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Diffrent dials / keypads in different countries.

Started by andy1702, January 10, 2017, 05:41:19 PM

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andy1702

Most of us are aware that the markkngs on US dials and keypads are different to the UK. The letter 'O' is on the zero on British dials, not with 'm' and 'n' like it is in the US. The British zero isn't marked operator either. But was the US layout used anywhere else in the world? I ask because I've found what appears to be a US layout on a non-US phone.

I'll add some photos tomorrow.

Andy.
Call me on C*net 0246 81 290 from the UK
or (+44) 246 81 290 from the rest of the world.

For telephone videos search Andys Shed on Youtube.

Jack Ryan

Quote from: andy1702 on January 10, 2017, 05:41:19 PM
Most of us are aware that the markkngs on US dials and keypads are different to the UK. The letter 'O' is on the zero on British dials, not with 'm' and 'n' like it is in the US. The British zero isn't marked operator either. But was the US layout used anywhere else in the world? I ask because I've found what appears to be a US layout on a non-US phone.

I'll add some photos tomorrow.

Andy.


Canada, Caribbean.. others in country code '1'?

The picture would help.

Jack


andy1702

OK, so here's the photo I promised. Look closely and you'll see it's a US layout keypad in a UK phone.

I think I may have sorted this one out now. According to Sam Hallas over at http://www.britishtelephones.com/ibex/t746.htm This is a phone made by a company called 'Ibex', which carried on making 746 type phones long after everyone else had goen on to more modern things. They supplied them to large private customers, who probably liked the continuity because they already had tons of 706/746 types anyway. The interesting part though is that Ibex called their push button phone 746, which was only ever a dial phone as far as the GPO / BT were concerned. It's also a bit baffling why they used a US design keypad. Maybe it's just what they happened to have a shed load of at the time? Interestingly it's not a design that's mentioned on the web page, which says they had circular dial surrounds.

Anyway, it's currently on it's way and when it arrives it will probably be put to work on C*net so I can use an ATA that doesn't need to accept pulse dialing.

Andy.
Call me on C*net 0246 81 290 from the UK
or (+44) 246 81 290 from the rest of the world.

For telephone videos search Andys Shed on Youtube.

dsk

Here in Norway the numbers only is the standard, the layout was originally calculator, ending the last row with 0*#. To day we use international layout, numbers only or imported with US std.

dsk

andre_janew

I like to see rotary dials from different countries.  Some countries use a WE configuration on their dials while others use an AE configuration.  Some have numbers only while others have numbers plus some unusual letters or characters.

twocvbloke

Quote from: andy1702 on January 10, 2017, 05:41:19 PMThe letter 'O' is on the zero on British dials, not with 'm' and 'n' like it is in the US.

And of course, Q resides with the O on Zero, so the GPO Alphabet goes 1, 2-ABC, 3-DEF, 4-GHI, 5-JKL, 6-MN, 7-PRS, 8-TUV, 9-WXY, 0-OQ, because there are no places in the UK that begin with O or Q, apparently, and as for poor ol' Zed, it's just left off entirely...  ;D

Jack Ryan

Quote from: twocvbloke on January 11, 2017, 05:54:32 PM
And of course, Q resides with the O on Zero, so the GPO Alphabet goes 1, 2-ABC, 3-DEF, 4-GHI, 5-JKL, 6-MN, 7-PRS, 8-TUV, 9-WXY, 0-OQ, because there are no places in the UK that begin with O or Q, apparently, and as for poor ol' Zed, it's just left off entirely...  ;D

That is also the layout used in Paris. The Q was added to the British dial for ISD dialling compatibility with Paris.

'O' and 'Q' were put with '0' (zero) to cut down on mis-dialled numbers.

Jack