Cannot find programming sequence to specify automatic pickup for next available CO line when taking handset off-hook for out-going call. I want to avoid having to depress CO line button. Thanks, Mark

IF your lines are clearly defined and the sequence is rignt (hint program 400) press PROGRAM and dial 12 STORE for idle line pref. on each phone.

Carl

Thanks, got it. I was surprised to note that CO line access is "High to Low" CO line number. Can work around by specifying particular CO line to access.

Cannot fathom why you would be suprised by such a thing?

LOL, most numerical orders in the universe are low to high.

Not in the telephony universe.

To reduce glare, all incoming calls are low to high, but outgoing calls are high to low. This way when making an outgoing call, you are less likely to grab CO line 1 and answer a ringing incoming call while trying to dial an outside number. Older Panasonic KSU's would actually go low to high on outgoing calls and we would reverse the lines going into the system to avoid possible glare.

Those smart telecom engineers usually did things logically for a reason. For example, crossbar systems were always built from the outside in so that you didn't have to pull the crossbars all the way out to add equipment. The CO's usually got populated from top down, but the carriers from bottom to top. It made it a lot easier to set your new equipment on top of the existing instead of trying to horse the cabinet underneath existing shelves.

Panasonic TD systems number from bottom to top. Your CO jacks for 1&2 started on the bottom and the AMPS for 101-108 are on the bottom. Even the Mitel SX-200's built from bottom to top, both in the analog 200, 200D, and 200 ML/EL.

The thing that made glare so important back in the day was the CO ring generator (at least ours) was 2 seconds on and 6 seconds off. If you made your phone call in on the 3rd real time second, you had 5 seconds before the ring generator came back around. Anything could, and did, happen in those 5 seconds. Not everyone or every system had ground start trunks (oh those were extra).

Of course step switches numbered from bottom to top, but that was a function of counting :-)

Carl