Now we are so used to smartphones that even staying for a few days with a stupid “dialer” is a real test. But in the past of telecommunications technology, there is one amusing, and very long, chapter: pagers.

Tiny receivers with black and white screens and scanty, by modern standards, capabilities. We will tell you how these gadgets evolved and why they are still in use today.

To begin with, it is worth understanding what is hidden under the definition “ pager". And why a modern smartphone that easily receives SMS messages is not related to it.

Yes, there are already people who do not know

A pager is a radio frequency receiver that can receive messages broadcast on a specific frequency over a dedicated network of radio base stations.

Messages are sent from a paging center - usually a person needed to call and tell the recipient's number to the operator. Later it became possible to use email.

How did pagers come about?

The first pager from Motorola

Initially, the system, vaguely reminiscent of future pagers, appeared with the Detroit police in 1921. Then the cars of the guards were equipped with primitive radios.

However, the pager's birthday fell on 1949 when the corresponding invention was patented by the inventor Alfred Gross ( the same person had a hand in the development of portable radios). Then the name "pager" was not yet in use, and the devices were intended for medical personnel.

At the same time, the Federal Communications Commission approved the use of such receivers only by 1958: this is a turning point in their history.

Already in 1956 Motorola gave such gadgets the name "pager", and at the same time secured a leadership position in this product category - for four decades to come.

However, the first commercially successful pager it appeared on the consumer market only in 1974 and was called Pageboy I. It did not have a display, and also internal memory to store messages, however it worked - notifying users with beeps.

Because of this feature, an alternative name was assigned to the devices, beepers. Such modest functionality was enough for that time. Having heard the necessary signal, the police returned to the department, and the doctors contacted the operators in order to obtain information.

This is what Pageboy 1 looked like

In the 1970s, pagers learned to receive messages of different tones and even voice messages. But technology continued to evolve at a leisurely pace. By 1980, there were about 3.2 million pagers in the world.

The reason for the relatively low popularity was the limited area in which the receivers could work - it did not exceed 40 kilometers... Pagers were used by local rescue, medical or police departments.

We also knew about this thing. Only a few

By the way, 1980 saw the first peak in the use of pagers in the USSR. Then the XXII Summer Olympic Games were held in Moscow, and pagers were given to a narrow circle of employees. However, the main events developed overseas.

Pagers began to get more sophisticated in terms of functionality. Models with tiny screens appeared - at first only numbers were transmitted, then it was possible to send and short messages, in the manner of modern SMS.

In the early 80s, the creators finally overcame the geographical limitations of pagers - they began to work on the scale of cities, states and even countries.

In addition, the sender could order the sending of a message to certain time or repeated calls - so that the subscriber will surely receive the message, even if temporarily outside the coverage of the paging network.

At the head was Motorola, which in 1986 released the world's most popular pager model, the Bravo.

In 1988, SkyTel officially launched a nationwide text messaging paging network in the United States, sparking a buzz among consumers. By 1990, there were about 22 million active pagers in the world, by 1994 this number had already reached 61 million.

The pager became a status device - in addition to its functional benefits, it brought importance to its owner in the eyes of others. The latest major technological innovations in the world of pagers are tweigers, two-way pagers.

They vaguely resembled push-button communicators and were equipped with a folding QWERTY keyboard, with which it was possible to type reply messages.

This is what the popular SkyTel Tweiger looked like.

The first Tango tweager was released by Motorola in 1996, with telecom support from SkyTel. However, by that time it was clear that mobile communications and Cell Phones will push pagers back to the professional environment.

By 2001, two leading manufacturers, Motorola and Glenayre, had lost interest in the market.

Phones won.

Are the pagers dead? Not

In the United States, pagers continue to be used by doctors, police officers, rescuers, and a number of private companies, and Spok became the leader of the dying market, which in 2009 brought in $ 361 million in profit.

By the way, if you look closely at "Doctor House" or "Clinic", you will notice that all the doctors in the show wear pagers.

This connection has several advantages:

• highest reliability, incomparable with vulnerable telecommunication networks
• cheap devices
• the ability to easily record all sent messages for later use in protocols
• with an average frequency of use, pagers live up to 30 days on one AAA battery

As for domestic realities, the period from 1993 to 1998 became the golden age for pagers. They were a popular way to stay connected without spending over $ 1000 on a cell phone.

Pagers were usually fastened to a belt - some were literally wrapped in a belt of small black beepers. The market for devices stylized for them also flourished: for example, among schoolchildren, watches in the form of a pager were especially popular.

At the same time, the required telecom infrastructure for pagers was poorly developed... Over the years, not a single federal paging operator has appeared in the country.

Local companies worked, at best covering the region and adjacent territories. The average subscription fee ranged from 100 to 300 rubles, a lot of money at that time. To this should be added the cost of the device itself, which was at least 800 rubles.

Pagers can still be used today

Now, most paging operators have closed or changed course: in addition to providing paging services for private security or courier companies, they organize call centers.

However, in Moscow, for example, you can still use the services "

Curious electronic devices that make our life easier began to appear in the middle of the 20th century.

Since then, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge - technologies are developing at a crazy speed. However, thousands of people around the world still use pagers, dot matrix printers and landline telephones... Why are all these obsolete things still popular today? site to understand this issue: we present to your attention a list of technical devices from the last century, which people still use with pleasure.

Photo: pixabay.com

Many American hospitals still have huge fax machines. Electronic transfer of documents, X-rays and other papers between some medical institutions in America (and even within the same clinic) is still impossible, as it is supposedly "unsafe", according to retrogrades. personal information can be intercepted in case sending e-mail while fax provides complete confidentiality.

Photo: I, Kevster / wikipedia.org

The archaic text messaging device was very popular in the 90s. A pager in Russia was considered an indicator of the success and coolness of its owner. But, indeed, then it was a real curiosity. So who, and most importantly, why is using pagers now? In the UK, these gadgets are popular with paramedics and rescuers. The pager has been working for a very long time. offline and can receive a message even in a place where it does not "catch" a cell phone. Ornithologists and wildlife enthusiasts also use it - the latter subscribe in advance to a regular mailing from a special service.

16-bit game console

Photo: pixabay.com

The days of the cult 16-bit video consoles Sega and Nintendo have sunk into oblivion. Modern computer games amaze with the beauty of graphics and the realism of what is happening on the screen. However, true fans still remain true to their "first love". A similar set-top box can now be bought in the online store. For mere pennies, you can have yourself some awesome nostalgic evenings. Plus, if you play Street Fighter or beat Mario in half an hour, you can take part in a special tournament. Similar competitions take place all over the world, and the real masters of 16-bit consoles live in Asia.

Push-button cell phone

Photo: Larry D. Moore / wikipedia.org

Now many people do not quite understand who might need an old-style push-button mobile phone. However, they continue to be released. The reliability of touchscreen smartphones still leaves much to be desired - they are quickly discharged, and may refuse to work in cold or hot weather. At the same time, a cell phone with buttons can work for almost a whole week without recharging, it does not care about temperature changes and even falls from a small height. Moreover, these gadgets are very popular with the elderly. Well, really, why do people who really do not want to change their habits and their comfort for absolutely unnecessary functions, a fancy smartphone?

Matrix printer

Photo: pixabay.com

Yes, he's very noisy. Of course, he is very slow at typing. But the dot matrix printer is on this moment the most reliable and economical printing device. The resource of even the simplest is simply incredible - about 30 million characters can be printed on a dot matrix printer without replacing parts that eventually become unusable. Basically, these squeaking and squeaking units are now used in the printing of tickets, passes and labels.

Photo: pixabay.com

At one time, cassettes with magnetic tape "opposed" vinyl, and later the compact disc was invented, which, it would seem, was supposed to destroy the record industry. But it was not there. The fact is that analog recording has always been appreciated by music lovers much higher than digital. And in fact - music from vinyl sounds much cooler than from a laser disc. Almost every popular Western band continues to release new albums on vinyl records. Turntables are also being produced now. This has only one drawback. A turntable, an amplifier, good speakers and the systematic purchase of records are really very expensive.

Like cell phones, electronic pagers transmit and receive signals using radio waves. The call from the paging device first goes to the base station, where it is analyzed and temporarily stored. Then several base stations simultaneously send signals to the paging device, which will catch the signal closest to it.

In most cases, the pager will beep or vibrate when it receives a signal, warning the owner to call the station for a message. These tone pagers are gradually giving way to devices with displays that appear phone numbers and short messages.

E-pager call

1. When you dial the pager number, you first contact the radio base station. After a ring back tone, the caller dials his own number.
2. On the base station the message is processed and sent to several peripheral stations by radio along with the identification number of the paging device to which the message is being sent.
3. Having reached several peripheral stations, the message spreads out in the form of a radio signal. Peripheral stations can form a radio network over two hundred miles in diameter.
4. Many paging devices can pick up the incoming signal, but only the pager with the specified number will respond to its own number, register the message and warn the owner about the incoming call.

Base stations repeat the signal every 20 seconds. In order to save batteries, pagers are designed in such a way that they can recognize their own numbers once every 1.4 seconds, being synchronized with the waves emitted by the stations.

Paging device

The pager in the illustration at the top of the article captures and displays the caller's number and a few words of the message. In the future, the size of pagers will become even smaller. Someday any digital wristwatch will be able to function as a paging device.

Pager

Pager(from English page - page) - the receiver of a personal call. The pager is designed to receive messages sent over the paging network. In order to send a message to a pager, you need to dial the operator's phone, provide the number or name of the subscriber and dictate the message. Each pager in the System is assigned an individual code that serves as a kind of address through which the transmitted information reaches the desired subscriber. The message for transmission is received by phone or e-mail to the System operator, who sends it over the radio channel to the paging network with the indication of the recipient's individual code. The message can only be received by the pager - the owner of the given code. The volume of transmitted information can reach several hundred characters, the duration of the transmission is several seconds. The pager has a memory that allows you to record received messages and then view them at any time convenient for the user. It is significantly cheaper mobile phone and is very convenient in cases where two-way communication is not necessary, for example, to call emergency teams in case of accidents on power lines, on gas and oil pipelines, to communicate with vacationers at the dacha in the absence of a telephone, to notify residents of coastal villages about an impending storm.

The world's first pager was released by Motorola in 1956. The first pagers were adopted by hospital staff and managers. Then everyone who wanted to be always available got pagers.

In the Russian Federation, pagers were quite popular in the 1990s. In 1993-97. they were a fashion accessory and a sign of success, and in 1997-99. spread almost everywhere and became commonplace. In the early 2000s, due to the proliferation of mobile phones and the decline in the cost of mobile communications and SMS pagers, pagers practically disappeared from use.

Benefits

Paging communication has a number of advantages over cellular communication:

• low cost of communication;
• safety: the absence of a transmitter in the pager (there is only a receiver) makes it difficult to determine the location of the device;
• autonomy: AAA batteries, and rarely AA, lasts about a month of pager operation (with an average intensity of use).
• saving frequency resource: in trunk and cellular networks, one frequency (with a channel width of 25 kHz) has a resource for servicing 25-50 subscribers, in paging - 10-15 thousand subscribers (in POCSAG format) and 40-80 thousand (FLEX).

There is the so-called "two-way paging", which implements the ability to send short messages directly from the subscriber equipment.

Links

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Synonyms:

See what "Pager" is in other dictionaries:

- [eng. pager Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Shaitan box Dictionary of Russian synonyms. pager noun, number of synonyms: 2 auto pager (1) ... Synonym dictionary

I called someone. Zharg. pier About the desire to go to the toilet. Maksimov, 141. To fall / fall on a pager to a coma. Zharg. pier Shuttle. Drink on credit or at someone else's expense. Nikitina 2003, 490. Below the pager. Zharg. pier Shuttle. About hitting below the belt. Maximov, 275 ... A large dictionary of Russian sayings

- [pe], ah, husband. An individual receiver with a display for establishing one-way communication with a subscriber through a computer system. | adj. pager, oh, oh. Pager communication. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

1) signaling radio warning system; 2) communication device. EdwART. Automotive Jargon Dictionary, 2009 ... Automotive Dictionary

pager- pager, pl. pagers, genus. pagers ... Dictionary of pronunciation and stress difficulties in modern Russian

pager- Individual receiving device alphabetically digital information... Themes Information Technology in general EN pager ... Technical translator's guide

PAGER- a portable radio receiver designed to receive speech information with its display in the form of alphanumeric text on the built-in screen (scoreboard). P. has a memory that allows you to memorize and view previously received messages. Each P ... Big Polytechnic Encyclopedia

A device for radio reception of voice messages with their display on the screen (usually liquid crystal) of the built-in display. Serves as a terminal device for the Personal Radio Calling System, works only for reception. Essentially it is ... ... Encyclopedia of technology

- [pe], a; m. [eng. pager from to page call, call]. Miniature wireless device to receive and record text messages. * * * pager (from the English page page), a portable radio receiver designed to receive voice information from ... encyclopedic Dictionary

For a personal call. It is designed so that you can receive small text messages using the paging network. The first pager model was released in 1956 by Motorolla. He immediately gained popularity among couriers, taxi drivers, nurses, in other words, among those people who, on duty, must always be in touch.

What is a pager and what is its history

The most popular pagers were in our country in the nineties. But due to the universal availability and proliferation of mobile phones, these devices have lost demand and have practically disappeared from the lives of citizens.

However, the meaning of the word "pager" is not forgotten today, and you can easily use it in Moscow - just use the services provided by paging companies that are still on the market today. An example is the Vessolink company, which provides services on the territory of Moscow and the region.

How the classic pager works

To send a message, you need to call the operator, give the subscriber's number and dictate text message... It is possible to notify several subscribers at once during group transfer. With a modern pager, you can send messages to your mobile phone or email. If you wish, you can organize hotline or receiving notifications from different points. In general, today there are extensive opportunities for using a pager.

Where are these devices used today?

There is a possibility of using this device in different situations. In addition, a pager is a gadget whose price is much lower than the cost of a mobile phone. Outwardly, it looks like a rectangular parallelepiped with a couple of buttons. It will be easy for everyone to learn how to operate it. Due to the fact that pagers have long gone out of fashion, it is possible to purchase them through private advertisements or paging network operators.

What other areas of use are known

In addition, today the meaning of the word "pager" is somewhat expanded and suggests different functions.

So, in alarm systems, certain device models are used. For example, a GSM pager functions in such a way that when the alarm is turned on, a small text message is sent to it. This is convenient because it gives you time to take action to prevent theft or allows you to keep the contents in a safe.

The small size and convenience of the pager make it a practical electronic device. It is resistant to shock and mechanical stress. Using the pager in accordance with the instructions guarantees a long service life.

Car Alarm Pager

For all the complexity of modern car alarms, only a siren is the most effective factor against a car thief. Many manufacturers can offer devices that significantly increase this spectrum. To do this, you need to understand what a car alarm pager is.

Central locking allows you to simultaneously lock (unlock) all doors in the car. In some it is carried out from any front door. It is also possible to control by means of signaling and external signals "close" and "open". The kit for installing the central locking system is 2 or 4 electronic ones with mounting parts and a control unit. They are installed inside, in the cavity of the doors.

These mechanisms give a reciprocating movement of the rods, transmitting movement to the parts of the door lock. Electrical signals are generated and actuators are driven. The block has inputs to which the corresponding signaling circuits are connected.

The optional bonnet lock is a useful accessory. After opening the hood, the car thief has access to most of the important parts of the car and the alarm system. By turning off the siren, he will be able to quickly remove the alarm and blocking nodes. If an additional lock is installed for the hood, which is opened with a key, and not just with a lever from the passenger compartment, then the actions to open it by the hijacker will become very difficult. Among other things, this lock has an electrical circuit that breaks the ignition.

Power windows are electric drives that lower and raise windows in a car door. They are operated located in the cabin in convenient place... It is possible both jointly and separately to lower and raise the glass.

Pager as part of a car alarm

There is a possibility remote control alarm when a signal is applied to a separate input. There are two types of windows. For external installation, on the surface of the security card on the door, and for installation inside, in the door cavity. One should give preference to one or another of them, taking into account the tastes of the owner and the design of the doors. Most often, the least labor-intensive is the installation of windows from the outside.

In a car alarm system, a pager is a small receiver, the size of half a cigarette pack, which the car owner always carries with him. During the use of the device, a transmitter is connected to the alarm, which is activated when it is triggered.

The radio signals from the transmitter are picked up by the receiver, and if the code of it and the transmitter matches, it is issued by a pager.

Pager alarms - which one is better?

Working distance in urban conditions - from 300 meters to 1 kilometer. Certain manufacturers indicate a distance of up to 5 kilometers, but this range applies to the desert. The pagers, tested by specialists, functioned in two bands - 27 megahertz and 300 megahertz. The transmitter power was 1.5 W and 0.5 W.

The Enforser Cop group gave a longer working distance, but at the same time had requirements for installing antennas. Another Road Star group had more reliable but also more modest characteristics.

Pagers from lineup Secopage-35 not only record the alarm triggering, but also determine its cause by the color of the indication (opening the hood, doors, shock sensor).

When using the pager, it is important to turn off and on the receiver regularly due to the rapid discharge of the batteries. A pager when turned on as a source of radio waves can interfere with some types of alarms. It is difficult to turn off the alarm with a key fob when it is triggered and the pager is turned on. Thus, the best pager alarms come in a wide variety of models.

For fishing

Fans of the bottom fishing method go to various tricks to see the bite in a timely manner. After the appearance of the feeder, it became easier - now, whenever the fish touches the bait, the bite is visible on the top of the rod. The difficulty is that the fisherman does not spend all the time near the fishing rod. In this case, an electric bite alarm will be an assistant. By light, or he will inform the fisherman that the bait has already been swallowed by the fish. Nowadays it is possible to purchase a set of signaling devices with a pager different types... What is a fishing pager should be considered separately.

Choosing the best pager for fishing

All signaling devices operate on the principle of line twitch sensing. When purchasing a signaling device, there may be a pager as an additional convenience. It serves for audible signaling and for remote control of the bite. Thus, a fishing pager is a gadget that allows you to determine the presence of a bite at a distance.

There are many advantages to adding a pager to your annunciator. For example, when there are several tackles and you need to quickly determine which of the several fishing rods is biting. With the help of a pager, the desired fishing rod and the nature of the pull are accurately determined. By adjusting the line signal from one bank to the other, you can determine what is happening under the water.

There are two types of pagers:

• Wired.
• Wireless.

Sometimes electrical signaling devices are connected with wires to a pager. The paging connection will be the best solution... The radius of its action, depending on the company, can be up to 200 meters. Thanks to this opportunity, the fisherman, without missing a bite, can move away, cook food, light a fire, and so on. The pager (see photos in this article) is configured simultaneously with the alarm. If desired, you can lower the volume on the signaling device and set the required volume on the pager.

The best choice would be models with a charging indication for early detection of power shortages. It is very convenient to purchase sets of signaling devices in pairs, complete with a pager. You can buy such a device both in specialized retail outlets and in various online stores.