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New Member Here

Started by Don Cavey, April 16, 2010, 05:23:47 PM

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Don Cavey

Greetings to all.  My name is Don Cavey, (my real name!) and I have heard about this forum for quite some time.  Dan/Panther informed me about the forum and I thought I would give it a go.

I worked for Bell for 31 years.  Started at the C & P Telephone Company of Maryland in 1971.  Worked as a Installer/Repairman for about 8-9 years and took a promotion to management, as a Service Foreman with an Installation Crew covering three wire centers in Maryland.  I had jobs inside and out for the next 20 years and retired in 2003.  Went back for about 2 1/2 years teaching FiOS installation.  I really liked doing that job.  But alas, time marches on.

I had lots and lots of telephone stuff pass thru my hands over the years and retained almost none of it.  My best keep is a 236G coin Collector.  Unfortunately, somehow, the coin relay got away.

Anyway, I look forward to chatting with some of you guys here.  Thanks!

Phonesrfun

Don,

Welcome to the group.

This is a great place to be.  I have had a lot of stuff come and go too, but I have never actually worked for a phone company.  We look forward to your future posts.

-Bill G

Dennis Markham

Welcome to the forum, Don.  With all of your experiences I am certain you have much to offer our members.  Thanks for joining!

Dan/Panther

Don;
Very glad to see you here. 
A better bunch of people you will not find anywhere else, and you will boost that up even more.
We have a few current, and former Phone company employees, and One very classy lady Lineman, or is that person ? Donna, Donna, better known as Bwanna.
Look around and enjoy the photos of some very fine collections.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

JorgeAmely

Don:

I hereby extend our red carpet and welcome you to the forum. Looking forward to hear all kinds of interesting stories from someone who spent 31+ years with Ma Bell.
Jorge

LarryInMichigan

Welcome Don.  Be warned that reading this forum can lead to an expensive addiction  ;).


Larry

Doug Rose

Hey Don...welcome to the Forum, always happy to see a new member. I know a few techs from the trade who have found some great phones that forgot there way back to Ma Bell. Show us some pics.....Doug
Kidphone

bwanna

welcome, don! good to have another member "in the industry".  please don't blow my cover.....i've got all these guys thinking i know something about phone service  :o ;) ;D ::)

d/p..... i curtsy to you, in my toolbelt & boots, with humble thanks for the compliment.  ;)

larry..... IT IS NOT AN ADDICTION. ;D ;D ;D

we have many talented,  knowledgeable & witty folks contributing here.  i think you will be entertained & educated by our little group.
donna

AE_Collector

#8
Personally, it amazes me how many people are into phones who have never worked in the business. I guess I shouldn't find it so surprising as my phone collection was already under way before I went to work for the Telco here but it still seems to me like a hobby that would be mostly Telco employees.

I'm 52 with 34 years in the business. 5 years of COE Installation (Central Office Equipment), 12 years of I&R (Installation & Repair) / Coin Telephone, 16 years of Business PABX / Key Systems and 1 year of Centrex Installation & Repair.

Terry (in Vancouver Canada)

dsk

Welcome!
As a non telco man I am aware of the value of "Know How"

You are actually a collectable youselves.  ;D
Much of the history is not easy to get, it is not written down, or those boring old books are lost ...

Again

Welcome!

dsk

Doug Rose

Terry/all....I have been in the Telco/IT/Systems trade for over 30 years. I now work for the largest Private Bank in the world. I maintain Video globally and the local PBX in Boston. My first phone find was just as I started in the industry. So my collecting does go hand in hand with my work......Doug
Kidphone

Kenny C

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on April 16, 2010, 06:01:04 PM
Welcome Don.  Be warned that reading this forum can lead to an expensive addiction  ;).


Larry

You are right I just found out a couple of days ago that I was going to have 374 phones when i turn 18
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

rp2813

Welcome Don!  You'll have fun here.  It sounds like you had a good run with TPC and retired at just the right time.

Terry, my first management position with Pacific Bell was training customers on how to use their Centrex systems, Electronic Business Sets (made by your very own Nortel--great phones) and voicemail.  It was a fun job, it was an easy job, and when the Texans from SBC took over, they didn't hesitate to eliminate it.  The writing was on the wall right away--customers would be twisting in the wind before too long.

Ralph

Dan/Panther

Ralph;
pacific bell was the system when I was growing up in So. Cal. Were you located in the area ?
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

bingster

Welcome aboard, Don!  When I was a kid, I wanted to be a C&P installer, so I'm very jealous.  Unfortunately, by the time I graduated high school, Bell had just been broken up, so it was not to be. 
= DARRIN =