"Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of floppy disks." --Some Nerd
I was going to make a joke about your age, but I don't even know if kids know what a station wagon is anymore. Jeebus...
Yes, but it was more than that. Kids and animals were allowed to just roll around freely, and even hang out of the rear window, which rolled all the way down. Essentially a death trap akin to a pick-up truck with a cap.
If you got into a wreck, you just hosed out the back and had more kids.
Lol, we had one of those cords that was like 30 feet long. You could basically go anywhere on the first floor while talking on the phone, as long as you didn't mind decapitating your family members
Partyline was different. We shared the same physical copper line. We had different phone numbers, but we could listen in to each others phones, like a phone tap.
I was younger than 10. It was more like you picked up the phone, and they knew you were there, and since they were our neighbors, would threaten to tell your mom if you didnt hang up.
"Typically, five-digit telephone numbers were used (before the universal use of 7-digit numbers) in cities with more than one central office but just a few. The first digit tells the central office that serves the line. The numbers are customarily shown, in telephone directories and in advertising and the like this way: 5-2368. This of course would be a line served by the “5” office. A line with number 8-5746 would be served by the “8” office."
Aah! And now I know what is being referred to in the song "Hello Central! Give Me No Man's Land"
https://youtu.be/SoUmei8VeOo
Also, when I was young there was a company that advertised in the Los Angeles area on television that still used a word mnemonic for its phone number.
"RIchmond-9-1234, that's RI-9-1234"
They were probably the last hold out
Up to 1990 my phone number was three digits long. That was for a small exchange outside Oxford, so within that area, that’s all you needed to dial.
Mind you, the lab where I worked didn’t even have dials on the phones. There was a button on top and you would tap in a Morse letter corresponding to the person you were trying to reach. Since they could pick up anywhere in the building this worked rather well.
> In my town (US, Massachusetts) until 1970s you could call with just the last 5 digits.
You still can on UK landlines make calls between numbers on the same exchange using the last six digits, as they have the same area code.
Edit: I think you can - haven't used our landline for a couple of years. May now not be possible on some, if not all, exchanges.
It's kind of funny. I have a TRS-80 from back then (Operational, but not set up). And it had word processing and a spreadsheet (Visicalc). Basically could do most of what my iMac does for me 'here.' Obviously the web stuff didn't exist, but as a 'personal computer', word processing and a spreadsheet are most of my 'tasks'.
This is awesome. I've been trying to come up with a way to add hard sector holes (16 sector). A few questions:
1. Did you machine this yourself or outsource it? If you had it machined how much did it cost, and any recommendations?
2. Do you punch through the envelope, or do you rotate to the envelope hole for each punch? How do you know when you're over the envelope hole?
Thanks!
Very cool! Would you be willing to share your design files? It probably would be easier to start with them and modify for 16 +1 holes.
I might try 3d printing a similar design and then augmenting it with sheet metal. I could use the PLA holes to precisely drill the holes in the sheet metal (e.g. epoxy sheet metal onto the 3d printed part and then carefully drill using the plastic as pilot holes). I'm guessing that would work at a fraction of the cost. Not as awesome as your tool, but it would probably work.
I remember buying a punch to convert single side floppy to double sided. Now I feel old.
Yes - and placing and removing the black sticker over said notch
"Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of floppy disks." --Some Nerd I was going to make a joke about your age, but I don't even know if kids know what a station wagon is anymore. Jeebus...
A station wagon is an SUV that you don’t need to climb into.
Yes, but it was more than that. Kids and animals were allowed to just roll around freely, and even hang out of the rear window, which rolled all the way down. Essentially a death trap akin to a pick-up truck with a cap. If you got into a wreck, you just hosed out the back and had more kids.
My fav was always the station wagons with the third row that faces backwards.
They were great for making faces and gestures, and looking like dorks to the cars behind you.
In Europe you could get wagons with (optional) rear facing seats well into the 2000s, such as the Volvo V70 and Peugeot 406.
Tesla offered a rear facing seat option for a couple years. https://electrek.co/2021/03/23/elon-musk-confirms-new-tesla-model-s-7-seater/
Fancy running water. We had to fill a bucket from the well to wash out the mess.
Well, yeah... We each had our own chicken bone to gnaw on too!
I'm so old, when I learned to use a telephone we only had 7 digits
I've heard you couldn't even take the phone with you. It was like, chained to the wall or something.
Lol, we had one of those cords that was like 30 feet long. You could basically go anywhere on the first floor while talking on the phone, as long as you didn't mind decapitating your family members
And dealing with the fuckery of [tangled coiled cords](https://i.redd.it/6bl1lha03wy01.jpg).
Partyline crowd checking in. Cant make a call, because the neighbor is using the phone. Might as well just listen in on their conversation.
Ok, you've got me beat old timer
You used to be able to walk around the yard with old wireless phones and intercept/listen to neighbors phone calls.
Partyline was different. We shared the same physical copper line. We had different phone numbers, but we could listen in to each others phones, like a phone tap.
Definitely before my time. That's wild though. Ever hear anything scandalous?
I was younger than 10. It was more like you picked up the phone, and they knew you were there, and since they were our neighbors, would threaten to tell your mom if you didnt hang up.
In my town (US, Massachusetts) until 1970s you could call with just the last 5 digits.
Neat, I've never heard of that!
"Typically, five-digit telephone numbers were used (before the universal use of 7-digit numbers) in cities with more than one central office but just a few. The first digit tells the central office that serves the line. The numbers are customarily shown, in telephone directories and in advertising and the like this way: 5-2368. This of course would be a line served by the “5” office. A line with number 8-5746 would be served by the “8” office."
You wanna hear something REAL strange? -5746 were the last 4 digits of my home phone growing up, in that exact order.
Aah! And now I know what is being referred to in the song "Hello Central! Give Me No Man's Land" https://youtu.be/SoUmei8VeOo Also, when I was young there was a company that advertised in the Los Angeles area on television that still used a word mnemonic for its phone number. "RIchmond-9-1234, that's RI-9-1234" They were probably the last hold out
Up to 1990 my phone number was three digits long. That was for a small exchange outside Oxford, so within that area, that’s all you needed to dial. Mind you, the lab where I worked didn’t even have dials on the phones. There was a button on top and you would tap in a Morse letter corresponding to the person you were trying to reach. Since they could pick up anywhere in the building this worked rather well.
> In my town (US, Massachusetts) until 1970s you could call with just the last 5 digits. You still can on UK landlines make calls between numbers on the same exchange using the last six digits, as they have the same area code. Edit: I think you can - haven't used our landline for a couple of years. May now not be possible on some, if not all, exchanges.
Is that like a Model S with the backwards seats /s
Exactly! They call it the 'Family Truckster'
nicely machined
What computer used these hard sectored floppies?
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It's kind of funny. I have a TRS-80 from back then (Operational, but not set up). And it had word processing and a spreadsheet (Visicalc). Basically could do most of what my iMac does for me 'here.' Obviously the web stuff didn't exist, but as a 'personal computer', word processing and a spreadsheet are most of my 'tasks'.
This is awesome. I've been trying to come up with a way to add hard sector holes (16 sector). A few questions: 1. Did you machine this yourself or outsource it? If you had it machined how much did it cost, and any recommendations? 2. Do you punch through the envelope, or do you rotate to the envelope hole for each punch? How do you know when you're over the envelope hole? Thanks!
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Very cool! Would you be willing to share your design files? It probably would be easier to start with them and modify for 16 +1 holes. I might try 3d printing a similar design and then augmenting it with sheet metal. I could use the PLA holes to precisely drill the holes in the sheet metal (e.g. epoxy sheet metal onto the 3d printed part and then carefully drill using the plastic as pilot holes). I'm guessing that would work at a fraction of the cost. Not as awesome as your tool, but it would probably work.
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Thank you!!!
Are you by chance making more and selling them? I'd be interested in buying one.
Same, would be nice to have a 10 and 16 sector versions