Central Office Alarm Sounds

Short video of the different types of alarms you'd hear in a CO.
Audio file can be downloaded here: files.connections.museum/s/pJ...
Different alarms were used to mean different things in different offices. Much of it was up to local practice. The one thing that was always the same was the Major Alarm gong (MJ). That's the first one you hear.
It's worth noting that the panel office does not use these alarms, as it predates all of them. It has its own.

[@Huvada]

I like how the major alarm, one for directly service impacting problems, is the most common to start ringing :P

[@user-oh5pn3py4p]

Haha, we still have duct tape over our 5E electronic bell, it's been that way the entire 20years I've been working here.

[@madscientist5969]

This brings back fond (or not so fond) memories of my many years in CO maintenance and operation.!

[@kenunix1863]

Thanks for the memories... Yes the PF alarm was the loudest (rectifier failure, low voltage). In ESS the tone bar was on off on off (major) and on on off on on off (syncopated critical)...

[@MrPorsche85]

The power alm. sent everybody scrambling. All hands on deck!

[@DJPhantomRage]

I want one of the alarm panels. My dad retired from Nortel be fun to wire one up in his shop and put on a remote so it can be triggered from the internet. 😅

[@zipWith]

well that's my new ringtone sorted

[@wb8cxo]

Understaffing and lack of supervision the alarms rang constantly till they wore out! Also you didn’t do a thing unless the center issued a ticket you could charge you’re time to. Glad I saw the better days a long time ago!

[@tpcdude]

I have one of these in my workshop .. it is now connected to the doorbell. in end offices it rang once for minor trouble, twice for broken but still switching calls, and three times for not switching calls anymore. I think the same gong was used in Macys department store in the old days.

[@NLind]

I like the chime. It’s actually 2 octaves and 1 note lower than most chimes that were used for fire alarms (mainly in medical facilities)or department stores.

[@nethoncho]

Thanks for sharing the video and wav file ☎😎

[@dylan8495]

I have been in former long lines sites that have these and never understood

[@TheOpticalFreak]

Cool you have a Telstar model!! 😃👍

[@jimbeam6273]

In the interests of keeping things authentic, wonder if the restroom at this CO keeps only cold water and 5000 grit toilet paper. Also an abundance of dead giant roaches should be scattered about the floors.

[@wb8cxo]

Felt on the bottom of the plunger worn out on the chime as most were! Nobody fixed them! LOL. Sounds much better when the felt is effectively working.

[@0blivioniox864]

Nice.. Hope there was a way to shut them off while you're working on them. Nothing like that power failure alarm to crank up the cortisol levels while you're working with power related equipment.

[@roylamkin7177]

Thank you ! :)

[@KurisuYamato]

Thorough coverage, but I have to ask: What alarm sounds if Telstar over there falls out of orbit? :)

[@itz_mxxri]

My dad worked at a regional center toll office, and all the alarm lamps in the entire building had the amber lamp on top and the green lamp in the middle. The amber lamp was a fuse alarm and the green lamp was the minor alarm the red lamp on the bottom was the major alarm. There was also a major minor alarm with both the red and the green lit.

[@DJSubAir]

The bulbs used here are they 48V bulbs out of curiosity?