Discussion » Questions » Electronics » What do you remember about the technology of your very first pager (or beeper), and what year was it?
Randy D

What do you remember about the technology of your very first pager (or beeper), and what year was it?


  In 1992 or 1993, I bought a "refurbished" pager, I can't remember how much the hardware cost me, but the monthly service fee was $9.99 US.  It was a simple plastic box that had an on/off switch, a two-setting function switch, LED 
display screen that showed about twelve characters, a red notification light, a clip to attach it to the belt or waistline, and it ran on two AAA or AA batteries.
  Its only functions were that if someone called my number, he or she (ok, she, because this is Randy D we're talking about) would hear my greeting message and then be prompted to either leave a phone number for me to call back, a voice message for me to listen to, or both.
  If she left her number, it would scroll on the LED display screen until I acknowledged it, at which point it would stop scrolling and just remain there. If another call came in before I acknowledged, each number would scroll in turn, accompanied by an indicator in parenthesis showing the order of the calls (1, 2, 3).  If she left a voice message, the indicator light would flash until acknowledged. Subsequent voice messages would be separated by three quick flashes in succession, then two slow flashes, then three quick ones.  The beeper didn't vibrate or ring, so bright sunlight would prevent me from noticing the light. I would have to seek out a pay phone, call my service to return the call or to listen to the voice messages.

  Once I was in a nightclub out on the dance floor with my date for that evening, a brutha discreetly tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Hey, man, you've got a message, your beeper is flashing." He had seen it going off and that I hadn't noticed it. I thanked him, and when the song ended, I excused myself to check the message. Sure enough, it was another lady friend of mine.



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Posted - May 27, 2019
Tags : None

Responses


  • 44628
    I never owned one, but I fixed them in an electronics shop where I worked. They disappeared shortly after that when cell phones became prevalent.
      May 27, 2019 5:43 PM MDT
    1

  • 19937
    I never had, or even used, a pager.
      May 27, 2019 7:30 PM MDT
    2

  • 4624
    Never had one. Would never want one.
      May 27, 2019 7:57 PM MDT
    2

  • 17604
    The first ones were the BellBoys.  We had one that the three of us in my office shared just for when we were out of the office during the work day.  None of us wanted one assigned to us.  We were smart enough to know that.  I used on weekends so I could be accessible for my children.  I eventually subscribed to my own.  It was just very small text pager.  I told people it only accepted a call back number except my kids had three codes to send me.  Seems like one meant I'm home or I'm wherever they were going, one meant call me, and one meant emergency.. call now.  I loved carrying that little pager.  It was not intrusive like a mobile phone.  I kept my pager for years after I had a mobile.  I just didn't give out my mobile number until I finally gave up the pager.
      May 27, 2019 9:18 PM MDT
    2

  • 13395
    1975 I don't know much about the technology,  was when I hired as a yard switch man for CNR on call at anytime so I didn't have to sit at home by the phone. It just beeped then I would lcall the crew office to find out where I was required to work. Could not use it for any other purpose. 
      May 28, 2019 1:35 AM MDT
    1

  • 34331
    Never had one.
      May 28, 2019 4:51 AM MDT
    2

  • 22891
    ive never had one
      May 29, 2019 4:32 PM MDT
    0

  • 3719
    I've never used a pager but the general services people in my last employment used radios.
      May 31, 2019 1:24 PM MDT
    0

  • 10052
    I had a pager for work in the early 2000s, before everyone had cell phones. It was text only. The caller would hear a generic message to enter your digits after the beep.  Someone at our main office would page if you were needed urgently and you were expected to call back within 15 minutes. For those without cell phones, that would sometimes mean finding a pay phone, if they were on the road. 

    Not nearly as exciting or illustrious as your pager story, of course.  


      September 18, 2022 5:38 PM MDT
    1