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Thread ID: 88559	2008-03-31 22:56:00	The location of numbers ...	SKT174 (1319)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
654714	2008-04-01 10:13:00	Never heard that one. Could you elaborate, please? Free calling from any phone box is simple. You simply tap out the reciprocal of ten for each number (in NZ). People have been doing that for hundreds of years - or for at least as long as there has been public phone boxes. There is (was) an extra springset on the back of the coinbox's dial which normally shorted out the dial pulse contacts, stopping people dialling without putting coins in. The springset was adjusted so that if the dial was turned all the way round to "0", it would release and let the dial pulse out. That allowed people to dial "0" for the operator without coins. (of course the operator would later on ask for coins to be put in, but that's a seperate issue.) This is why when you tapped out the number, you didn't have to tap 10 pulses for an "0", you just dialled it. (I presume you knew that) The springset could be adjusted to move around and let more numbers be "coin-free", but if you turned it right around for "9" in NZ [or "1" in the UK], all numbers would be free and believe you me, that did NOT make economic sense. So, when the emergency service was introduced here, the NZPO chose "111" so that the springset only had to be moved one place. Eventually it was moved two places so that "120" could be also dialled coin-free (it was Fault Service, I think) This was exactly the same as in the UK - the phone boxes were made there. This made it even easier to tap numbers as "0", "1" and "2" could be dialled and you only had to tap the shorter sequences. When crossbar exchanges came along, they were more sensitive to pulse ratio and tapping became B***y difficult. New phone boxes have delays built into kill the call if you try to tap.	decibel (11645)
654715	2008-04-01 19:29:00	Thanks for that, Decibel. Most interesting. Now that you mention it, it does sound familiar from somewhere way back. That does not explain why the dial was reversed, though. Any ideas on that one?	Roscoe (6288)
654716	2008-04-02 09:27:00	That does not explain why the dial was reversed, though. Any ideas on that one? You've got me there - I think it was a case of 6 of one and half a dozen of the other and the NZPO ( or rather the P&T) chose the wrong one.	decibel (11645)
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