Bought this lineman's (guys that climb poles) phone for five bucks at the Habitat for Humanity store. No idea what to do with it (I haven't had a landline for a decade) but the 70s-80s sci-fi aesthetic is wonderful. I can just imagine picking it up and hearing Han Solo's death star intercom conversation coming out. Uh, we had a slight weapons malfunction, but uh... everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?
#starwars #scifi #props
I see these are selling for $50 or more on Ebay, (Fluke product, so expensive back in the day too) but that's not why I bought it.
I'm amazed that this is probably one of the most popular posts I've ever made on Mastodon. I was really wondering if anybody would take notice of it at all!
My grandfather was a lineman and I can remember playing with one just like that one when I was a little kid.
@jstevenyork It's a great piece to have just for its design, build quality, etc. 
@jstevenyork Are you in Wichita?
@justmichelle
I see what you did there...
@justmichelle @jstevenyork Couldn’t be, that guy’s still on the line.
@ajn142 @jstevenyork That is one looooong long distance call.
he/him @jstevenyork I dunno, sounds like a boring conversation 
@jstevenyork "Boring conversation, anyway."
@kbsez
That sounded dirty!
@kbsez @jstevenyork
Yep. Phone co was my first job after high school. Climbing up & down all the shift with a Northern Telcom (Canadian!) butt set clipped onto my jeans' belt loop.
@503bartley @kbsez
Did yours actually still have a dial on it, or was this just the first pic you found? The dial versions always make me think of 1960s sitcom "Green Acres," where the rural phone company only ever gets as far as running the phone to a pole outside their bedroom window. This is a much older model in black Bakelite plastic with a dial in a big, clunky, housing. The one I have has a switch for tone or pulse (where the dial switching hardware was all that was available) dialing.
@jstevenyork @503bartley @kbsez I still have a black rubber Butt (Telephone no. 280 in GPO speak), as well as a later yellow “banana” type.
I’ve attached a picture so that you don’t have to search for “black rubber butt” on the internet 
Photo from https://www.britishtelephones.com/t280.htm
@snaprails @jstevenyork @kbsez Spiffy! Like the terminal connector which shows this was designed for use on the Frame (a giant multilevel rack of connectors you climbed all over with a rolling ladder).
@503bartley The plug is double ended. On the right in the photo is for MDF E Side blocks, on the left for the test points on Strowger switches or relay sets. Most people also made an adapter or tee'd in leads with a couple of croc clips for other situations.
Later versions had a PST phone plug and a range of adapters as the number of different test and connection point types were introduced.
@snaprails It's gator clips for me! (But, I was working for United Tel of Florida)
@jstevenyork @kbsez Mine did, indeed, have a rotary dial. Also had an Ericafone rotary phone at home
@jstevenyork Lovely. Used to have one of those for my work for testing IVRs back when we still used analogue telephone lines. Always got a kick out of picking it up.
@jstevenyork This is THE social network for old nerds and other folk who appreciate old hardware 
Plus you threw a Star Wars reference in there for good measure, so ... yeah.
@jstevenyork
After being trained by the algorithm, seeing what real humans are interested in can feel disorienting.
Also, masto is hella nerdy.
@jstevenyork hack it to have a Bluetooth interface. Then answer calls on it. It's worth it for the look on people's faces...
@jstevenyork Moonbase Alpha comlock IRL
@jstevenyork so, your using this as your new car phone? How is the speakerphone on that puppy?
@jstevenyork The ones to collect are the older Western Electric ones used by Bell linemen. Beautiful 60s and 70s aesthetics on those models.
@alexr
Yeah, this isn't as old as I thought, and in fact, you can still buy them new I've discovered (for $200+ US!). Don't know how long it's actually been around.