Am I misremembering?

On Sun, 2 Nov 2008 12:44:30 +0900, "Alan Rutlidge"

Hi Ross,

2 pair internal is still the standard cable used these days. I've probably still got one of these modules tucked away in the junk parts bin.

Cheers, Alan

Yep, they sure did. The horse shoe magnet used in the magneto hand generator produced a distorted peaky version of a sinewave and was quite effective in increasing the "bite" of the voltage. LOL

Of course, ringer machines in exchanges of that era produced a sinewave output but at a low frequency of approximately 16Hz. Low Hertz, but big on the "it hurts" factor - LOL No pun intended.

Dunno, but it sounds like a familiar yarn. Quite a few of the instructors I know of worked in PNG and had some interesting tales to tell.

Shame the old Manning Training Centre (WA) was demolished. In hindsight it was a pretty significant place.

:>>>>> Was this ever actually the case? :>>>>>

:>>>>>

:>>>>>

:>>>> Where I came from in Africa we used drums. If the Chief caught you :>>>> strapping an extension drum to your back you were in big trouble - you :>>>> were put into the pot and cooked. :>>>>

:>>>>

:>>>

:>>> LOL - best contribution to this thread so far. :-) :>>>

:>>

:>> mmmmmm, I wonder if "Bobby" is a psuedo for one of the training school :>> instructors who used to tell us TOITs/TTOs in depth of his Africa/PNG :>> travels. :>

:> Dunno, but it sounds like a familiar yarn. :> Quite a few of the instructors I know of worked in PNG and had some :> interesting tales to tell. :>

:>

:>

: :Shame the old Manning Training Centre (WA) was demolished. In hindsight it :was a pretty significant place. :

Or the old Lord Street training school before that. Actually it was a pretty boggy collection of old WW2 sheds with one main brick building for the Scots principal, Jim Douglas. He was a great old guy who went to bat for a number of trainee techs who got into trouble with the law - borrowing cars, shop-lifting and the like. He would go guarantor for their future good behaviour and none that I know let him down.

:Ross Herbert wrote: :>

:> :Bob :> :> When I started in the PMG in 1956 the standard phone was the 300 series and I : : :You must have been sent to one of the more modern exchanges at that :time, I started a few years after you but we only had the older magneto :phones and exchanges in the district.

While I did work mostly in the city I also did my stints in the outer metro exchanges like Armadale, when it was still magneto service, and Kalamunda just after it changed to auto. The latter exchange used old refurbished Keith Line Switches (plungers) as the primary line finders. Much of the line plant in these areas was still aerial construction and "walking the route" was performed by the trainee when line faults required fixing after a storm. The only way to find that broken wire, popped insulator or tree branch across the line was to actually walk the route.

: :I recall that some of the older techs made sure that one of us trainees :was hanging on to the line when they tested with their "portable" phone. : :That 90 0r so volts sure livened things up a bit.

An old trick played in training school... wire up a metal stool and a pair of side cutters to a hand magneto during a break period and when the unsuspecting trainee returned, sat down and grabbed the cutters, the magneto was madly cranked by the joker.

On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 21:45:23 +0900, "Alan Rutlidge"

I was a bit late for Lord St.

Their were a few good guys at Manning. I think Jack Keilly was the OIC, guys like Cliff Pilgrim, Bob Boyes and others I've forgotten were good instructors and also good blokes. I still recall some of Keith Perry's (believe it or not) stories.

"Alan Rutlidge"

How many metres or feet of it do you want Ross?

What, no PET? Mind you, if the distance wasn't great, a walk in the sunshine probably didn't do any harm.

We used it charge up high voltage capacitors, bend the leads over and chuck them to an unsuspecting victim whilst yelling - "hey catch this". Another trick was to place the lead of a pencil across the 50V bench power supply outlets and drape the hair of a sleeping trainee across it. Turn on the power, watch the carbon get quite hot and smoke up his hair. Long hair was fashionable in the 70's. :P

I won't even begin to tell you what we did with a roll of jumper wire, the ring output from a ringer rack and a toilet seat. :-) (evil grin)

Well, strange as it may seem the Manning Training School social club is still alive and well. We meet on the second Wednesday of every month at the Mt. Pleasant Bowling Club at about 4PM for drinks and we hold a Christmas BBQ every year. Many of the old faces still turn up if they can make it. Keith Perry, Bob Cook, Martin Clare, Alan Hudson, Bob Grannary, Bob Boyes, Neville McPherson, Colin Plackett, Russell Nash and myself are regulars and we frequently get a few former instructors from several years back like Geoff Lofts (now pretty high up in Cisco) and John Connell turning up from time to time.

Jack Keilly and Cliff Pilgrim may possibly not be with us any more. I'll ask about them at the next meeting.

The training school is now completely demolished and has been for some time now. Strangely AFAIK the block hasn't been redeveloped which is surprising, considering its location and close proximity to the city (only 9km out via the freeway or the train).

Cheers, Alan

"Alan Rutlidge" didn't do any harm.

We thougth we invented the pencil lead arc lamp! The fine .7mm leads of the

80's were nice & bright 7 did a good job of melting the binding post terminals.....

There's a few more familiar names, should try to turn up at the Bowling Club some time, it's just up the road.

I hope they are still around. I think Cliff went off to set up his own cabling/telecoms outfit.

On Tue, 4 Nov 2008 17:22:43 +0900, "Alan Rutlidge" wrote: :>

:> :Hi Ross, :> : :> :2 pair internal is still the standard cable used these days. :> :I've probably still got one of these modules tucked away in the junk :> parts :> :bin. :> : :> :Cheers, :> :Alan :> : :>

:>

:> I wouldn't mind grabbing it off you to add to my collection of :> memorabilia.... : :How many metres or feet of it do you want Ross? : :

Not the 2pr cable - I have heaps of that already.

On Tue, 4 Nov 2008 17:32:13 +0900, "Alan Rutlidge"

: : :I was a bit late for Lord St. : :Their were a few good guys at Manning. I think Jack Keilly was the OIC, guys :like Cliff Pilgrim, Bob Boyes and others I've forgotten were good :instructors and also good blokes. I still recall some of Keith Perry's :(believe it or not) stories. : :

I remember Jack Keily and Bob Boyes. Keith Perry was also a 1956 intake TiT and hopefully he will be at our reunion lunch today at Mundaring Hotel.

:>> :>>

:>> :>> "Alan Rutlidge" > :>>>>> I remember being told that Telstra (or whatever they used to be :>> called :>> :>>>>> then...) should not find out because they would charge us more for :>> the :>> :>>>>> phone service, or we would get in trouble for tampering with the :>> :>>>>> installation, or some such thing. :>> :>>>>>

:>> :>>>>> Was this ever actually the case? :>> :>>>>>

:>> :>>>>>

:>> :>>>>>

:>> :>>>> Where I came from in Africa we used drums. If the Chief caught you :>> :>>>> strapping an extension drum to your back you were in big trouble - :>> you :>> :>>>> were put into the pot and cooked. :>> :>>>>

:>> :>>>>

:>> :>>>

:>> :>>> LOL - best contribution to this thread so far. :-) :>> :>>>

:>> :>>

:>> :>> mmmmmm, I wonder if "Bobby" is a psuedo for one of the training :>> school :>> :>> instructors who used to tell us TOITs/TTOs in depth of his Africa/PNG :>> :>> travels. :>> :>

:>> :> Dunno, but it sounds like a familiar yarn. :>> :> Quite a few of the instructors I know of worked in PNG and had some :>> :> interesting tales to tell. :>> :>

:>> :>

:>> :>

:>> : :>> :Shame the old Manning Training Centre (WA) was demolished. In hindsight :>> it :>> :was a pretty significant place. :>> : :>>

:>> Or the old Lord Street training school before that. Actually it was a :>> pretty :>> boggy collection of old WW2 sheds with one main brick building for the :>> Scots :>> principal, Jim Douglas. He was a great old guy who went to bat for a :>> number of :>> trainee techs who got into trouble with the law - borrowing cars, :>> shop-lifting :>> and the like. He would go guarantor for their future good behaviour and :>> none :>> that I know let him down. :>

:> I was a bit late for Lord St. :>

:> Their were a few good guys at Manning. I think Jack Keilly was the OIC, :> guys like Cliff Pilgrim, Bob Boyes and others I've forgotten were good :> instructors and also good blokes. I still recall some of Keith Perry's :> (believe it or not) stories. :>

: :Well, strange as it may seem the Manning Training School social club is :still alive and well. :We meet on the second Wednesday of every month at the Mt. Pleasant Bowling :Club at about 4PM for drinks and we hold a Christmas BBQ every year. Many :of the old faces still turn up if they can make it. :Keith Perry, Bob Cook, Martin Clare, Alan Hudson, Bob Grannary, Bob Boyes, :Neville McPherson, Colin Plackett, Russell Nash and myself are regulars and :we frequently get a few former instructors from several years back like :Geoff Lofts (now pretty high up in Cisco) and John Connell turning up from :time to time. : :Jack Keilly and Cliff Pilgrim may possibly not be with us any more. I'll :ask about them at the next meeting. : :The training school is now completely demolished and has been for some time :now. Strangely AFAIK the block hasn't been redeveloped which is surprising, :considering its location and close proximity to the city (only 9km out via :the freeway or the train). : :Cheers, :Alan :

Most of those names are familiar. I still see Colin Plackett regularly at ATHS meetings. I might drop by Mt Pleasant BC next Wednesday and have a beer...