Useful Mobile phone info

[El Salsero Gringo]

The first one is true – mostly.

112 is the European equivalent to "999", and works on normal phones and mobiles throughout Europe, including the UK.

This is true - and you don't even need a phone to summon assistance - just a phone line.

You can use the old-fashioned "loop disconnect" dialling system - which still works - to dial 112 really easily. Try it with a (absolutely any) real phone first: get a dial tone, then tap the hook button (the one under the handset): tap - pause - tap - pause - tap tap - pause. That's the three digits, 1, 1, 2. You will be connected to the emergency services. Try it - then tell the operator you're testing the line. That's absolutely fine, and won't get you in any kind of trouble. They'll allow you to ring off straight away. If you're in the dark in a fire and you can find a phone but not see the keypad, knowing how to do this could literally save your life, so it's well worth a try.

Now - how to do it without a phone. Phone lines effectively use two wires. So you can strip the cable back from the wall into your juction box, bite through the cable (obviously this is in extremis...) or use your finger nails to break the insulation. Then if you touch the cores together to the same pattern - tap, tap, tap tap - you'll have an open line to the emergency operator. You can't talk to them, but as I understand it they're obliged to chase up "silent calls" - just in case - and they can find your location from the number.

[Northants Girly]

alot of very dodgy sounding info/advice.

Where on earth did you pick all this up? (In Armley? )

[DavidY]

Phone lines effectively use two wires.

But I believe they actually use more than two (four?). Any tips on how to identify the two effective wires "in extremis"?

[El Salsero Gringo]

Where on earth did you pick all this up? (In Armley? )

I used to practice dialling 999 (and other phone numbers) that way as a child, but you have to do three sets of nine taps, all relatively evenly spaced. Any ricks and it's back to the beginning. When 112 was introduced as an alternative it made the process a lot easier!

(Incidentally the reason that 111 is not the emergency number is because it's feasible that telephone lines blowing together in the wind can short out the loop and dial 1 1 1, resulting in a large number of accidental calls.)

[El Salsero Gringo]

But I believe they actually use more than two (four?). Any tips on how to identify the two effective wires "in extremis"?

Have a look at http://www.gbnet.net/net/uk-telecom/p3-1.html (or any other pages you can find on Google...) The line from the exchange is two wires, converted to three at your master socket box. Most internal phone cable is indeed two pair (four core), and the last phone socket I (re-)wired had two cores left floating and two connected. There's no standard colour code, so you'd have to guess. Sorry.

[bigdjiver]

Have a look at http://www.gbnet.net/net/uk-telecom/p3-1.html (or any other pages you can find on Google...) The line from the exchange is two wires, converted to three at your master socket box. Most internal phone cable is indeed two pair (four core), and the last phone socket I (re-)wired had two cores left floating and two connected. There's no standard colour code, so you'd have to guess. Sorry.

There is around 48V across the wires, so guessing, even in the dark, is not required.

[El Salsero Gringo]

There is around 48V across the wires, so guessing, even in the dark, is not required.

not enough to feel though, surely?

(but a good point, biting through them might hurt!)

[David Bailey]

I'm still amazed that no-one's commented on:

I used to practice dialling 999 (and other phone numbers) that way as a child

So I won't.

[bigdjiver]

not enough to feel though, surely?

(but a good point, biting through them might hurt!)

Simple experiment - lick two fingers, stick them across the terminals of a 9v battery. I doubt you will feel anything. Put those fingers on your tongue and you will be able to taste the difference between the +ve and -ve terminals.

You will feel 48v, and I am not going to find out how unpleasant that is for anybody's benefit.

[El Salsero Gringo]

Simple experiment - lick two fingers, stick them across the terminals of a 9v battery. I doubt you will feel anything. Put those fingers on your tongue and you will be able to taste the difference between the +ve and -ve terminals.

You will feel 48v, and I am not going to find out how unpleasant that is for anybody's benefit.

Are you saying you can feel 48V with dry fingers?

[Trouble]

I'm still amazed that no-one's commented on:

So I won't.

oh go on ,, please do,,,,, :

[David Bailey]

oh go on ,, please do,,,,, :

It's a brave man who'd dare comment on ESG's childhood habits - who knows where it could lead?

[Trouble]

It's a brave man who'd dare comment on ESG's childhood habits - who knows where it could lead?

chick chick chick chick chicken doo dum dum.... lay a little egg for me...doo dum dum,,

[El Salsero Gringo]

It's a brave man who'd dare comment on ESG's childhood habits - who knows where it could lead?

Be my guest.


Remember, though, we know who you are and where you live.

[Paulthetrainer]

On the subject of things you may or may not be able to do with your mobile phone:

I heard that if you are listening to a song that you do not know the title/artist of, you can dial up 2580 (or was it 258?), hold your phone up to the speaker, and you get sent a text showing exactly what the title/artist of the song is....

Has anyone tried this, or does anyone with more money to waste than me care to try it?

Paul

[bigdjiver]

Are you saying you can feel 48V with dry fingers?

No, I was not. I was saying that 48v DC across the tongue is likely to be unpleasant, if not harmful.

[Lou]

Errrmmm... isn't making unnecessary 999/112 calls an evil thing to do, as it blocks legimate calls going through...

[El Salsero Gringo]

No, I was not. I was saying that 48v DC across the tongue is likely to be unpleasant, if not harmful.

In which case I agree with you!

Errrmmm... isn't making unnecessary 999/112 calls an evil thing to do, as it blocks legimate calls going through...

I don't imagine there's a problem if there's a serious reason, like testing the line, or checking how to do something that in an emergency might save a life. I've done it on three or four occasions and if I remember rightly when I said I was testing the line the operator was fine about it, asked for my initials for their records then cleared the line - so they obviously have a protocol for that kind of thing.

[foxylady]

On the subject of things you may or may not be able to do with your mobile phone:

I heard that if you are listening to a song that you do not know the title/artist of, you can dial up 2580 (or was it 258?), hold your phone up to the speaker, and you get sent a text showing exactly what the title/artist of the song is....

Has anyone tried this, or does anyone with more money to waste than me care to try it?

Paul

I can't remember if thats the right number, but I do know TWK uses it and successfully... He showed me

[Lory]

I can't remember if thats the right number, but I do know TWK uses it and successfully... He showed me

It is the right number I remember it because it's all the middle numbers from the top to the bottom, on the face of the phone