Pre Alert Systems

[Steve]

The proper bells, not the bell sound, the proper bells on the wall before the speakers used to make me jump out fo my skin once the old GPO printers went. Before that, the teleprinter bell would ring for at least two or three seconds giving you a decent pre-alert. When we changed to the Marconi system at CMC in 1990 and there was no delay for the steam powered printer to warm up, the b'stard would shock the living daylight out of ya, a couple of stations depending on where you were you'd hear the clunk of the switchgear and the lighting circuit kicked in.... but otherwise the bell took 5 minutes of your life expectancy followed by the other 5 you'd lose having a ciggie to clam your nerves.

[Cashybai]

Ah, the clunk of the switchgear before the lights...takes me back...

[Carl]

We still have the clunk of the switchgear. Always makes the new guy in the job look at you when you all start to move and he hasn't heard anything. Id miss it to be honest. 

[TandA]

If I happen to be sitting in the office when a call comes in then I hear the buzzing and squeaking of the comms cabinet on the wall (think a bit like the old modem connecting), then the clunk of the switchgear, then the printer and finally the alerters, all in about a 5 second sequence.  A kind of pre pre pre alert for those paying attention to their surroundings.

[Noddy]

I'm thankful for the phone call and pager that turns me out now..... I can turn the volume down ?