individual Data point in Bell's decision to change 0 from Information to Directory Assistance. kid at 7 whips the dial all the way around, fingertip stuck next to the 0 and lets go. rng rng ring "Information" "Hi, how are you today? How many Teaspoons are in a Tablespoon, please?" "There are three Teaspoons in a Tablespoon, young person. Have a great day." also, I deciphered the dialer and tested it. I could successfully 'dial' any number by tapping the hang-up button, technical term long forgotten. I learned everything I needed to know about everything, taking a bedside Westclox wind-up alarm clock, with no intention of putting it back together, just like science does. "The gears is what I was after. Aside from the sharp ends on their shafts pricking my little six year-old fingertips. Tiny spinning tops. Thank You!
Sarah, great explanation. BTW United Telephone, Independent Telcos used different frequencies on party lines like 16 2/3 Hz 20, 25 and 30 Hz. Subscriber phones had frequency “tuned” bells to respond appropriately. Bell system didn’t adopt that scheme however. Bell used a distinctive ringing like two longs and a short or tip vs ring to ground on two party lines. Who knew!
I was always told it was 80 vac half wave, in other words 80 volts DC turned on and off at 60 hertz. I used to install phone systems for a telephone company in the 1980's. All the literature I ever read at that time said 80 vac half wave for the ring voltage and 48 vdc, We had one customer too far from the switching stations, who had multiple phones in there HUGE "mini" mansion style home. The phone line could NOT ring all the phones nor could it enough current for voice if multiple phones were picked up. Using a few transformers rectifiers and relays we created a mini switching station, when a phone was lifted within the house, the 48vdc generated by a transformer, bridge rectifier, a few capacitors, one 150 ohm resistor and a relay with a 150ohm coil, would connect the house hold phones to a transformer for voice, and connect the telephone line to the secondary of the phone line. Ring current for from the telephone line, would activate a relay instead of a bell, and the relay would in turn supply 80 vac half wave to the house hold system which in turn rang the the telephones through out the house. Since the voice signal was passed through a 1:1 transformer, the signal was lower than usual, but was still completely audible.
I don't know how I rabbit holes into your video at 4:30am on a sleepless night, but as someone who was obsessed with the 2600 magazine (even more so the very fact they were sorta hidden at my Barnes & noble) I absolutely love your channel and am so excited that I basically just found a new channel to binge. Thank you for making this content. ❤
I'm going to be 100% honest here because that's me...I really found you to be odd and slightly offputting when I first saw you in a video. That said, you are one really knowledgeable individual. I find your information to be extremely concise and well layed-out. I like the tone and cadence of your delivery. You made me a fan. It's all your fault! 😆
Sarah, this is so freaking cool! I've learned so much from this video and it makes me so excited to hopefully be a part of preserving history at this museum someday!
Batteries..........I don't remember any such frequency of battery replacement, and not sure WE did not pay for and replace them. I remember my Dad doing so once.
What's the point of having a motor to spin the magneto? Why not just send current that would have been used to run the motor over to the ringing circuits? The motor is on AC and the magneto generates AC, right? So why not just skip the spinning?
In the Marines, we had TA-1 phones with the same functional magneto to ring a point to point connection. It was often used to shock the heck out of another Marine, though.
Great job Sarah. I started my telephone career in 1965 as a Western Electric installer. My first assignment was the M&T building in Nashville, Tn. The ringing and tone generators were kept in the basement.
I started my career with West Electric, February 1963, retired after 36 years service. Today is, 9 11 2022. The worst day in our history I lost three friends in the North Tower. Made all the people that perished on that horrible day rest in peace.
Thanks again for this great info. Looking at the larger ringing plant at the end of your video, I recognize the GE motor used for the AC motor in that setup. It looks almost exactly like the Western Electric branded GE motor in my 1925 BF Sturtevant workshop fan.
As a retired 40+ years CO Tech (Switchman) I enjoy watching your knowable talks about the CO, it brings fond memories of my working years. Do you have a video that explains why the CO 48 volt battery, positive is grounded? That might be of interest to your viewers.
Nice to see you back! Great episode and lovely antique tech, because what else would I expect from you? Goofing off for a while? Yeah, that's cute too. Missing Astrid a bit :) By the way, I got an idea of connecting (probably by VoIP) the Connections Museum with Sam Battle's one (Look Mum No Computer / This Museum Is Not Obsolete). Would be cool to call each other, and even cooler to set up a trunk connection :)
You have an excellent presentation style. Not too dry and not too "over the top." Very cool to see younger generations knowing how the "electromechanical world" used to work :) Oh and LOVE the mention of phone phreaks :) Evan Doorbell would be proud!
Stumbling upon this video has been a delightful turn in my quest to delve into the workings of rotary dial phones, particularly as I aim to construct supporting circuitry to transform an old rotary dial phone into an engaging conversation piece at my workplace. The clarity and ease with which you elucidate the theory of operation are truly captivating, showcasing your exceptional talent for making complex concepts accessible. It's evident that you've invested considerable thought and effort into creating this content, and for that, I extend my heartfelt gratitude. Your video has earned a like and a new subscriber in me, and I eagerly anticipate exploring the rest of your channel's offerings. Excellent work!
Not to be confused with 'Tip and Ring'... can still remember getting zapped with ringing voltage working on old 1A2 equipment... guess that makes me old school...
And it's all thanks to the telephone company. That we learn how to snap our fingers. At our bartenders. To get their attention. Just like a phone bell. And it works. They love it when we do that. It is their favorite sound. Coming from the bar. Just like a telephone ringing. Only snappier.. You know? I have my expensive modern 21st Century smart phone. Set to ring. Just like my old Western Electric desk phone of the 1960s. And it's quite realistic. I want to yell… Hey mom get the phone! But it's for me. Just give me that warm fuzzy feeling of yesteryear. And a Bygone Era. You are very cute doing these videos. Mdm. RemyRAD
I had been curious about this topic and your video was suggested by the UA-cam algorithm. So glad it was! Very educational, organized presentation and it is obvious your knowledge on the topic is exceptional. Educational and entertaining video. Excellent work.
In mid to late 1960's I lived in Trenton NJ where at age 14 I was "phone phreaking" to the extent that the phone company sent a repairman to the house to see why so many "wrong numbers". Well, I hooked up a phone dial and intercom to the wires and did so crudely so, yes wrong numbers and crank calls. I was outside on the steps reading Mad Magazine when the phone truck pulled up and the guy got out , put on his tool belt and asked if my parents were home. Thankfully they were not and he accomplished his goal of scaring me. Later my parents looked into moving us to Burlington Vermont where I found that the phones did not have dials at all. They still had a person as a manual central operator.
Cool. A WECO 317 wall phone. As a retired Bellhead, I was glad to find a WECO 317 at a rural garage sale. It had all its internals including the magneto and two tired talking batteries!!
Distinctive Ringtone (also known as Selective Ringing) unfortunately enters the chat... (no not what you hear calling someone when they wanted you to hear a song, it was a service where you could have more than 1 phone number on 1 phone line and depending on which number was being called, the ring pattern/cadence changed)
What is funny how that is old is new again. At least in our area, the local Bell company is forcing everyone to fibre and one side effect is that it is no longer becoming a CO powered system but the subscriber is now forced to provide electricity to power the fibre gateway and the UPS that the telco supplies them. The tech pointed out that now the subscriber pays for the power and not the CO!
Great video can you please draw up a circuit to make two phones work like a intercom. When you pick up one phone the other one rings. Thanks for all information.
Thanks Sarah! I thoroughly enjoyed that and look forward to the next installments. Your enthusiasm and passion show through and it is great to see how comfortable you have become in front of the camera.
Watched and enjoyed your videos for years. It actually inspired me a couple of years ago to purchase a 1960 WE 500 and a pulse to tone converter, and even my young daughters prefer sitting on the gossip table talking on that old phone over their iPhones for calls. We have VOIP and it worked beautifully for a couple of years. They just sent new equipment and unfortunately the ringer barely works, when it doesn't just click back and forth inside the phone. I am guessing the new equipment has a lower voltage output so I am wondering if you recommend any device or voltage booster if that's what it is. I'm not an expert in always thought it was 48 volts but now I'm seeing the 90 volt AC information, so I am confused and don't want to damage anything. Any recommendation on this problem would be so appreciated!
Those battery powered phones were so far ahead of their time. If they only knew the profits in having batteries puff after the 1st heat wave & requiring subscribers to buy a new phone to change the battery.
Thanks for a great video. You're a natural instructor. Of course modern technology performs light years ahead of this old school stuff. Though the minds that built this cutting edge technology of a century ago, deserve respect. As well, the craftmanship of yesterday often surpasses modern build quality.
OK, so you've explained ring tones and the machines that make them. How 'bout no tones or what I'm told is called a side tone. If say during a snow storm or other major event, all of the lines are busy. what do you hear? A lot of beeps, clicks and other noises. Everything but a dial tone. Very interesting, you think?
Thanks for the very informative video. I'd heard the phrase "Ring off" before but never understood its origin. I find the evolution of technology quite fascinating and the creative ways that problems were overcome.
In the '70s as a teenager, I lived in a rural area...it was common to hear " ghosts" on the phone...distant sounding conversations, usually just one side. I thought it was sort of inductive crosstalk, just from where the wires are close together...
Ok omfg.... I've "known how it all works" since a curious kid 30 years ago but holy shit you just made it all click with regards to how our phone being "off the hook" closed the circuit allowing it to reach the CO... OMG FINALLY after decades it actually clicks in my brain. THANK YOU
6:11 ... ahhh, my wife and I have been watching the Danish series The Seaside Hotel (set in the 1930's) and always wondered why after the characters were finished making a call cranked the phone again. This explains that!
There is some flashing in part 2, about the telephone ringing. Might just be the problem with the camera watching the white background with the ringing bells.
You have no idea or maybe you do how important that spring coupling is in modern robotics it is used everywhere absolutely everywhere in robotics in 3D printing is still used today I have worked in the biotech industry basically drug discovery for the Pharmaceutical industry for most of my adult life and every single robotics platform that I've ever worked on has ten of those damn things I'm drive systems all over the damn machine they're intrical to every robot I've ever worked on I don't know if that is where they started but wherever they started they're a damn important a piece of history those couplings have helped shape drug discovery in the United States and around the world
I Dream of Jeannie! I love these technical videos. It’s amazing to see the inside of the old fashioned telephone systems. You mentioned that 90 volts at 20 cycles is sent through the line to ring the phone. How does the 90 volts know to turn off when you answer the phone instead of still ringing when you pick up the receiver? I was just thinking if I built a phone system, and sent 90 volts through to ring, I would probably fry the phone when they pick up. The phone line only has 2 wires so the ring voltage must go through the same wires as the voice. Also how does the ring signal machine return the coin or collect the coin on pay phones? I remember the operator could return the money deposited if the line was busy. I’d hear a really loud tone that would actually hurt my ear. It sounded a lot higher frequency than the normal ring tone. Could the operator press the coin return button on a non pay phone or was the exchange wired differently for pay phones? Just curious.
Power-ring circuit is AC-coupled with ring cadence. Although its voltage is high, the current delivered is low, at least, for modern telephony. When the end user lifts the handset (off-hook state), the supervisory circuit on the central office side equipment detects the phone is now in low impedance state. I.e., DC current can flow through (it's -48V "battery"). The supervisory circuit immediately cuts off the power-ring circuit and switches over to voice (audible) signal path.
@@ccshello1 Thanks for the explanation. It’s still hard to understand how it happens so fast with no damage to the phone receiver considering the ring voltage is 90-98 volts AC and almost double the -48 dc volts. How did they figure out a switch that could automatically do that? The other puzzling thing, if the bell is always connected to the line so that it can ring, how does that not make the line busy? The bell must be connected to the same two wires that voice travels through but for some reason the bell does not complete the connection even though it’s connected 24/7. I have wondered about that for decades.
Bell is AC coupled. I.e., DC current cannot pass though. When nobody is calling that phone (means there is no power-ring AC 90V present), battery DC voltage is present across the telephone's two wires (tip and ring pair). Only a tiny amount of current is consumed by the phone (standby mode, Clock - LCD running). The moment handset is picked-up, much more current consumption will be detected on central office end and will enter dial tone state. P.S. central office side supervisory circuitry is rather sophisticated and will detect off hook condition very quick and will remove power ring instantly. BTW, power ring is current limited and will not damage phone's voice circuitry even there's a malfunction on C.O. side.
@@ccshello1 Very interesting. Thanks for explaining all of this. It’s amazing that you can have a device that only accepts AC current and completely ignores DC. I still don’t quite understand it. I think I would need electronics courses to fully understand how and why this works. When I was very young (12 years old), I opened the phone and disconnected one of the coloured wires that led to the rotary dial. When I did that I could hear what was going on through the line but the telephone company registered my phone as on hook so there was no dial tone. Even though it was off hook and I could hear the Neighbors talking and dialing in the distance. I could also hear a call coming in. The volume of the ring in my ear was deafening. The bell would ring and I could hear the ring tone. I could also stay on the line when someone dialed out on the extension phone. Even though it was rotary pulse dialing it still worked with me listening on the line. I wasn’t interested in eavesdropping. I was completely fascinated at how this worked. 50 years later I still don’t really know how that was possible, but it did work. Our exchange was a crossbar system. The repair man once told me it was C2.
@@ds99 I don't know if phones in your country had it, but the standard T65 phone has a connection on the back so you could hook up an extra bell in series with the internal one. If you hook up the earpiece to that connection, you'll hear everything on the line without closing the DC current path, making it look like the phone's on hook. These T65 phones also have some diodes antiparallel to the earpiece so any voltage on the earpiece gets clipped to about 0,7v, saving many ears.
Can I run a bell system like the one shown at 2:18 off of my modern phone lines? I'm trying to set one up with an antique party line phone and it's ringing nonstop, even when I'm not getting a call. I have it hooked up to the tip and ring wires (red and green).
In my small home town, we moved just "out of town" when I was 6, about 1954, into the house Dad and Gramps had built before WWII. The phone was still a wall mount hand crank "Farm" / country/ party line, with more than 20 customers. Our number was 19F4 which meant we were the 19th customer on the "Farm" line and our ring was "fast 4" or 4 short rings.
*Answered before telephone rang!* As a teenager I created a line monitoring circuit with speaker. It would click when my line was apparently connected to the circuit which would send the ring signal. Friends thought I was joking when I answered thextension telephonearby before the ring signal/voltage came through to ring it. Would it still work today? No idea where the device is, otherwise I'd connect ito see. Thank you.
The ring voltage was a small workplace "hazard" for those that worked on telco equipment. It was a spicy reminder if you touched connections while ring voltage was present.
Thank you for the great video. If the telephone is a 2 wire system and you close the circuit when lifting the receiver, how does the ring voltage get to the telephone set if it is on the hook?
09:48 essentially, these innovations weren't roll out in the fashion that they had been to give the impression that all this technology wasn't in existence already and that they had to pretend there was a slow innovation trend instead
Think of all the times Radar or Klinger wanted to get the attention of Sparky. What did they do? They cranked something on the telephone set to get his attention.
This is the coolest personality i've ever come across on a tech channel... you had me at the coupler sound-effects but I Dream of Jeannie clinched it. Subscribed. :)
Like the technology connections style presentation, don't know if it was intended or not but great stuff either way!
I believe Sarah is, professionally, a teacher, so the style seems likely intentional. I love it as well -- always love a good history lesson :)
"through the magic of having two of them...." most definitely an homage
Great video Sarah, i love to see you tell how the old network worked, it could be fun to see you make some videos with evan doorbell, i think you two could make some very interesting videos together 😉😊
"through the magic of having two of them" is a very direct reference and I love it. If Sarah decided to watch and copy his style a bit, I'd say it's definitely a good thing.
Just came across your channel. Very good info.
FWIW, you are aware that the spring between the motor and the magneto at 9:33 is to align the two different shafts so there is no misalignment and take up shock between the 2.
Very informative. I especially like the part about how history isn't just a straight line. Well-explained, and relevant to many other fields, as well.
"And through the magic of having two of them..." Ah, a reference to Technology Connections.
So I’m not the only one that noticed that 😂
"Through the magic of having two of them"? Ha, you copied that from Alec at Technology Connections, huh?
You are so good at putting across information in a clear way. I only recently discovered your videos and intend to spend time watching more. I used to be a telephone technician in both step by step and crossbar exchanges in Australia until I transferred into the airline industry. Now I am retired, your videos are bringing back so many memories. Thank you.
3:38 Subtle Technology Connections reference there? Lol
3:38 Is that an homage to our friend Technology Connections? Either way, I love it.
I often watch videos on the channel, they are very interesting, this one is now a very good summary one of the early telecommunication technologies. Anyway, I think I can say on behalf of many of us, thank you so much for keeping these machines and for them to be seen in operation by those who didn’t even live when they were in their heyday.
Yes thank you
Great Video. When you make the next video about the ringing generator, tell them that the ringing cycle was three seconds long. It was divided into three groups. Each group would ring for one second in sequence. This way the generator only had to power one third of the ringing phones at a time.
It was fun the day the mechanical ring machine contacts welded themselves together and the entire 20K line CO got uninterrupted continuous ringing.
Technology Connections shout out at 3:38
I can’t get enough of your videos, Sarah!
Not only do you know your stuff, but you’re excellent at CONVEYING that info, while keeping it interesting.
Looking forward to the next installment!
"Ring Off" Love the postcard proudly displayed on your switchboard at 5:42
Excellent presentation, more please.
I was in Vietnam we use magneto field phones and switchboards, no one rang off so the gruff sounding male operator operator would brake in into the phone conversation saying "working" and if you didn't answer working working, quickly he would break down the line.
The 5 ESS uses the High Level Service Circuit which can generate any ringing voltage plus any coin phone control voltage. It is a four quadrant voltage source completely under software control. Output was +/- 200V. If a power surge came in during ringing, it would convert it to DC and charge the office battery. IIRC, it is the TN848, but it has been a long time.
Absolutely wonderful! Can't wait for the next video. Where else will you find videos with people excited at describing ringing generators and tone plants!
The ringtone as I remembered was 109 volts, the ring generator was down with the power supply for the communication systems. All the wet cell batteries will link together either 24 or 48 volts. I am not a power expert but I am an expert in electronics switching number one number four number five, tsps and ETS systems, 36 years, working for Western Electric, AT&T, qualified system specialist. In all of the above. Today's date 9/11/2022, the worst day in our history. Make all those that lost their lives rest in peace.
I only got the 10c spiel on ring generators, I've mostly done wireless cell/MTSO. It probably varies depending on generation of equipment, manufacturer etc. The ring voltage was a doubling of whatever the DC plant voltage was. A 48v plant is almost never running at 48 volts. Primarily, at least in smaller plants the manufacturer's specified float voltage range for the batteries dictates how the voltage is set. Plus you figure in voltage drop between the DC plant and the ring generators but that should be small. So you can see 49 and change to 56 volts at the plant. Typically 52 (ish) volts. I know I've come across 110v ring voltage, it hurt.
Great job keep up the work you're doing your educating me and I had 36 years with the company, West electric and AT&T. I never was involved with the power system I was more into the switching systems, but many things you had mentioned I was totally unaware of. As a retiree for a number of years now I'm still learning about how various systems within the system worked. You doing a great job keep it up for all us retired employees. When I look at the older equipment it brings back very fine memories God bless you stay safe keep doing what you're doing you're educating the world actually.
As a retired SxS switchman for SouthwesternBell in the 70's, I can't wait for the next video. These bring back alot of memories. Namely a very fulfilling career. Thank you so much.
Worked SxS Switching for Southwestern Bell in Oklahoma City from 1970 to 1977. Where did you work?
@@gpwgpw555 eldon missouri. Class4 and 5 SxS with cama.
THANK YOU, Maestro!
I can claim to fame as 1 individual Data point in Bell's decision to change 0 from Information to Directory Assistance.
kid at 7 whips the dial all the way around, fingertip stuck next to the 0 and lets go.
rng rng ring
"Information"
"Hi, how are you today? How many Teaspoons are in a Tablespoon, please?"
"There are three Teaspoons in a Tablespoon, young person. Have a great day."
also, I deciphered the dialer and tested it.
I could successfully 'dial' any number by tapping the hang-up button, technical term long forgotten.
I learned everything I needed to know about everything, taking a bedside Westclox wind-up alarm clock, with no intention of putting it back together, just like science does.
"The gears is what I was after. Aside from the sharp ends on their shafts pricking my little six year-old fingertips.
Tiny spinning tops.
Thank You!
Sarah, great explanation. BTW United Telephone, Independent Telcos used different frequencies on party lines like 16 2/3 Hz 20, 25 and 30 Hz. Subscriber phones had frequency “tuned” bells to respond appropriately. Bell system didn’t adopt that scheme however. Bell used a distinctive ringing like two longs and a short or tip vs ring to ground on two party lines. Who knew!
I was doing some research about the Loraine Company. I guess the next video will cover one of its inventions.
Was it just me who noticed the comptometer style adder on the side?
Good eye! It's an actual Felt & Tarrant Comptometer that belonged to the phone company
I was always told it was 80 vac half wave, in other words 80 volts DC turned on and off at 60 hertz. I used to install phone systems for a telephone company in the 1980's. All the literature I ever read at that time said 80 vac half wave for the ring voltage and 48 vdc, We had one customer too far from the switching stations, who had multiple phones in there HUGE "mini" mansion style home. The phone line could NOT ring all the phones nor could it enough current for voice if multiple phones were picked up. Using a few transformers rectifiers and relays we created a mini switching station, when a phone was lifted within the house, the 48vdc generated by a transformer, bridge rectifier, a few capacitors, one 150 ohm resistor and a relay with a 150ohm coil, would connect the house hold phones to a transformer for voice, and connect the telephone line to the secondary of the phone line. Ring current for from the telephone line, would activate a relay instead of a bell, and the relay would in turn supply 80 vac half wave to the house hold system which in turn rang the the telephones through out the house. Since the voice signal was passed through a 1:1 transformer, the signal was lower than usual, but was still completely audible.
I don't know how I rabbit holes into your video at 4:30am on a sleepless night, but as someone who was obsessed with the 2600 magazine (even more so the very fact they were sorta hidden at my Barnes & noble) I absolutely love your channel and am so excited that I basically just found a new channel to binge. Thank you for making this content. ❤
I'm going to be 100% honest here because that's me...I really found you to be odd and slightly offputting when I first saw you in a video. That said, you are one really knowledgeable individual. I find your information to be extremely concise and well layed-out. I like the tone and cadence of your delivery. You made me a fan. It's all your fault! 😆
Sarah, this is so freaking cool! I've learned so much from this video and it makes me so excited to hopefully be a part of preserving history at this museum someday!
Batteries..........I don't remember any such frequency of battery replacement, and not sure WE did not pay for and replace them. I remember my Dad doing so once.
What's the point of having a motor to spin the magneto? Why not just send current that would have been used to run the motor over to the ringing circuits? The motor is on AC and the magneto generates AC, right? So why not just skip the spinning?
In the Marines, we had TA-1 phones with the same functional magneto to ring a point to point connection. It was often used to shock the heck out of another Marine, though.
Hey, you'll THINK "ringing" if you ever get across ringer voltage!!!
Great job Sarah. I started my telephone career in 1965 as a Western Electric installer. My first assignment was the M&T building in Nashville, Tn. The ringing and tone generators were kept in the basement.
I started my career with West Electric, February 1963, retired after 36 years service. Today is, 9 11 2022. The worst day in our history I lost three friends in the North Tower. Made all the people that perished on that horrible day rest in peace.
Thanks again for this great info. Looking at the larger ringing plant at the end of your video, I recognize the GE motor used for the AC motor in that setup. It looks almost exactly like the Western Electric branded GE motor in my 1925 BF Sturtevant workshop fan.
As a retired 40+ years CO Tech (Switchman) I enjoy watching your knowable talks about the CO, it brings fond memories of my working years. Do you have a video that explains why the CO 48 volt battery, positive is grounded? That might be of interest to your viewers.
Good idea. I should do a whole video on CO power!
Someone's a Technology Connections fan XD
Nice to see you back! Great episode and lovely antique tech, because what else would I expect from you? Goofing off for a while? Yeah, that's cute too.
Missing Astrid a bit :)
By the way, I got an idea of connecting (probably by VoIP) the Connections Museum with Sam Battle's one (Look Mum No Computer / This Museum Is Not Obsolete). Would be cool to call each other, and even cooler to set up a trunk connection :)
i love your videos. so facinating. I love the phone system and i'm always glad to learn .
"And through the magic of having two of them..." Ahh, I see, you are a person of culture...
i see you are also a person of culture
"…and through the magic of having two of them…"
I sense a Techology Connection
"It rings a bell"...
... and that wasn't the only alec-ism in this video!
I really enjoy and like your Videos :D And i want to work there... xD
Saw you folks on CuriousMarc's video, and I guess the Algorithm noticed!
"Through the magic of having two of them"
Subscribed.
“Through the magic of having two of them” haha! I love the Technology Connections reference!
You are doing an awesome job🙏
Wish there was something stronger than a thumbs up for this one! Well done. Great production value on this one also - looks great Sarah!
You have an excellent presentation style. Not too dry and not too "over the top." Very cool to see younger generations knowing how the "electromechanical world" used to work :) Oh and LOVE the mention of phone phreaks :) Evan Doorbell would be proud!
Stumbling upon this video has been a delightful turn in my quest to delve into the workings of rotary dial phones, particularly as I aim to construct supporting circuitry to transform an old rotary dial phone into an engaging conversation piece at my workplace. The clarity and ease with which you elucidate the theory of operation are truly captivating, showcasing your exceptional talent for making complex concepts accessible. It's evident that you've invested considerable thought and effort into creating this content, and for that, I extend my heartfelt gratitude. Your video has earned a like and a new subscriber in me, and I eagerly anticipate exploring the rest of your channel's offerings. Excellent work!
If you've been watching "The Seaside Hotel" you've seen examples of ringing off. I couldn't find any explanation of this by Googling :(
Not to be confused with 'Tip and Ring'... can still remember getting zapped with ringing voltage working on old 1A2 equipment... guess that makes me old school...
And it's all thanks to the telephone company. That we learn how to snap our fingers. At our bartenders. To get their attention. Just like a phone bell. And it works. They love it when we do that. It is their favorite sound. Coming from the bar. Just like a telephone ringing. Only snappier..
You know? I have my expensive modern 21st Century smart phone. Set to ring. Just like my old Western Electric desk phone of the 1960s. And it's quite realistic. I want to yell… Hey mom get the phone! But it's for me. Just give me that warm fuzzy feeling of yesteryear. And a Bygone Era.
You are very cute doing these videos. Mdm.
RemyRAD
Every time I think the production quality of your presentations has peaked, I'm proven wrong. Great work - looking forward to the next installments!
Good content, cute host, 5 stars
Can't wait!
nice technology connections reference
I had been curious about this topic and your video was suggested by the UA-cam algorithm. So glad it was! Very educational, organized presentation and it is obvious your knowledge on the topic is exceptional. Educational and entertaining video. Excellent work.
In mid to late 1960's I lived in Trenton NJ where at age 14 I was "phone phreaking" to the extent that the phone company sent a repairman to the house to see why so many "wrong numbers". Well, I hooked up a phone dial and intercom to the wires and did so crudely so, yes wrong numbers and crank calls. I was outside on the steps reading Mad Magazine when the phone truck pulled up and the guy got out , put on his tool belt and asked if my parents were home. Thankfully they were not and he accomplished his goal of scaring me. Later my parents looked into moving us to Burlington Vermont where I found that the phones did not have dials at all. They still had a person as a manual central operator.
Great walking commentary with following camera work, smooth. Love these old machines. Spotted a nice old Comptometer in the background.
Great job with the channel and this cool video, I also want to point out the fact tha the production quality and how much fun following the video was.
Cool. A WECO 317 wall phone. As a retired Bellhead, I was glad to find a WECO 317 at a rural garage sale. It had all its internals including the magneto and two tired talking batteries!!
That tone generator reminds me of a Hammond organ's tonewheel generator. Check that out on the Googles for fun times!
Distinctive Ringtone (also known as Selective Ringing) unfortunately enters the chat... (no not what you hear calling someone when they wanted you to hear a song, it was a service where you could have more than 1 phone number on 1 phone line and depending on which number was being called, the ring pattern/cadence changed)
What is funny how that is old is new again. At least in our area, the local Bell company is forcing everyone to fibre and one side effect is that it is no longer becoming a CO powered system but the subscriber is now forced to provide electricity to power the fibre gateway and the UPS that the telco supplies them. The tech pointed out that now the subscriber pays for the power and not the CO!
Great video can you please draw up a circuit to make two phones work like a intercom. When you pick up one phone the other one rings. Thanks for all information.
Thanks Sarah! I thoroughly enjoyed that and look forward to the next installments. Your enthusiasm and passion show through and it is great to see how comfortable you have become in front of the camera.
Harmonic, Decimonic, bridged, grounded, etc. Multiparty coded, Frequency selective, etc....
I love watching your videos. I would love to check out the museum one of these days.
2:25 nice to see, i still use this extra ringing bel in my house from i think 1963 and it works well on the telephone line in 2024.
Sarah most excellent video including sound effects.. do-do-doto-da-ah.
Watched and enjoyed your videos for years. It actually inspired me a couple of years ago to purchase a 1960 WE 500 and a pulse to tone converter, and even my young daughters prefer sitting on the gossip table talking on that old phone over their iPhones for calls. We have VOIP and it worked beautifully for a couple of years. They just sent new equipment and unfortunately the ringer barely works, when it doesn't just click back and forth inside the phone. I am guessing the new equipment has a lower voltage output so I am wondering if you recommend any device or voltage booster if that's what it is. I'm not an expert in always thought it was 48 volts but now I'm seeing the 90 volt AC information, so I am confused and don't want to damage anything. Any recommendation on this problem would be so appreciated!
Those battery powered phones were so far ahead of their time. If they only knew the profits in having batteries puff after the 1st heat wave & requiring subscribers to buy a new phone to change the battery.
Thanks for a great video. You're a natural instructor. Of course modern technology performs light years ahead of this old school stuff. Though the minds that built this cutting edge technology of a century ago, deserve respect. As well, the craftmanship of yesterday often surpasses modern build quality.
OK, so you've explained ring tones and the machines that make them. How 'bout no tones or what I'm told is called a side tone. If say during a snow storm or other major event, all of the lines are busy. what do you hear? A lot of beeps, clicks and other noises. Everything but a dial tone. Very interesting, you think?
Thanks for the very informative video. I'd heard the phrase "Ring off" before but never understood its origin. I find the evolution of technology quite fascinating and the creative ways that problems were overcome.
I just love how cartoonish you can be hehe, make the video all together fun!!!! 😅😊
I felt like I was watching a UA-cam video done by the Church Lady.
Thank you for all your hard work!
In the '70s as a teenager, I lived in a rural area...it was common to hear " ghosts" on the phone...distant sounding conversations, usually just one side. I thought it was sort of inductive crosstalk, just from where the wires are close together...
And now, batteries have moved back into subscriber phones. They’re just smaller
Ok omfg.... I've "known how it all works" since a curious kid 30 years ago but holy shit you just made it all click with regards to how our phone being "off the hook" closed the circuit allowing it to reach the CO... OMG FINALLY after decades it actually clicks in my brain. THANK YOU
6:11 ... ahhh, my wife and I have been watching the Danish series The Seaside Hotel (set in the 1930's) and always wondered why after the characters were finished making a call cranked the phone again. This explains that!
There is some flashing in part 2, about the telephone ringing. Might just be the problem with the camera watching the white background with the ringing bells.
Telephony is neat, thanks for sharing.
You have no idea or maybe you do how important that spring coupling is in modern robotics it is used everywhere absolutely everywhere in robotics in 3D printing is still used today I have worked in the biotech industry basically drug discovery for the Pharmaceutical industry for most of my adult life and every single robotics platform that I've ever worked on has ten of those damn things I'm drive systems all over the damn machine they're intrical to every robot I've ever worked on I don't know if that is where they started but wherever they started they're a damn important a piece of history those couplings have helped shape drug discovery in the United States and around the world
Every one of these videos is better the last! I miss you guys and the museum a great deal - I’m glad to see that scope getting some good use :D
Zip!
I Dream of Jeannie! I love these technical videos. It’s amazing to see the inside of the old fashioned telephone systems. You mentioned that 90 volts at 20 cycles is sent through the line to ring the phone. How does the 90 volts know to turn off when you answer the phone instead of still ringing when you pick up the receiver? I was just thinking if I built a phone system, and sent 90 volts through to ring, I would probably fry the phone when they pick up. The phone line only has 2 wires so the ring voltage must go through the same wires as the voice.
Also how does the ring signal machine return the coin or collect the coin on pay phones? I remember the operator could return the money deposited if the line was busy. I’d hear a really loud tone that would actually hurt my ear. It sounded a lot higher frequency than the normal ring tone. Could the operator press the coin return button on a non pay phone or was the exchange wired differently for pay phones? Just curious.
Power-ring circuit is AC-coupled with ring cadence. Although its voltage is high, the current delivered is low, at least, for modern telephony.
When the end user lifts the handset (off-hook state), the supervisory circuit on the central office side equipment detects the phone is now in low impedance state.
I.e., DC current can flow through (it's -48V "battery").
The supervisory circuit immediately cuts off the power-ring circuit and switches over to voice (audible) signal path.
@@ccshello1 Thanks for the explanation. It’s still hard to understand how it happens so fast with no damage to the phone receiver considering the ring voltage is 90-98 volts AC and almost double the -48 dc volts. How did they figure out a switch that could automatically do that? The other puzzling thing, if the bell is always connected to the line so that it can ring, how does that not make the line busy? The bell must be connected to the same two wires that voice travels through but for some reason the bell does not complete the connection even though it’s connected 24/7. I have wondered about that for decades.
Bell is AC coupled. I.e., DC current cannot pass though. When nobody is calling that phone (means there is no power-ring AC 90V present), battery DC voltage is present across the telephone's two wires (tip and ring pair). Only a tiny amount of current is consumed by the phone (standby mode, Clock - LCD running). The moment handset is picked-up, much more current consumption will be detected on central office end and will enter dial tone state.
P.S. central office side supervisory circuitry is rather sophisticated and will detect off hook condition very quick and will remove power ring instantly. BTW, power ring is current limited and will not damage phone's voice circuitry even there's a malfunction on C.O. side.
@@ccshello1 Very interesting. Thanks for explaining all of this. It’s amazing that you can have a device that only accepts AC current and completely ignores DC. I still don’t quite understand it. I think I would need electronics courses to fully understand how and why this works. When I was very young (12 years old), I opened the phone and disconnected one of the coloured wires that led to the rotary dial. When I did that I could hear what was going on through the line but the telephone company registered my phone as on hook so there was no dial tone. Even though it was off hook and I could hear the Neighbors talking and dialing in the distance. I could also hear a call coming in. The volume of the ring in my ear was deafening. The bell would ring and I could hear the ring tone. I could also stay on the line when someone dialed out on the extension phone. Even though it was rotary pulse dialing it still worked with me listening on the line. I wasn’t interested in eavesdropping. I was completely fascinated at how this worked. 50 years later I still don’t really know how that was possible, but it did work. Our exchange was a crossbar system. The repair man once told me it was C2.
@@ds99 I don't know if phones in your country had it, but the standard T65 phone has a connection on the back so you could hook up an extra bell in series with the internal one.
If you hook up the earpiece to that connection, you'll hear everything on the line without closing the DC current path, making it look like the phone's on hook.
These T65 phones also have some diodes antiparallel to the earpiece so any voltage on the earpiece gets clipped to about 0,7v, saving many ears.
Can I run a bell system like the one shown at 2:18 off of my modern phone lines? I'm trying to set one up with an antique party line phone and it's ringing nonstop, even when I'm not getting a call. I have it hooked up to the tip and ring wires (red and green).
In my small home town, we moved just "out of town" when I was 6, about 1954, into the house Dad and Gramps had built before WWII. The phone was still a wall mount hand crank "Farm" / country/ party line, with more than 20 customers. Our number was 19F4 which meant we were the 19th customer on the "Farm" line and our ring was "fast 4" or 4 short rings.
This is so super interesting, big thank for preserving this impressive know how of our past generations!
LOVE that shaft coupling!
This stuff was built to last!
Absolutely wonderful, as always, thanks again for positing!! I’ll be merrily awaiting your next video. :)
*Answered before telephone rang!* As a teenager I created a line monitoring circuit with speaker. It would click when my line was apparently connected to the circuit which would send the ring signal. Friends thought I was joking when I answered thextension telephonearby before the ring signal/voltage came through to ring it. Would it still work today? No idea where the device is, otherwise I'd connect ito see. Thank you.
Thanks! That was wonderful. I want to go see the museum! Great fun presentations.
I love the "magic of having two of them" gag that I love Oh So Much from Technology Connections
The ring voltage was a small workplace "hazard" for those that worked on telco equipment. It was a spicy reminder if you touched connections while ring voltage was present.
I enjoy your enthusiasm for *sounds*! :D
Also - "Sapphire bullet of pure love" necklace?
Thank you for the great video. If the telephone is a 2 wire system and you close the circuit when lifting the receiver, how does the ring voltage get to the telephone set if it is on the hook?
09:48 essentially, these innovations weren't roll out in the fashion that they had been to give the impression that all this technology wasn't in existence already and that they had to pretend there was a slow innovation trend instead
Think of all the times Radar or Klinger wanted to get the attention of Sparky. What did they do? They cranked something on the telephone set to get his attention.
This is the coolest personality i've ever come across on a tech channel... you had me at the coupler sound-effects but I Dream of Jeannie clinched it. Subscribed. :)
"Through the magic of having two of them" I see someone watches Technology Connections!
Oh, I figured out really quick how ringing works when I got a nice shock while working on my phone wiring years ago 🤣
I wondered about the etymology of the phrase "[to] ring off". Now I know. Thanks!