How do you say it?

[TC Chris]

I'm just curious. I've always wondered what is the standard way of pronouncing the name of the higher-voltage tubes. For a 12AU6, for example, I say "twelve." But for a 50L6, I tend to say "five-zero." But it's really a "fifty." "Three-five Z five" has a nice rhyme and rhythm to it.

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

I don't know what's correct or if JEDEC has anything to say about it but I say "fifty" and "thirty five" then the rest. It's easier.

[Dr. Radio]

I've always said it "literally".

FIFTY - C - FIVE

THIRTY-FIVE - W - FOUR

TWELVE - B- -A- SIX

To say it ONE, TWO, Bravo, Adam SIX sounds too procedural....

[electra225]

Me, too. My first elmer, my stepdad, would say it number by number. 3-5-W-4 that kind of thing. I don't know if there is a right or wrong way.

[William]

In the GM parts world, you would say it like Dr Radio wrote it.

Bill

[Firedome]

Bill. did you have a history with GM? You're in Michigan, makes sense, somehow I missed that. What (if you don't mind?)

[William]

I did Roger, I was in parts and over saw the wholesale end of things along with shipping and receiving, inventory control, and dealt directly with GM's Willow Run parts facility.

Bill

[MEZLAW]

I always stated the numbers the same as Dr. Radio.

But what about this one; 0Z4? Did you call is an "O" Z4 or a Zero Z4?

[William]

I guess it would depend on if it was a letter or a number.

Bill

[electra225]

I always said and heard it said "oh-Z-4" It was usually called something else by folks who worked on lots of GM car radios, but we can't post the exact nomenclature on the forum.....

[MEZLAW]

I always said and heard it said "oh-Z-4" It was usually called something else by folks who worked on lots of GM car radios, but we can't post the exact nomenclature on the forum.....

I always called it an "OH" Z4 as well even though it is a zero.

[TC Chris]

My childhood home phone no. was three-five-OH-six-eight. Later it got additional letters--TWinbrook. A new eight and the former three. But that zero was still an "oh." A few years ago I got more disciplined about such things and trained myself to say "zero" for the numeral, reserving "oh" for the alphabet. But OZ4 is likely to spill out as "oh-zee-four."

Chris Campbell

[MEZLAW]

On telephones you need to be careful. On telephones the letter "O" is really the digit "6"!
When you advertise your business telephone number as a "word" you run the risk of mis-dials if the word contains an "O". Many people will dial the zero instead of the 6.

Another bit of telephone trivia; Do you know why the telephone dial pad is upside down when compaired to a calculator or your computer keyboard?

[William]

They were both developed independently and people that use a calculator all the time were fast, too fast for phone technology at that time.

Bill

[MEZLAW]

Yes Bill, that is almost spot on.

Bell Labs was concerned that people such as CPA's were lightning fast on a calculator and decided flip the telephone keypad upside down from calculators.
At the time Bell was just moving forward from electro-mechanical switch, quite a surprise from the people who gave us the transistor.

One more piece of phone trivia;

Many times the terms; MF and DTMF are often incorrectly interchanged. Do you know the difference between MF and DTMF?

[Dr. Radio]

Yes Bill, that is almost spot on.

Bell Labs was concerned that people such as CPA's were lightning fast on a calculator and decided flip the telephone keypad upside down from calculators.
At the time Bell was just moving forward from electro-mechanical switch, quite a surprise from the people who gave us the transistor.

One more piece of phone trivia;

Many times the terms; MF and DTMF are often incorrectly interchanged. Do you know the difference between MF and DTMF?

I'll bite. I'll post without cheating....

I'm guessing MF means Multi-Frequency.

I know DTMF means Dual Tone Multi-Frequency. The touch tones are comprised of 2 "blended" unique frequencies so they can't be confused by the switching equipment.

Multi-frequency, something capable of generating or receiving multiple frequencies to activate something?

Help me out here Larry.

[MEZLAW]

Multi frequency was first and was used to complete toll calls. The tones were 700hz 900hz 1100hz 1300hz 1500hz and 1700hz. A combination of 2 of these tones represented each digit, zero through nine. The Star and octothorpe were not used with MF signaling, the KP (key pulse) and ST (start) were used. DTMF was brought about to prevent toll fraud. Tones such as 697hz and 770hz were a couple of the tones used for DTMF. Bell did not want to give everyone an oscillator that would complete toll calls.

[19&41]

I've always called them Oh-Z-4 as they glow like OZone.