Talk:Telephone exchange/Archive 1: Difference between revisions

Archive 1

555-test

During the mid 1980's to late 1980's in America in my hometown of Parma, Ohio, there was a "prank" which some people did at a public phone. They would dial 555 then the last four digits of the phone number that appeared on the public phone. Let the phone ring once. Then they would hang up and leave. This would then cause the phone to ring a few seconds later. Of course no one was on the line. This 555-test was also capable of being executed from a private house phone. To the best of my knowledge this 555-test longer works as described.

Can other people please provide further details on the 555-test? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.166.104.93 (talk) 12:54, 17 September 2004 (UTC)

Many central offices of specific types had a similar arrangement whereby the dialing of a specific 3-digit code followed by the last 4 digits of one's own number would result in the line being rung back. These were test numbers, intended primarily for engineers and installers in the field to use to test and adjust telephone ringers without needing to tie up an operator or other engineer. The actual 3-digit code which was used varied from one office to another - There was no fixed code, but obviously it had to a code which was not in use as a local exchange prefix in the area concerned. 146.90.55.170 (talk) 19:35, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Wrong statement removed

I removed the following because it's wrong:

"In 1971 the computerized switching system for telephone traffic was invented by Erna Schneider Hoover and replaced existing hard-wired, mechanical switching equipment."

"Computerized" or stored program control (SPC) switching was put into practice as early as 1958 with the early ESS prototypes that Bell Labs made. If one reads the Hoover patent (US Pat. No. 3623007) it can be seen that Hoover didn't invent SPC switching but rather came up with a method for process priority. This is still used today and was an important development, however the above statement is wrong.

sam 14:38, 22 September 2004 (UTC)

Ringdown method

My source for the Ringdown method (a chain of manually operated long-distance switchboards) is http://www.du.edu/~jcalvert/tech/phones.htm My source for the 2-hour wait time to request and schedule a cross-country toll call in 1943 was my mother who told me about calls she made between western Pennsylvania and California which in todays money would cost about $500 for each call. Greensburger 06:12, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

Phone number trivia

In the interests of relevance, brevity and international view, the whole section should be moved to telephone number. Jim.henderson 13:49, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Absent objections, it is done. Jim.henderson 06:28, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Are you talking about just the phone number section? I concur, if so. Rarelibra 00:25, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

As you see, that's what I did. The section sits uneasily in its new home and requires work to integrate it there, but at least now it's uneasy where it belongs, rather than out of place. Jim.henderson 01:17, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

How to find the location, the community for a USA area code and exchange

Where around the web is there reliable information as to what location, what community a USA area code and exchange is designated? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Donwarnersaklad (talk • contribs) 16:24, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

See List of NANP area codes for the former. Jim.henderson 12:13, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Try localcallingguide.com and telcodata.us - either should be able to turn an area code and three-digit exchange prefix into a town name. Better yet, the primary sources - nanpa.com (US) and cnac.ca (Canada) - have a list for each area code which indicates which exchange prefix is which village. K7L (talk) 03:41, 2 June 2013 (UTC)