atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems 1A2 and Comkey Telephones & Systems 1a2 hold lamp

All responses to this post only signifies one thing - We all are dating ourselves !!

Luckily the phones already have the neon lamps inside and it's not hard to make one up out of a neon lamp and recycling the terminals from a standard lamp. As for dating ourselves, it's not a bad thing. Using 1a2 has proved to me that the telephone has not changed. How we send our signals, and what the phones let us control, and the information they give us may have changed, but at the basic level we just talk and listen. There's nothing that 1a2 can't do for me that another system could. Strangely though, I just had a line card fail which caused the line to remain off-hook. Seems like corrosion is the culprit, probably due to the water damage suffered during hurricane Wilma. The circuit board in the 620 panel seems to have a short, because another line card didn't fix the problem. I ended up rewiring to an unused slot. THis was an easy fix which i doubt could have been possible with a newer system.

Punch Down:

I don't date myself, just my wife. Now what you choose to do with yourself is your own business!

I am really not THAT old; I just got my start in this business in my early teens as a hobby and 1A2 was all that was around at the time.

Actually what's worse is that here it is Christmas day and here we addicts are here on this forum!

At first, I thought well, maybe there are some Jewish people here or other religions, but let's face it, nobody in our business works on Christmas day, plus today is also the first day of Chaunnaka (sp?)! We are just simply addicted.

Maybe Tom's going to have to start up an "Addicts" section to help us recognize our addiction and work toward treating ourselves. :rofl:

I also am young and just happen to have some 1A2 experience, I started when I was 3 . Ed the politician is starting to show. You said you have a 620 panel, I can't find my 1A2 manuals, but if you can come up with some there is a card for exclusion that went in the 642 panel. The tip and ring went into it and out to the other excluded sets, to do just what you're saying.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Just got off the phone with the grandkids, not the same as being with them, but it sure helped, they're a hoot.

Yeah, Bill I remember the 4XX cards. There were two of them, one automatic and one manual exclusion. I also got pretty proficient in ComKey, but if I open that one up, they'll start cracking out the old jokes again.

I think when people make fun of us for being old because we know this stuff, I want to come out and say "Hey, at least that stuff required technicians to think". Nowadays, it's just replace a $300.00 card and be on your way. Labor savings are lower obviously and that's what it's all about in today's economy.

I always like a challenge but I don't have enough sense to provide field repairs on failed cards.

On another note about Christmas, I had a great one. NO grandkids yet (my wife says we are not old enough), but spent the day with my wife and son (the morning with an older son living on his own). After a huge day of exchanging gifts, watching football, talking on the phone to friends and family, eating way too much and then going to visit my father-in-law who lives at a local assisted living facility, we came home and just crashed.

Everyone went to bed except me, I have to get my daily "fix at the forum". Merry Christmas, Bill. I always enjoy your input and support here.

ComKey?? Believe it or not there are still some 416's around here. I haven't seen one of the larger ones in some time. You're right Ed, the old stuff everything was wired, now it's programmed. I also agree it too a lot of experience to wire in some of the stuff, this programming is so much nicer, but I do believe that's when the pride in installation left. I suppose because you didn't have a ton of wiring to keep neat. Rotary500, if I can run the phone guys down I'll see if I can get you the card number, there's this "old" guy that still has his 1A2 books.

Thanks for the kind words Ed. I wish I knew half as much about this new stuff as most of the folks on this board.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ev607797:
[QB] Punch Down:

I don't date myself, just my wife. Now what you choose to do with yourself is your own business!

OK Ed that one flew over your bald head (LOL) Dating yourself is an expression referring that ya been around awhile. By the way you are a few years behind me, but you're not going to catch me cuz I'm not slowing down.

Actually being a holiday and at home it's the perfect time to fool around with 1a2! I am not a phone guy, although I have repaired a few electronic key systems ( usually power supplies ) and teach electronics at the college part-time. I just remember that as a kid this stuff was everywhere, and the whole telephone network fascinated me. Yes I have a 620 panel, thanks to someone from this message board, but have never heard of a 641 panel! Actually I have gotten better at punching down cables and understanding this system, despite only having it running a few months. It's pretty impressive to think of how many businesses ran using this system, and how long they took to install, and how many years they ran. Hopefully one day I will know all the obsolete part numbers and tricks, and at this rate the system sould keep going for years to come!

The 641 and 642 panels were for auxiliary equipment. Everything except the line cards.

I have to look for these, might make a good addition to the system!