[GreenKeys] RE: Not many of us left.

[wa2hwj at att.net]

As a TTY man in the 70's in NY, I'd get a lot of callouts
from the county police. Usually they "couldn't send" (tape
on a 28ASR). I'll call them from home and tell them to
move the tape a little and try again. 9 times out of 10 they'd
say "works OK now". I'd roll over and go back to sleep. 
Automatic 4 hours overtime!  (I made a lot of
money off that sixth pin in the TD!!!!!!)

When we converted them to Model 40's (friction feed)
we had to start a midnight to 8AM shift just to have the
coverage for the paper jams....! Of course, they used
that non-carbon multi-sheet paper, just to make matters
worse.

73,
Jack K0TTY


-------------- Original message from telegrapher at att.net: -------------- 

My first encounter with a machine was back in 1959. Mom was a secretary at the Garden City Sugarbeet Company. They had a 15 in the office and i was a Sr. in HS. Shew had them take the machine off line during a lul in the daytime traffic and i got to set there and playaround, typing away like mad but saying nothing 
> to anyone. Lit a fire. 
> Then in 1961 or so my dad who was a Plan 55 NCO with the Air Force in the UK had a cerebral hemmorage and the sent for me to come quickly as he wasn't expected to live. He did for about 30 days but never knew i was there. The 1st shirt of the squadron arranged for me to spend as much time as i wanted in the TTy section playing with 28's or watching the goings on. WOW. Talk about fascinating. guys putting up circuit patches due to propagation changes and 
> other requirements. I was definitely hooked. 
> After my service time i joined up with ma bell for an occupational tour. About 1974 i was asked if i wanted to go to TTY school. Absolutely yes i said. So 
> 28, 33, 35 and 40 schools followed. All in Dallas except for the 40 school 
> which was in hot humid Houston. I didn't care for the "bend and twist" of the 
> 33. got some time on early model 40's but most of my tty background was as a 28 
> repairmen. Loved it all except for the callout's at 9:30 or so in the evenings 
> to drive 100 miles and clear a paper jam for a radio station. Grrrr. 
> 
> Don't know what will happen to my 28 KSR here. It's to nice to throw in the 
> dump but who knows except for "the Shadow"! 
> 
> Lots of other tales to. 
> Larry 
> W0OGH 
> 
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