UNDERSTANDING TELEPHONES
by
Julian Macassey, N6ARE
First Published
in
Ham Radio Magazine
September 1985
Everybody has one, but what makes it work?
Although telephones and telephone company practices may vary
dramatically from one locality to another, the basic principles
underlying the way they work remain unchanged.
Every telephone consists of three separate subassemblies,
each capable of independent operation. These assemblies are the
speech network, the dialing mechanism, and the ringer or bell.
Together, these parts - as well as any additional devices such as
modems, dialers, and answering machines - are attached to the
phone line.