ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Cellphone?

The briefcase model look like it has an integral-dial handset, like the claasical 'trimline' 2700{?} WECO/Bell handset on their {wired} desk version.

Well, I suppose I'm showing just how old-fashioned I am, but I do not own, nor have I ever owned a cellphone! (Though the idea of a Maxwell Smart shoe-phone did appeal! )

I know a cellphone might be useful for emergencies, but the rest of the time I manage just fine without. Anyone can leave a message on my answering machine and I'll get back to them when I return.

There's one thing about cellular service over here which is very different from North America: The caller pays more per minute for calling a cellular phone (in many plans, quite a lot more than calling a regular landline).

The fact that cellular phones here also have their own "area" codes rather than being just part of the local numbering system makes it easy to spot mobile numbers, and many people just refuse to call them and pay the extra. I've overheard people being given numbers and responding along the lines of "I'm not calling you on that. Give me a proper number."

Mike,
How is cellular operated in NZ? Is it like the U.S.A. or is it British-style caller-pays?

P.S. The phone sitting right next to me is a 2500-type set, with properly designed handset and good old-fashioned real bells!




[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 10-11-2003).]

Paul,
We have two cellular networks over here, the fisrt being the Telecom network that used an 025 prefix up to a couple of months ago, this is now 0274.
The other network is the Vodafone network that has an 021 prefix.
These systems use the same caller-pays system as in the UK.
It costs NZ$0.71 per minute to ring a Land-line and depending on what time of the day you call, it can cost up to NZ$0.90 to ring another cellphone.
Text-messaging is real popular over here, especially amongst the kiddies, these cost 20 cents per message, with a maximum size of 120 characters.
Eagle,
Sorry, I missed your question, even though it was in bold type!.
Us firefighters over here have pagers that go off at the same time as the fire station siren, the new pagers we got recently, have a text message facility that tells you where the call is and what sort of incident it is.
If the pager says Dump Fire, don't expect too many fire-fighters to run into the station!.
Bjarney,
What sort of power output did them IMTS phones have?.

Paul,

I'm in New York. I don't know how other cities' phone companies bill. Here goes:

A "local" call to domestic city codes 212, 646 and 718 are billed at a flat rate of 10 cents a call -- no matter how long you gab. Calls to surrounding city or "area" codes such as 201 (New Jersey), 516 (Long Island) and 914 (Westchester) are billed per minute -- almost like long-distance charges. I personally consider a call to Long Island long distance.

917 is the area code used for cell phones and pagers "connected" in New York City. If you're calling from a 212, 718 or 646 phone number to a 917 cellphone number, it is billed as a local call. It doesn't matter what the physical location of the mobile is.

If you have a "New York cell phone" and you're in California or New Jersey and I call you on my regular phone from New York City, I will only pay the local rate.

I don't own a working cell phone. I have a pager for work -- but only one person (my boss's assistant) knows that number and she only uses it when she REALLY REALLY needs to get a hold of me. And that only happens maybe three or four times a YEAR.

If it were up to me, I wouldn't even have a telephone at home!!!

The two non-working phones I have are part of my radio collection: An old early Motorla Flip Fone I've wanted for years and a Qualcomm phone (this company doesn't manufacture them anymore). I'm actually looking for one of those old "bricks"

It's surprising how comfortable it felt to hold one of those earlyphones. It feels like a phone. The earpiece and the microphone are positioned where you think they should be.

Nowadays, trying to talk into one of these iddy-biddy things that almost every has now feels like holding a TV zapper up to your face....they're so cheesy.

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 10-11-2003).]

The “1960s James Bond” briefcase model in this pic looks like it has an integral-dial handset, like the classical 2700{?} WECO/Bell 'trimline' handset on their {wired} desk version.



Edit—I guess “retro” is in itself is sort of an archaic term… Looks like properly it’s s’posed to be deemed as “Olde School” nowadays.


[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 10-12-2003).]

I think the next step for cell phones is going to be implants, keypad on the inside wrist/forearm of your choice ...

I think I know some that would go for it.


Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Addiss (edited 10-12-2003).]

Bill,
I hope that it never comes to that!.
But, on the subject of cellphone numbers, with the large of people that own them, over here, the numbers are getting pretty long and hard to dial from a piece of paper that someone else has written down or from an answering machine message.
My cell number has 7 numbers, as well as the 3 number prefix (021).
A few of the newer 0274 phones have an additional 8 numbers, where is this going to end?, I don't think that I would like to dial a cellphone number in poor light, for fear of ringing China or some other far away land!.

On the cwll phone plan I have, I have to dial 10 numbers area code + the 7 digit # of the person called.
If it wasn't for the usefulness,I would get rid odf it.

Those IMTS pictures bring back a lot of memories. I was working in the mobile phone business in that era in direct competition to the phone company. It was fun sometimes. I've got an LG VX4400 - most everything but the camera. I got it mainly because of the big color display and its a flip. I can read the number I dial without my glasses. My pet peeve is the buttons on the outside of the phone. I just glued one shut so it doesn't get pressed by accident - it shuts off the darn ringer. Most phones don't seem to be designed with a working guy in mind.

Big Jim,
Yeah, I reckon.
I'm on my fourteenth(sp) phone now, I end up dropping the thing or knocking it, last one I had, fell down a well, when I was fixing a submersible pump.
You can get the covers for them with the "clip" but after a small period of rough handling, the spring gives up.
If I wasn't a Tradesman, I reckon I'd never have one of these annoying things!.