Old telephone set
"I found a similar phone in Kuito, Angola, in 1984. Curious to see if it worked, I turned the crank and surprised a lady answered, asking me what I wanted. "I would like to call Switzerland," I said, giving him the number. Luanda, in Angola then asks me my intentions and, after a long wait, an operator in Lisbon asks me where I am calling and if the weather is good on my side. And finally, he connects me to the number in Switzerland. The connection was good. He then asks me the question “who pays and with what currency?”.
We visited the switchboard in Kuito to settle our debts. The response was spontaneous: “With local money we can do nothing because there is nothing to buy. Please bring us something to eat instead! ” "
We visited the switchboard in Kuito to settle our debts. The response was spontaneous: “With local money we can do nothing because there is nothing to buy. Please bring us something to eat instead! ” "
Peter Kunz - HB9MCL
Telephone set - technical sheet:
- a telephone cord (two wires in good condition) is necessary
- an operator present on the other side
- a strong hand to wake up the operator at the switchboard