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Old 20th Jul 2017, 11:49 am   #1
boombox
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Default Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

What nifty things have you got your systems set up to do?

I'm about to plumb a system in and am curious what sort of innovations/uses you have put your systems to!

Thanks

Example: "I've got a line in the bike shed - useful to call the attic to ask my wife to throw the keys down to open the back gate!"
or the more technical "I've got a line by the computer which is a hotline straight to my wife - if I lift that telephone is dials her number automatically"
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 12:47 pm   #2
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

I know that several of us are running VoIP 'Asterisk' systems which are connected to CNet (Collectors Network) which is a replica of the old GPO public network of many years ago. We connect all sorts to the system from individual vintage telephones to complete preserved former public exchanges that some of us were lucky enough to 'scrounge' from BT as the last electro-mechanical exchanges were coming to an end. I'm lucky enough to have the very last public electro-mechanical exchange that was still in service until mid July 1995 were the subscribers were still dialling two digits to reach each other! We can dial other connected members around the UK with the old STD codes - London is still 01 xxx xxxx ! The old GPO Speaking Clock is still on 8081 or 952 (The old Speaking Clock codes) or TIM(846) in 'Director areas. We have lots of interesting recordings on other numbers. Dial 174 and it rings you back - great for testing phones!

I have a number of PSTN numbers that end up with various Speaking Clocks - old 1960's GPO one on 01352 83 8081 and another interesting one on a number on an exchange between Aberdeen and Braemar (near Balmoral!) 01330 55 8081. Or you can call 'Lenny' on 01656 838583 and have a chat to him (you're actually speaking to a computer!). Network even extends out onto 'smartphones' using the old GPO 'Radiophone' STD codes in the 003X ranges. Plus I have a link to an intercom on my gate that visitors use to call and I can open the gate from phones around the house or even my mobile! All great fun with vintage phones! And it is all free - no 'line rental' or call charges!! Just ask for a number or range of numbers!
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 12:50 pm   #3
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

Thanks for your reply. Sounds absolutely brilliant. I might need to look into that. I have a Raspberry Pi - so I just need to spend about £100 on a Grandstream device to get four GPO phones working on it? I've still a bit confused about how the Pi talks to the phones themselves.
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 1:32 pm   #4
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

You don't need to know that! It just happens. I too use an RPi with about 230+ lines working off it! They are in over fifteen countries all with their own old dialling codes - as far away as Vancouver Island in one direction, Finland/Sweden in another and China/Australia in another. Ten calls through it in the last 15 minutes - mostly to Speaking Clock numbers. Calls 24 hours a day due to location of other telephones. I get a number every night from MOTAT ( the New Zealand 'Museum of Transport & Technology' - their equivalent of our Science Museum) ringing to listen to old GPO recording of the Queen opening the Commonwealth cable from UK to Australia & New Zealand in early 1960's.

Keep your eyes open for Grandstream ATAs - I bought a load last year at less than £15 each inc. postage and got several others (minus PSU's - they run off 12 volts DC) for £7 each!! Other option is to use a system like a Panasonic to do the Pulse/Tone conversion in either direction and use a cheaper Linksys PAP2 (about £15 for two VoIP lines). Note that few Analogue Terminal Adapter work with pulse phones - The Grandstream HT502 does. Granstream and Linksys ATAs can be set up to have the old UK tones and cadences - many others can't. Remember the old 'purring' dialling tone - the ATAs can produce that! Ask if you don't know - we've been running the system for over ten years now and playing with old telephones for over x times that!
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 1:36 pm   #5
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pellseinydd View Post
You don't need to know that! It just happens.
I thought I might need to have some idea at least in order to a) plumb it in and b) buy the right product?!

Quote:
Keep your eyes open for Grandstream ATAs - I bought a load last year at less than £15 each inc. postage
...wow - that's quite a discount. eBay??
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 2:09 pm   #6
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

How does one connect to CNet? I assume it's via the internet using an asterisk type of system, not by merrily dialling on the house phone.
 
Old 20th Jul 2017, 2:11 pm   #7
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

Quote:
Originally Posted by boombox View Post
I thought I might need to have some idea at least in order to a) plumb it in and b) buy the right product?!
Any queries - just ask. The RPi and the ATAs just plug into your router. The setting up isn't too hard - just PM me and soon have things set up. Writing the configurations for the RPi is the difficult bit but that takes minutes as we can do it for you to get started. You don't need to know how the RPi works but you'll soon pick up how the various programming configurations work once we've supplied them for you and you'll soon be adding numbers/facilities. Then you'll soon have your old phones working.

Quote:
...wow - that's quite a discount. eBay??
Yes - just keep your eyes open!
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 2:47 pm   #8
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

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Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell View Post
How does one connect to CNet?
See here: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...95&postcount=3
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 3:02 pm   #9
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

I've got some delights in my own Asterisk dialplan such as: the Very Primitive Juke Box (see my earlier posting), an alarm call feature, and various short codes including the ability to dial 4-digit numbers in my parents' village (the numbers never changed, if you were calling from most places, but two digits moved from the end of the STD code to the beginning of the number). Also, 28779 puts me through to my favourite Indian takeaway

Lastly, it plays a less-than-friendly greeting to anonymous callers .....
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 3:21 pm   #10
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pellseinydd View Post
Remember the old 'purring' dialling tone - the ATAs can produce that!
I THINK I've done that. It's so long since I heard it though I'm not sure. My LinkSys PAP2 is set thus:—

Code:
350@-10,380@-10;30(*/0/1+2)
largely by guess-work.
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 3:42 pm   #11
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

Returning to the initial question, I run a NTS London 16 PABX supporting four exchange lines and twelve extensions. The latter are wired to various sockets around the house, including two outhouses, so any room has the ability to call any other room, and if I pick up an outside call on a 'phone with timed-break recall I can transfer that call to another room (very useful If I pick up a call in the sitting room that requires me to refer to information available in the office at the other end of the house). Some rooms have more than one telephone extension - enabling me to use them to test telephone equipment by calling one from the other.

Of the four exchange lines, the first connects through to my BT line, the next two connect to two Cnet numbers (available on request by PM) and the fourth is currently unused, but will probably connect into a Pentara that has its own network around the house - when I get round to rationalising the cabling around the house. The London 16 enables me to select which exchange line I want by using a code from 81 to 84 followed by the external number.

I haven't yet ventured into exploring the delights of Asterisk!
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 11:12 pm   #12
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

Quote:
Originally Posted by boombox View Post
What nifty things have you got your systems set up to do?
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...1&d=1500585526

Here is my phone system, top to bottom:
Eight general purpose relays that can be turned on or off with dialled codes
A network switch
Under that are two analogue Telephone Adaptors:-
A Linksys PAP2 providing 2 ports for POTS extensions
A Linksys SPA-3000 providing a third extension port and an FXO port for my BT line.

At the side of the ATAs is the heart of the system, A Raspberry Pi running Asterisk, actually a port of FreePBX

And finally 160GB of spinning rust.

What can it do? Well for example when my wife and I are out and about, we use our PAYG mobiles to make calls through the Asterisk box that are almost free.

It works like this, we dial into the box on a dedicated number (a free Sipgate number) Asterisk looks at the number of the incoming call and checks that it is one of us calling, it does not answer the call, it drops it (so no charge to our PAYG)
Asterisk waits a few seconds then rings back the number that called
So now this is an incoming call to the mobile, so still no charge.

Asterisk plays a BT style dialtone, and we can dial anyone we want internal or external. Total cost for both legs of the call, using my favourite VoIP provider is 0.5 pence per min, even if the destination is another UK mobile.

There's lots of other stuff, if you have seen it on a corporate telephone system, my mini system can probably do it too.

Graham.
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Old 20th Jul 2017, 11:57 pm   #13
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pellseinydd View Post
Or you can call 'Lenny' on 01656 838583 and have a chat to him
I have Lenny on my system and another two variants including one known as "TC2K Grandpa Stack", I suspect I may be the only person using that with the Lenny context code.

My son who is a bit of a voice actor has promised to record a new one for me.
Apparently he introduces himself as "Deacon" but it transpires that it is not his name, it's his calling in the Church, and he has some moral advice for the caller.

Graham.
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Old 21st Jul 2017, 1:21 pm   #14
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

Just a Panasonic system (and a couple of Plansets and a Minimaster 3 and a HES2 and a couple of HES4 stations converted to single line working as I don't have the relay sets and a PMBX).

I use alarm calls, call barring so I can't inadvertently make an expensive call on the landline, and feeding TV and radio sound through the paging option.
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Old 27th Jul 2017, 3:45 pm   #15
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

Absolutely nothing, I use a PAX designed in 94 years ago, and it amy just understand rotary, and calls another line. Not even a real ringing tone, just a weak buzz.
dsk
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Old 27th Jul 2017, 7:53 pm   #16
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Default Re: Those of you with home/domestic telephone exchanges

Hi, I currently have a Raspberry Pi running Asterisk for CNet and it also handles calls from two Sipgate lines and a mobile dongle.

Equipment wise I have far too many ATA's mainly Cisco/Linksys ones but I also have a couple of BT Voyager 10vs which handle a PBX hunt line connected to a 3+12 PMBX, there are various pieces of telecoms equipment attached to the PMBX and some direct to the ATA's including a planset, a hybrid HES3/4 system which I knocked together with some relay sets I reconfigured myself, a number of bells which can be selected via a key and lamp (although the lamps aren't in use) unit, an answerset 1A and also a BT revelation PBX which handles two CNet lines, a stand alone GSM module and our incoming POTS line.

In short probably too much

Andrew
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