Re: Platform intercom systems (VIC) - green button

["Michael Wierzbinski" <wizzer1865@NOSPAMoptusnet.com.au>]

"Daniel Bowen" <dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au> wrote in message
11PI6.34658$ff.261312@news-server.bigpond.net.au">news:11PI6.34658$ff.261312@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>
> "Peter Parker" <parkerp@alphalink.com.au> wrote in message
> news:3af3a654@news.alphalink.com.au...
> > Does anyone know how the green button things actually work?  I have
> noticed
> > that the
> > delay before an answer varies considerably, and borders on being
> > unacceptably long
> > on occasions.  Does the thing have to poll a number of stations and is not
> > fast enough to handle them quickly?
>
> I doubt it polls (a la Teletext), but it may have a finite capacity to
> answer calls.
>
> > Also the beeping before you get an answer (though perhaps performing
> > a similar role to the timer on a PC) probably comes across as being
> > unfriendly to technophobes.
>
> I'm guessing it rings a special number on the internal railways phone
> system, hence the delay and beeping before and afterwards.
>
Correct, in fact if you know the specific number for that intercom you can
listen to the announcement. Although there is a specific sequence of numbers you
have to dial to be able to do it which has escaped my mind,of course this may
have changed with PRIDE2.