[Boatanchors] POTS vs. Other Services (Was: Short WaveBroadcast Folks)

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob Atkinson" <ranchorobbo at gmail.com>
To: "Boat Anchors List" <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 7:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] POTS vs. Other Services (Was: 
Short WaveBroadcast Folks)


> On Wed, Apr 16, 2014 at 8:01 PM, Frederick Bray 
> <fwbray at mminternet.com> wrote:
>> A couple things to keep in mind.
>
> amen--Western Electric 302 here, pre-WW2 steel not 
> bakelite, and a
> ringer that is a real ringer--a two frequency BELL pair.
> When someone gives me a ring, it's the real thing!
> One more thing I can do that wireless users can't do:  I 
> can hang up on people!
>
> 73
>
> Rob
> K5UJ

     Haven't seen a 300 series for a long time.  When we 
first moved here c.1950, we had a wasp waist phone with 
ringer in a separate box.  That was replaced with a 500 set 
because it had an adjustable ringer and my grandfather, who 
lived with us, had a heart condition and needed quiet.  I 
really would have liked to keep that phone but was too young 
and dumb to ask the installer.
     BTW I also remember wooden magneto ringer phones.  We 
had a place in the country in Michigan, the phone there was 
a wood one on a party line. I don't remember the ring 
combination any more but it was an Onsted number.  You could 
tell if it was going to rain because the phone went dead. I 
used to think it was because the lines went down but now 
think they just grounded everything if a lightening storm 
was expected. All of those phones were installed by very 
tall people, I had to stand on a stool to use it. I also 
remember how to hold a candlestick phone in one hand. 
Receiver goes between thumb and forfinger and the mouthpiece 
is hooked on your little and ring finger.  "We are the phone 
company; we are omnipotent".


--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickburk at ix.netcom.com