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| Thread ID: 105103 | 2009-11-19 07:26:00 | The Telecom Exchange Tour | adslgeek (14687) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 831575 | 2009-11-20 10:12:00 | Yes. Exactly. Husband installed and maintained exchanges from 1966 to 1991. They were lovely then. I was in heaps then too. Now, however, they are complete tips. I went in quite a number in um, 2003. I got a shortlived job with Downer doing ADSL hookups. I ran away screaming in horror. Hey pctek, my husband was also in Telecom in the old days and installed and maintained exchanges and UAXs 1965 - 1993 I bet they knew each other! LL |
lakewoodlady (103) | ||
| 831576 | 2009-11-20 10:45:00 | Hey guys, When we were talking about which ones to go in, the reason that they settled on Mt Albert was: 1) It was a reasonable sized exchange 2) It went from really old kit (eg paper wrapped cable) all the way up to the most modern kit (eg singlemode fibre). 3) There was a good distance through to the cross connect cabinet, and that also contrasted the old uncooled cabinets to the new Whisper cabinets. It was funny cause there were more techs appalled at small details being out of line than the comments that those pics were an especially tidy Exchange. A few engineers said that it was quite old and rundown, but the guys do take pride in their kit I thought. You could hear that in the voice and how they presented themselves. I am just a tech, so not done real work in cables and exchanges, but I thought it looked tidy to me, and I have been in a few, and none were worse / better than that site. |
adslgeek (14687) | ||
| 831577 | 2009-11-20 11:56:00 | Have to say I bet that was especially chosen. Having been in loads and loads of different exchanges - before privatisation and after I can tell you 99% don't look anything like that. What they look like is a bomb site with spaghetti wiring and no labelling. The building aren't maintained either - hence piles of rubble and stuff everywhere. Not in CHCH it isnt, Ive spent a fair amount of time in there and id say its pretty well organised |
hueybot3000 (3646) | ||
| 831578 | 2009-11-20 19:14:00 | Yeah there's a *ton* of wiring in there ... I mean when you look at those photos and see how much cabling there is, you can understand why once in a blue moon the techs occasionally get something mixed up ;) | Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 831579 | 2009-11-21 01:47:00 | Pity the electromechanical was still not operating and you see a real exchange rather than the sterile electronic version of these days. You need to go to MOTAT in Auckland and see that 7A Rotary that was put together in the 1980s from bits from Wellesley St, Mt Eden and Remuera.. and see what real stored program control circa 1900 was like.. | paulw (1826) | ||
| 831580 | 2009-11-21 03:39:00 | Hey pctek, my husband was also in Telecom in the old days and installed and maintained exchanges and UAXs 1965 - 1993 I bet they knew each other! LL Probably. He used to go round all different exchanges all over Auckland. And then with the first NEAX stuff went round all over the upper North Isand too. What was his name? Graham was rather um, famously known then. |
pctek (84) | ||
| 831581 | 2009-11-21 06:03:00 | Probably. He used to go round all different exchanges all over Auckland. And then with the first NEAX stuff went round all over the upper North Isand too. What was his name? Graham was rather um, famously known then. Mike Burgess. We had 22 years in Ohakune 1974 - 1996 He was in charge of Ohakune, Raetihi, Taihape, Mangaweka and all the little outlying places. was made redundant in '93. LL |
lakewoodlady (103) | ||
| 831582 | 2009-11-21 06:10:00 | Pity the electromechanical was still not operating and you see a real exchange rather than the sterile electronic version of these days. You need to go to MOTAT in Auckland and see that 7A Rotary that was put together in the 1980s from bits from Wellesley St, Mt Eden and Remuera.. and see what real stored program control circa 1900 was like.. I saw one of the last Rotary exchanges in 1970 in the old Central exchange in Wellington, but worked mostly in stepping equipment in Courtney Place and Central 2 installing new step equipment and some cabling. LL |
lakewoodlady (103) | ||
| 831583 | 2009-11-21 09:10:00 | Mike Burgess. I remember working with him in the 70s. Those were the days when the wiring was done quickly and neatly everyday in the telephone exchanges, transmission techs would spend a month doing something then redo it because it didn't look right and the radio techs spent all their time polishing the floors :p |
PaulD (232) | ||
| 831584 | 2009-11-21 09:14:00 | What is Mike doing these days? That name rings a bell for me too! Regarding the rotary exchange, I might dig up my camera and head down to MOTAT and see if I can get us some pics. |
adslgeek (14687) | ||
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