I didn't think anyone would mine this amusing, but true "electrical"
related story...
It's common practice in England to ring a telephone by
signaling extra voltage across one side of the two wire
circuit and ground (earth in England). When the subscriber
answers the phone, it switches to the two wire circuit for
the conversation. This method allows two parties on the same
line to be signaled without disturbing each other.
Anyway, an elderly lady with several pets called to say that
her telephone failed to ring when her friends called; and
that on the few occasions when it did ring her dog always
barked first. The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene,
curious to see this psychic dog.
He climbed a nearby telephone pole, hooked in his test set,
and dialed the subscriber's house. The phone didn't ring. He
tried again. The dog barked loudly, followed by a ringing
telephone.
Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman found:
a. A dog was tied to the telephone system's ground post via
an iron chain and collar.
b. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signaling current.
c. After several such jolts, the dog would start barking and
urinating on the ground.
d. The wet ground now completed the circuit and the phone
would ring.
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