Star 69 is a joke? [telecom]

And it's 1169 from a rotary dial phone (actually 1169 will also work from a T.T. phone.)

Wes Leatherock snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

Yes, most or all of the special codes allow "11" instead of "*" for use on rotary phones. These codes were developed long before Touch Tones phones became commonplace, so rotary signals had to be accomodated.

I wonder how these services would work if developed for modern phones using a modern interface. For instance, I always thought flashing the hookswitch (such as for Call Waiting or 3-way calling) was not a good idea. Too quick a flash doesn't do anything, but too slow a flash will disconnect the call.

Some modern phones today have a flash button which issue out a 7/10 sec cutoff to signal a 'flash'.

In some service areas, one must be careful to hang up for at least two seconds when making multiple calls. (Some phones do this automatically). Otherwise, the system might think it's a flash and set up a 3-way call; charging you a fee in the process and leaving the other party connected. Not good if the second call needs to be private.

Years ago placing a call through the operator meant the one could flash the operator if assistance was needed. I don't think that works anymore--trying to flash an operator who placed the call would only a result in a disconnect. But in TSP/TSPS days (and obviously in cord) the call would be returned to the operator.

Per the 1940 film on the AT&T archives, flashing the operator in 1940 would result in her time-stamping the toll ticket to suspend timing. The ticket would be stamped again when the conversation resumed and an explanation noted on the ticket.

According to Wikipedia under "vertical service codes", they use about

30 of the codes. I also recall codes *1X and *2X being used for speed- dial numbers in one system (Houston, Texas landlines in the late 1970's). So no, they didn't pick one number out of 100 to use.

I'd like to see *86 used for Remote Telemarketer Destruct, but it's already taken for something else.

Just seemed kind of funny that it happened to be the "prank call" redial code.

I didn't know there were that many codes. I thought they started at *67.

Probably just as much of a joke as people in Denver, Somerville Mass, Bowdoinham Maine, Seattle and other places who were assigned 666 as their CO code. You know, the mark of the beast.

When a new prefix was offered to Phillips Petroleum Company for a centrex for its headquarters in Barlesville, Okla., it was offered 661 or 666.

It chose 661.

Wes Leatherock snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

Or MOhawk 6 in Chicago.

I don't think SEPTA and its predecessors were joking when they built the 69th Street transit terminal Terminal, or when developers built the adjacent 69th Street shopping district.

weak obtelecom: I've heard the exchange serving the terminal area, FLanders 2 in Upper Darby, was relatively late getting converted to dial, circa 1961. Is there any way to research when an exchange was converted to dial? Thanks. (This was a busy commercial and residential area and as such I'd be surprised they'd let it stay manual for so long.)