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Today in History - Last of the hand-cranked phones.

Started by Greg G., October 11, 2009, 02:42:30 PM

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Greg G.

Part of my homepage has a "Today in History" column, this was one of the items for today (Oct 11):

1983 - Hand-cranked telephones went out of service in the United States. The 440 telephone customers of Bryant Pond, ME, were switched to direct-dial service.  
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

rp2813

I don't think the folks in Crockett, California were very far ahead of Bryant Pond.  I recall around 1980 or so an article about the people there getting used to dialing and the confusion associated with the letter "O" and the number "0" since both were called "O" in telco lingo.  And a friend who lived in Napa at the time advised that up until 1980 there, they still had to dial the operator for long distance.  And here I was thinking that Pacific Telephone was the stepchild who was considered last for any modernizations.
Ralph

Greg G.

#2
And now things come full circle back to hand-cranks:  (Actually, a wind-up phone.)

http://tinyurl.com/y9vkaav
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

foots

Quote from: Brinybay on October 11, 2009, 02:42:30 PM
Part of my homepage has a "Today in History" column, this was one of the items for today (Oct 11):

1983 - Hand-cranked telephones went out of service in the United States. The 440 telephone customers of Bryant Pond, ME, were switched to direct-dial service. 

What phones were still being made with hand cranks at that time?
"Ain't Worryin' 'Bout Nothin"


dsk

The last Magnetotelephone made in Norway was made by Elektrisk Bureau in 1967.

The last Magneto line in the "non army" network was closed officially in 1990, but was still in service a few summers. (for some laps)

Now we just may sit here and wait for the magneto telephone to be popular again, together with black and white TV-sets.

dsk

McHeath

QuoteThis one is still on the market:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/251690254/magneto_telephone.html

dsk

I swear, just when you think you'd seen everything someone finds something even more odd on the Internet.  Why would anyone still need a hand crank phone in 2009?   And even weirder is that if it looked like a WE 500 with a hand crank I'd probably buy one.