Posted by Peter H on April 28, 2007 at 18:54:15 from 86.130.133.83 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Changes in Technologies posted by Ed Kiser on April 27, 2007 at 18:17:06:
one would jiggle the hook, causing a
light to flash on the operator's board
Ed - I think we mentioned this point a while ago. On the switchboards used in England in AR's time, when a callers' phone receiver was lifted, no light flashed but instead a little shutter (a bit like an eyelid) flicked over the relevant socket. Joggling the 'hook' or 'cradle' would cause the shutter to flicker, but you had to joggle at the right pace. If you joggled too frenetically, the shutter would just shiver a bit. IIRC, Alan Hakim is the expert on this - Alan?
BTW, I have always thought that Captain Flint was pushing it a bit, what with the 'joggling' and saying 'F for fool, I for idiot . . ' A switchboard operator I used to know would have ignored such a caller for five minutes until he learnt manners !