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what I do when I'm not on here... I made this!

This is me, making a phone call through two of my 1950s electromechanical phone exchanges and through two asterisk voip servers that are 30 miles apart, liked by the internets.



By dialling 10 digits, I can make a phone ring about 6ft away from where I started - but the kit involved makes a lovely noise while I do it.



I'm aware this is not normal behaviour.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:36, Reply

Thats so fucking sad and pointless

*clicks*



*clicks* again in analogue.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:38, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:38, Reply

the number dialed is 30-0-50-91-491

The red phone (GPO 706) is on my AT&E 50/7A PAX.



Dialing 30 takes you out through an outgoing tie line and onto the junction selector, 0 takes you back into the 50/7A on an incoming tie line, 50 takes you out through another tieline and into my asterisk server. 91 are the access digits which take you in to the asterisk server at the Dean Forest Railway, 491 then takes you back into my asterisk server, which then dials "39" on your behalf which takes you out *another* tie line into my 10/2A PAX and then it finally dials a 5 to ring the black phone (also a 706)



Two 1950s strowger PAXes, a home-brew junction selector, two asterisk servers and a load of internet later - and I've phoned from one side of my front room to the other.



This is what happens when you throw your TV out and find something else to do with your evenings.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:39, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:39, Reply

I want to get rid of my TV

and do stupid shit like this, but wouldnt know where to start :(

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:42, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:42, Reply

start by

getting rid of your tv! The rest seemed to follow naturally...

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:43, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:43, Reply



But Ive just bought a stupid big 3d one :(



Although, I still have the old massive CRT one that is too heavy for me to get out of my house...



*edit* free to anyone that can move it, panasonic, 34 inch I think, silver. Weighs tons.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:46, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:46, Reply

I had to get one of these to the tip recently, I was moving from a 3rd floor apartment it was fucking backbreaking

to get it down 3 flights of stairs. I do not envy you.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:04, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:04, Reply

Yup,

still on the first floor. And thats where its staying unless A, someone comes for it or B, I take it apart to move it.

I suppose I should put it on gumtree or freecycle.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:15, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:15, Reply

or push it out the window

it'll make a lovely noise when it lands!

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:16, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:16, Reply

I cant get it onto the windowsill

and it wouldn't fit through the window :(

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:18, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:18, Reply

I've got a 27" one I can't fucking shift either

It nearly killed me to get it up to the third floor, and I'm five years older and wiser now.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:09, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:09, Reply

do you live in edinburgh?



( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:17, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:17, Reply

close,

leamington.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:18, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:18, Reply

man that's a short walk. i'll take it.



( , Thu 31 Oct 2013, 19:11, ( , Thu 31 Oct 2013, 19:11, Reply

I had one of those, not worth a bean now. I gave mine to a local charity that helps homeless

people back on their feet in new homes. These people have nothing so something we treat as unfashionable is given a new lease of life.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:49, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:49, Reply



Tried there, they won't pick up electricals apparently

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:11, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:11, Reply

British Heart Foundatio have shops that sell electricals, don't know if they pick up though.



( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:36, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:36, Reply

Wicked!!!

*donates MC Hammer pants*

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 22:17, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 22:17, Reply

Easy to say that

a lot harder to do it. If you have an interesting enough hobby it will happen on its own any way. I am not even sure if it even counts as a hobby if it takes up all your time. I go to work to have a rest from it.

( , Sat 2 Nov 2013, 22:35, ( , Sat 2 Nov 2013, 22:35, Reply

That is indeed utterly pointless

and yet ALL kinds of awesome.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:41, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:41, Reply

I miss these phones so much.

*clickage*

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:43, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:43, Reply

mildly disturbed and utterly excellent

that noise could be music

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:45, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:45, Reply

What an ace hobby!



( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:46, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:46, Reply

Wonderful!!!

That sound IS lovely.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:46, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:46, Reply

Nice finger action



( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:47, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:47, Reply

you're not the first person

to have said that

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:49, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:49, Reply

The first over the age of 12 though



( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:10, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:10, Reply

now then...



( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:13, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:13, Reply

Thirteen?

sorry. won't happen again.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:26, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:26, Reply

\o/

Amazing work there!



Reminds me of an old Louis CK bit, (to paraphrase) 'it was such an ache on your fingers, for instance if a friend had two 9s in his number - fuck him - how much do I wanna talk to that guy?'

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:49, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 19:49, Reply

Is that a standard finger?

Otherwise you'll get a wrong number.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:06, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:06, Reply

of course

is there any other size of finger?

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:07, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:07, Reply

Jeremy Beadle

has both the standard sizes.

( , Wed 6 Nov 2013, 1:24, ( , Wed 6 Nov 2013, 1:24, Reply

i knew that was you straight away without recourse to looking at your name!

you telephone nutter! D: x

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:16, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:16, Reply

This is truly excellent.

*clicks like a loon*

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:32, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:32, Reply

*wanks*

*clicks*

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:32, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:32, Reply

LOL get a new fone m8



( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:34, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:34, Reply

you've just reminded me that I renamed my iPhone

"roboplegicwrongphone"

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:36, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:36, Reply

This reply

made me lol far longer than it should of.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:46, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:46, Reply

I'm baffled by why I like this :/



( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:51, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 20:51, Reply

That is superb! Well done!!





What a great sound too!

Is this what you were building in the shed?

What a great sound too!Is this what you were building in the shed? ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:05, Reply

this is what the shed will be for

when I eventually build it

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:06, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:06, Reply

I suppose it's easier to build the shed around it, it'd never fit through the door!



( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:10, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:10, Reply

That looks fun

I used to love messing about with old video recorders, betamax and the like but digital has taken away moving parts and a lot of the fun.

Click!

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:47, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 21:47, Reply

Bloody lovely

I once set up something similar with two rotary phones, two ATA boxes and Asterisk - not nearly as beautiful as this.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 22:13, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 22:13, Reply

I started with two ATAs

I got a bit carried away though. It's taken over my house.

( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 22:29, ( , Tue 29 Oct 2013, 22:29, Reply

I have seen with my own eyes the evidence

That LP did indeed kidnap, and hold to ransom*, the entire staff and holdings of the 1960 GPO.

TruFax.







*Which was never payed, and they were subsequently substituted by Tory enslaved muppets (but that's another story...

( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 0:08, ( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 0:08, Reply

I am in awe.

Seriously.



More please. Maybe International?

( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 0:44, ( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 0:44, Reply

You say international





I have considered hooking it up to



One of which is that I'm not sure I want to actually have a conversation with any of them...

It's hooked up to a similar (but bigger) exchange in the Forest of Dean,and that's almost wales...I have considered hooking it up to www.ckts.info so I can call similar nutters on the other side of the world, but haven't done so yet for various reasons.One of which is that I'm not sure I want to actually have a conversation with any of them... ( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 7:24, Reply

What Apps can you get for it?



( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 1:02, ( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 1:02, Reply

Reminds me of a simpler time

I'd go as far as a creamy-yellow vintage phone - but not the whole exchange, unless its the one with ladies.

I'd get rid of my TV if the kids weren't glued to it, and then do something similar to this.

( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 1:53, ( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 1:53, Reply

I did my work experience at an analogue telephone exchange.

'Twas a magical place!

( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 8:05, ( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 8:05, Reply

I'm proper jealous

I've never been in a big exchange at busy hour, the noise must have been fabulous.



The busiest one I work in now is at the Forest of Dean Railway, which gets about 10 calls an hour through it.

( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 9:10, ( , Wed 30 Oct 2013, 9:10, Reply



Wonderful. Evokes memories of my earlier career in GPO strowger exchanges as a callow youth.

Damn system X. Damn you all to hell.

( , Fri 1 Nov 2013, 19:50, ( , Fri 1 Nov 2013, 19:50, Reply

Ahh when I were a lad

I remember spending several weeks staring into a giant magnifying glass and learning to stroke the relays. I am an old git.

( , Fri 1 Nov 2013, 20:58, ( , Fri 1 Nov 2013, 20:58, Reply

make music pls



( , Tue 5 Nov 2013, 12:14, ( , Tue 5 Nov 2013, 12:14, Reply