[GreenKeys] Bunnell Pen Register

[Richard Knoppow]

     Rather OT...  I worked for the Los Angeles police 
communications division in 1965 when the Gamewell fire alarm 
system was discontinued. The reason was that was a rash of false 
alarms caused by people walking down the street and pulling every 
alarm box they came to.  Easy for the cops to grab them at the 
next box but someone might set off several boxes before being 
stopped. So it was decided that the alarm system did not  have 
enough utility to compensate for being an attractive nuisance. I 
have no idea what happened to the boxes. Some were double sided 
with police call boxes on the other side. The LAPD still used the 
call boxes to take pressure off the radio system for non-urgent 
matters (like running suspects for wants and warrants).
    There was a recorder in the police radio room. I think a tape 
punch but don't really remember it. When an alarm box was pulled 
the location was announced as a "code 8" (assist the fire 
department) on the police radio system. I think this was mainly a 
warning that there would be sirens going in some areas. All in 
another life.

On 1/29/2020 9:07 PM, Harold Hallikainen wrote:
> Not quite Teletype, but it IS printing telegraph! I've been working on one
> of these pen registers.
>
> Nameplate:
> J. H. Bunnell & Co., Brooklyn New York
> Pen Register
> Model KS-3106
> Serial Number 1 1068
> Res 150
>
> A manual on the device is available at
> http://etler.com/docs/BSP/030/030-340-701_I2.pdf . This manual uses the
> pen register as a Dialed Number recorder. I believe they were originally
> Morse recorders and also fire alarm recorders.
>
>

-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL