Not Built Like This Any More

[alterEGO]

Arf installed that last week.

[arfur mo]

Arf installed that last week.

No! (cheeky fecker ), but bet i could get it going without a drawing or a calibrated DVM .

[arfur mo]

When I was at uni there would often be a re-run of 80s 'The Bill' on OnDigital around lunchtime.

 

Being a comms course we just burst out laughing when the CID had to keep asking to use peoples telephones!

Early Police radio's were made by PYE, I'd gone in to sort out a private wire (PIU) alarm.

The base station at Grays Police Station (Essex) had broke, so they were using a standard patrol handset as a temporary solution.

the speaker was not meant to have a massive volume, controller was complaining he could not here over other clatter like traffic and talking, i spotted a big ceramic mixing bowl above a locker, brought it to the table and placed the radio in it (how you heard crystal sets when using head phones easier) - wallah, now he could hear far better. It remained that way for several months.

if only the local crim's knew about this 'high tech' approach to crime fighting .

[arfur mo]

image.jpgimage.jpg

Heres the fire alarm linked in to it

An electrical firm had to rewire a complex, had cables running in lift shafts all the regular 'sins'

I sorted out the porter bell call system that had five entrance, each landing had a call push, 6 landings in each stair case. so when needed, the resident could call a porter and have their bags taken down, or whatever.

each ground floor had 2 panels, one indicated the block calling, the other the floor calling in that block. the bell would ring, Porter could see which block, cancel the bell, reset the flag, walk to the block and ditto which floor.

Guy who made it was an ex GPO engineer had been retired for several years, no drawings or colour codes left. All made using old fashioned open wound relays (likely lifted from GPO), but nicely assembled in to handmade wooden boxes.

Several door entry firms had taken a look and refused, these sort of relays were used in earlier alarms and it seemed a shame to destroy what was very well made, so agreed ti have a go.

Real killer to get to grips with as so many relays and multicores involved. 2 years later they built additional floors on top so it had to go, if only i had known that..............