Hacker News Reader

Comment by walrus01 | Hacker News Reader

If you want to see something really interesting, there's the occasional time when you can see crews working on an open NYC Verizon (former NY telephone, then NYNEX) manhole in a street hauling out defunct 600 and 1200 pair copper and associated splice cases...

Looks like this, but old and decrepit and dirty.

https://www.google.com/search?q=1200+pair+phone+cable&client...

View on HN

Back when I was a kid, my grandfather got a hold of some of that many-pair telephone cable. I helped him separate out the individual pairs and wind them onto separate spindles. It made fantastic wire for electronics, given the sheer amount of color combos (first model trains, later breadboarding). I've still got a small bit kicking around here and there, but now remembering it fondly, I've got to wonder if it would be possible to find some more.

When I was in school, this type of wire was all the rage to make bracelets out of because it was "rare". Lot's of phone extension cables were sacrificed once I explained where people could get it. The rarity wore off quick.

Lucky! I had to scavenge them from the exchange boxes after workers visited them. I used to keep an eye out for the workers and return after they'd gone. This was in the late 90s, early aughts, I imagine they don't just leave garbage around like they used to.

If you're ever in Seattle, the telecommunications museum has working mainframes that are still in use in some countries for phone switching.

https://www.telcomhistory.org/connections-museum-seattle/

How is it possible to track which wire goes to which number? Or does it not matter?

More modern cables have color codes for pairs and sub-bundles within the cable. Older wiring requires a tone generator to identify matching pairs.

wow tone generator sounds really fascinating. the analog/early digital enguiniety and complexity of things like 33 thomas street att building is crazy.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com