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Some parts of the original Lines test sets complete with PTS10, 45dB amp, variable attenuator, ASN, Equalisers and battery pack |
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Anyone remember ERUs (Equaliser Repeater Units) Huge wooden boxes that preceeded PER5s. These are in use at Riverside Exchange for the Boat Race in 1956 to equalise the GPO lines from the remote sites |
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Alan Baukham hard at work in room 2112 (Field Group Office) |
Roy Carpenter's Empire
Mike Jordan remembers:-
Lines tests at All Hallows London Wall. Sitting on the railings at the back by the News stand. Is the Reverse Music equaliser still in the office?
Lines test at Russion Orthodox Church in S.Kensington. No-one at home so, hoping the loops are still on, break the OB pairs at the BT and do test 'round the loop' from there.
Stereo test from Milton Keynes. Local GPO man suggested using monitoring pairs fro m local exchange instead of routing one leg via Manchester, other via Norwich. Standing in exchange twisting jumper wire pair from singles. - Worked though!
World Cup 1966. Travelling to 'Radio Wood Lane' to the Seabright outstation there. PT to Shepherd's Bush and walk to TC (6d) and claim to White City (9d) - grand expenses profit of 6d per day.
Lines tests Chelsea FC and Tottenham FC. - Official route - Taxi BH/Chelsea 10/-, Taxi to Liverpool Street mainline 15/-, Porter for test set - 1/-, British Rail to Tottenham - probably about 5/-, Taxi to FC 5/- then return. Total expenses about £3 10s
Actually take PTS10 home on tube - cost nothing, use private car (not on car list) petrol about 10/- - bring back PTS10 on tube next day - profit £3 0s 0d
Taxi to Goodge Street (to avoid being seen entering tube at Oxford Circus) then PT to site.
Lines tests with Alf Brookman trying to keep out of pub.
Not doing a Dave Gilroy and leaving all the huge heap of Reverse Music test gear on the tube as the doors close.
Helping John Moberley with changing the 90v batteries in the battery packs and charging the wet battery LT supplies
One of the regular trips for Field group was going out to test the PWs (Private Wires!!) installed from Bush to various Arab dignataries in London to carry BBC Arabic service.
These were then connected to the guy's Hi-Fi system.
Usually all we did was put a 50ohm shunt in the BT to 'sort of' equalise it a bit. I don't think we ever bothered with any sort of Rep-coil as that would have cost money.
I was always told NEVER accept any tip for doing this. Apparantly someone (from Filed Group?) had done so in the past and when the line went duff, the angry man called someone very high up and said "I paid him £5 to get this working and now it's broken - find me the man"
Not sure of the outcome.
Posted 25th October 16:07
Graham Bentley has a memory of Field Group:-
Posted 22:56 27th December 2006. Graham sends this story from San Jose, California.
Back to stories index page
MJ 120407
Mike Jordan remembers:-
Lines tests at All Hallows London Wall. Sitting on the railings at the back by the News stand. Is the Reverse Music equaliser still in the office?
Lines test at Russion Orthodox Church in S.Kensington. No-one at home so, hoping the loops are still on, break the OB pairs at the BT and do test 'round the loop' from there.
Stereo test from Milton Keynes. Local GPO man suggested using monitoring pairs fro m local exchange instead of routing one leg via Manchester, other via Norwich. Standing in exchange twisting jumper wire pair from singles. - Worked though!
World Cup 1966. Travelling to 'Radio Wood Lane' to the Seabright outstation there. PT to Shepherd's Bush and walk to TC (6d) and claim to White City (9d) - grand expenses profit of 6d per day.
Lines tests Chelsea FC and Tottenham FC. - Official route - Taxi BH/Chelsea 10/-, Taxi to Liverpool Street mainline 15/-, Porter for test set - 1/-, British Rail to Tottenham - probably about 5/-, Taxi to FC 5/- then return. Total expenses about £3 10s
Actually take PTS10 home on tube - cost nothing, use private car (not on car list) petrol about 10/- - bring back PTS10 on tube next day - profit £3 0s 0d
Taxi to Goodge Street (to avoid being seen entering tube at Oxford Circus) then PT to site.
Lines tests with Alf Brookman trying to keep out of pub.
Not doing a Dave Gilroy and leaving all the huge heap of Reverse Music test gear on the tube as the doors close.
Helping John Moberley with changing the 90v batteries in the battery packs and charging the wet battery LT supplies
One of the regular trips for Field group was going out to test the PWs (Private Wires!!) installed from Bush to various Arab dignataries in London to carry BBC Arabic service.
These were then connected to the guy's Hi-Fi system.
Usually all we did was put a 50ohm shunt in the BT to 'sort of' equalise it a bit. I don't think we ever bothered with any sort of Rep-coil as that would have cost money.
I was always told NEVER accept any tip for doing this. Apparantly someone (from Filed Group?) had done so in the past and when the line went duff, the angry man called someone very high up and said "I paid him £5 to get this working and now it's broken - find me the man"
Not sure of the outcome.
Posted 25th October 16:07
Graham Bentley has a memory of Field Group:-
Maybe this is apocryphal but I
remember hearing about the guy in the Euston station ticket line. "Second class
return to Glasgow Central please. I don't want a first class ticket, but could
you tell me how much it is"
Ticket office man puffs his
chest out and yells to the whole line "For the benefit of those fiddling their
expenses, the first class fare to Glasgow is thirtyfive pounds
ten!"
Posted 22:56 27th December 2006. Graham sends this story from San Jose, California.
Back to stories index pageMJ 120407