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The Salford Strowger Project

Started by GTC, August 28, 2013, 09:25:49 AM

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GTC

Don't know if folks are aware of this 2012 project:

"In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Strowger
automatic telephone exchange in the UK, we have decided to create a full working
demonstration unit that can be used to show the basic principles of how a telephone
exchange works (the technology may have advanced but the underlying functions
are still fundamentally the same) and at the same time preserve another piece
of telecommunications history."

...  but there's a nice story attached to it, here, complete with project progress photos and some videos:

http://www.cntr.salford.ac.uk/comms/strowger.php




twocvbloke

May have been done last year, but that does make for an interesting read (akin to DavePEI's blog on assembling his own demo unit in the same manner), I'd love to play about with some Strowger hardware like that, the sound of the physical connections being made, it's just great.. ;D

GTC

When I was a electronics and communications trainee back in 1970, our class toured a large suburban Strowger exchange. The din was unforgettable. After that, crossbar sounded quite docile.  

twocvbloke

Quote from: GTC on August 28, 2013, 10:34:25 AM
When I was a electronics and communications trainee back in 1970, our class toured a large suburban Strowger exchange. The din was unforgettable. After that, crossbar sounded quite docile.  

This might bring back memories then:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUOh9fCSgqw

:D

GTC

Quote from: twocvbloke on August 28, 2013, 10:36:51 AM
This might bring back memories then:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUOh9fCSgqw

:D

Ah, yes.

I didn't stay with this stuff, but a friend who did for the rest of his career used to say that he could hear a faulty selector/switch by its beat.

I guess if you hung around in that environment all day every day, you probably could.

However, I think I'd have ended up like Quasimodo and "The bells! The bells!"  LOL!

twocvbloke

Quote from: GTC on August 28, 2013, 10:44:08 AMHowever, I think I'd have ended up like Quasimodo and "The bells! The bells!"  LOL!


I've heard Strowger selectors referred to as "Click & Bang", so, I guess it'd be "The clicks!! The Bangs!!!".... :D