atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Best system for a teaching environment?

You would be hard pressed to find a computer course that didn't at least mention punch cards. Why not teach your students the ins and outs of 1A2 key systems? OK...It doesn't meet your requirement of being 'current', but THAT would be a good hands on course (almost like an Erector Set). You can hear the lights blinking (via the Interupter). They would get a lot more wiring experience. And, what system could provide a better demonstration of Supervision?

I think you need to consider working this into your plans.

(I'm kidding of course...but only half way.)

I agree with BCMguy. The only true way to learn telecom systems is on a 1a2 system. The true knowledge of a phone system is not just reading a programming manual, its how your voice gets transmitted along the lines to its destination.

Yeah, there's no doubt about the fact that 1A2 training truly teaches the fundamentals of supervision, logic (if-then scenarios) and hold bridges. Unfortunatly, that stuff would scare away anybody new to the industry! BCM, as much as your post was tounge-in-cheek, there is definitely some merit in your thinking.

I think I'll stick with the hardware that was manufactured in my lifetime Marty. You do have a good point though. I like using the Onyx VS in my cabling course because the relays are so loud. I can hold up a CO and station card from an old NEC MarkII and explain what's happening when they hear the clicking sounds.

As for Market share, I can only speak for what I've seen in a small area of Western Canada. It's definately Nortel and NEC out here. But I do like the idea of using something like the Vodavi STSe as the standard system in the lab, and round things out with the Meridian and maybe an NEC Elite 48.

Really what I'm trying to do is round out the telecom portion of a network and telecom program. Very few of our students will be going to work for interconnect companies, a few more will go to Telus (carrier), and the rest go into networking. So while I was originally concerned about teaching on a system they were likely to see in the local market, that isn't the case anymore. The things I want to teach them are not particular to any one brand name.

Keep to the basics. In the real world you may have to work on anything.

Every system has it's oddities --- it is all in what you become accustomed to.

If you do it in an orderly manner any system will work properly.

Good Luck, Clinton

KLD

I stand by my orginal post. Teach basics. Systems change so fast that what you learn today to program is gone tomorrow. But the basic lingo remains the same.

If the students are going to be in the IT industry, what a breath of fresh if they can speak to a phone tech in a language they both understand.

Now you're talking! You are preparing the students to live in the world instead of just the village.

My deepest apologies to everyone for the post that was in this spot. I really wasn't drunk. As it turns out, my daughter wanted to see what it was like to post on the website where Daddy spends so much time. Well Waine, guess this gives you and me something else in common.

Sorry again everyone.

YUP

I figured it was something along those lines. I'm sure my daughter will be causing the same kind of trouble for me in a couple of years.