I remember hearing the ring signals when calling up someone sounding different back in the 70's and earlier. They even sounded different depending on the location back then. Now they sound similar when calling up someone in the U.S. I also remember early long distance calls & their poor connections-you had to keep the others quiet so you can hear the caller at the other end of the line. For example, there was a steady hum when talking to someone in Yugoslavia. Now long distance is easier.
When you talk about the types of tones then you give a number like 802748 for a CBO ring, what do the numbers mean? are they recording numbers? Like when you get "Message SH23, your party as not answered your call" or somthing liuke that for example. What doe the numbers of the tones mean?
During my time with AT&T I got to work in 7 different dept. I worked inside central offices like this...outside with cable splicers and helped maintain emergency batteries, generators etc. I remember working on the main frame and touching one of the ring generator pairs...wow you could get a pretty good shock.
Those gray cans you see just before the ringing sounds is an old telephone switch. Although I never worked on the switches I did spend a lot of time inside central offices fixing other things. Lots of noise from these switches they had a lot of relays etc. I could never quite get used to when the old switches were taken out and it became so quiet...seems like I still miss those clicking sounds of the old switch.
The San Fran Bay Area was full of #5's all over the place, so I used to hear almost only #5 ringers. Oakland had a bunch of leftover Step by Step, and plenty of "City Ring" to match. The radio station 'Choke Exchange" had a modified City Ring on it (415-478), so I didn't know if it was a SXS or a #1xb. The first ESS I heard was in Oakland (415-444) in 1971? That would make sense since Oakland was a toll center. I have an MF dial string as my ringtone on my cell :)
The San Fran Bay Area was full of #5's all over the place, so I used to hear almost only #5 ringers. Oakland had a bunch of leftover Step by Step, and plenty of "City Ring" to match. The radio station 'Choke Exchange" had a modified City Ring on it (415-478), so I didn't know if it was a SXS or a #1xb. The first ESS I heard was in Oakland (415-444) in 1971? That would make sense since Oakland was a toll center.
There were some CDOs in Westchester County. I distinct recall dialing into one in 1972. It was 914 234. I think there were other CDOs in Westchester County. 914 232, 914 764, 914 533, 914 763, 914 669, 914 277, 914 276 and 914 248 are the most likely cadnidates. They were in the more rural areas of Westchester County and those central office had only one prefix. Others might have been 914 238 and possibly 914 769 but it only would have lasted into the 1950s at the latest.
I probably had a crossbar 5 where I am. I still remember the tones. I'm in 914 478. Those tones disappeared in October 1985 when my central office went over to ESS. There were exchanges in my area that had the same short busy signal was 516 593. They were 914 337, 914 779, 914 793 and 914 961.
Nowadays you dont get a busy signal, but a recording that says "This line is busy.we will continue to try this number for an additional 75 cents"Or most people have cell phones that say "The number you are trying to reach is not available...."
The Stromberg-Carlson XY switching system generated a rather obnoxious ringing tone that I can only describe as "BRRAAACK." You always knew it was an XY office when you heard it, the other clue being that it was almost always in a small town.
This is a great collection and the descriptions are great. I was a cord board operator back when these were the normal thing to hear. The unusual "Murray" ring at 6:30 could also be heard in Anniston, AL on what was then 205-23x, and on what I think was a 4a crossbar that served area code 219 in Indiana. I remember trying a payphone on the Murray exchange when vacationing in Miami and hearing the ring from there. Good job, and thanks for the memories!
Actually, most of Evan's tapes are of independent phone companies. He did a whole series of tapes on the Carolina Telephone Co. in eastern North Carolina. That company used mostly equipment by Automatic Electric (aka GTE, one of the companies that eventually became Verizon).
I'm sorry, to clarify: I meant to say that AutoElec was owned by GTE, kind of like Western Electric vis-a-vis Bell System. My point being that CTCo was definitely not Bell; the sounds were remarkably different, and in some ways more interesting. As for systems outside of the US, Evan's tapes do includes some calls overseas to places like Mexico and France. One of his most remarkable recordings is of a tiny SXS office in rural Quebec...in August 2001!
I remember hearing the ring signals when calling up someone sounding different back in the 70's and earlier. They even sounded different depending on the location back then. Now they sound similar when calling up someone in the U.S. I also remember early long distance calls & their poor connections-you had to keep the others quiet so you can hear the caller at the other end of the line. For example, there was a steady hum when talking to someone in Yugoslavia. Now long distance is easier.
nmgt1048 1 month ago
good, someone finally put some of these on youtube.
thecooldude9999 3 months ago
When you talk about the types of tones then you give a number like 802748 for a CBO ring, what do the numbers mean? are they recording numbers? Like when you get "Message SH23, your party as not answered your call" or somthing liuke that for example. What doe the numbers of the tones mean?
ccronn 9 months ago
@ccronn the first 3 numbers was the area code, and the last 3 was the prefix
Legend813a 9 months ago
Comment removed
stealth210 7 months ago
During my time with AT&T I got to work in 7 different dept. I worked inside central offices like this...outside with cable splicers and helped maintain emergency batteries, generators etc. I remember working on the main frame and touching one of the ring generator pairs...wow you could get a pretty good shock.
whiskeyify 9 months ago
Those gray cans you see just before the ringing sounds is an old telephone switch. Although I never worked on the switches I did spend a lot of time inside central offices fixing other things. Lots of noise from these switches they had a lot of relays etc. I could never quite get used to when the old switches were taken out and it became so quiet...seems like I still miss those clicking sounds of the old switch.
whiskeyify 9 months ago
The San Fran Bay Area was full of #5's all over the place, so I used to hear almost only #5 ringers. Oakland had a bunch of leftover Step by Step, and plenty of "City Ring" to match. The radio station 'Choke Exchange" had a modified City Ring on it (415-478), so I didn't know if it was a SXS or a #1xb. The first ESS I heard was in Oakland (415-444) in 1971? That would make sense since Oakland was a toll center. I have an MF dial string as my ringtone on my cell :)
hormelinc 11 months ago
The San Fran Bay Area was full of #5's all over the place, so I used to hear almost only #5 ringers. Oakland had a bunch of leftover Step by Step, and plenty of "City Ring" to match. The radio station 'Choke Exchange" had a modified City Ring on it (415-478), so I didn't know if it was a SXS or a #1xb. The first ESS I heard was in Oakland (415-444) in 1971? That would make sense since Oakland was a toll center.
hormelinc 11 months ago
There were some CDOs in Westchester County. I distinct recall dialing into one in 1972. It was 914 234. I think there were other CDOs in Westchester County. 914 232, 914 764, 914 533, 914 763, 914 669, 914 277, 914 276 and 914 248 are the most likely cadnidates. They were in the more rural areas of Westchester County and those central office had only one prefix. Others might have been 914 238 and possibly 914 769 but it only would have lasted into the 1950s at the latest.
alterman156 1 year ago
I probably had a crossbar 5 where I am. I still remember the tones. I'm in 914 478. Those tones disappeared in October 1985 when my central office went over to ESS. There were exchanges in my area that had the same short busy signal was 516 593. They were 914 337, 914 779, 914 793 and 914 961.
alterman156 1 year ago
I miss rotary phones ! Thanks for such a cool video. This brings back memories of the good ol days of telephone communication.
dixiewife47 1 year ago
I miss rotary phones !
dixiewife47 1 year ago 2
Comment removed
0ZYM4NDI4S 1 year ago
Nowadays you dont get a busy signal, but a recording that says "This line is busy.we will continue to try this number for an additional 75 cents"Or most people have cell phones that say "The number you are trying to reach is not available...."
MrJacMac1986 1 year ago
You have very interesting stuff I was prank call king in the 70's and remember these well.
traffety 1 year ago
9:18 sounds like a cat trying to wake you up. :3
regregex 1 year ago
Why wasn't Evan named Phonebell? :-S
MaxxFordham 1 year ago
Comment removed
MaxxFordham 1 year ago
Maybe Evan should've been recording different sounds from... well, doorbells... instead. AWWHAWWWR.... :->
MaxxFordham 1 year ago
The main website is phonetrips .dot com - MANY more of these recordings.
dmine45 1 year ago
our phones ring different in australia its a ring ring,,, ring ring. sound like england
with a bbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. dial tone.
my american friend she called me once and said what a cool ring tone.
steviebboy69 1 year ago
@steviebboy69 yeah, i remember that when i called david jones store in sydney once...it is a cool ring tone...
davidpar2 1 year ago
are there any recordings of the old dial tones?
davidpar2 1 year ago
The Stromberg-Carlson XY switching system generated a rather obnoxious ringing tone that I can only describe as "BRRAAACK." You always knew it was an XY office when you heard it, the other clue being that it was almost always in a small town.
rogerneon 1 year ago
I hate today's busy signals. It's the most annoying thing for me. I get so pissed when I hear it over and over. I go a little crazy. Can't take it.
ScriptChick27 1 year ago
This is a great collection and the descriptions are great. I was a cord board operator back when these were the normal thing to hear. The unusual "Murray" ring at 6:30 could also be heard in Anniston, AL on what was then 205-23x, and on what I think was a 4a crossbar that served area code 219 in Indiana. I remember trying a payphone on the Murray exchange when vacationing in Miami and hearing the ring from there. Good job, and thanks for the memories!
kjfitzgerald593 2 years ago
I like how the clicks are so deep - more "clunk" than click. I love analog sounds like that.
R2Bl3nd 2 years ago
very cool. where can you find more of these tapes? were any made of phone systems other than the north american Bell system?
philipg78 2 years ago
Actually, most of Evan's tapes are of independent phone companies. He did a whole series of tapes on the Carolina Telephone Co. in eastern North Carolina. That company used mostly equipment by Automatic Electric (aka GTE, one of the companies that eventually became Verizon).
moogyboy6 2 years ago
I'm sorry, to clarify: I meant to say that AutoElec was owned by GTE, kind of like Western Electric vis-a-vis Bell System. My point being that CTCo was definitely not Bell; the sounds were remarkably different, and in some ways more interesting. As for systems outside of the US, Evan's tapes do includes some calls overseas to places like Mexico and France. One of his most remarkable recordings is of a tiny SXS office in rural Quebec...in August 2001!
moogyboy6 2 years ago
the ring and busy tone machine is a wee atot
travelplus1 3 years ago
cool
jsaw200 3 years ago 6
These guys rule!
Did they put out any other tapes?
evisceratedzombie 4 years ago 7
Yes. Many many many high quality tapes.
PrankyCallz 4 years ago
@PrankyCallz You can listen to all of them by going to w w w dot wideweb dot com forward slash phonetrips
telecomguy10 2 months ago in playlist Liked videos
This comment has received too many negative votes show
wtf does this have to do with anything
this doesnt matter does it?
i thought only the tones matterd
Skiddla 4 years ago
Good ole Evan
AutisticPsycho 4 years ago 3