From: Sean Kreck (seankreck4tag@fiber-net.com)
Subject: Re: Space1999: Ring Around The Moon
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 00:55:47 -0400
Hi all..
I have a question.. In a few episodes you see duel video screens inside
glass domes.. What are these ?? They look like phone booths but with
ComPosts, why would you need phone booths ?? Any thoughts ??
Sean.......................:)
From: LKJ1999@aol4tag.com
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 06:34:29 EDT
Subject: Re: Space1999: Ring Around The Moon
They used phone booths, to call friends & family...
Chas P. LKJ1999
From: "Robert Ashley Ruiz" (cybrarian@cybrary1999-4tag.com)
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 23:58:23 +0000
Subject: Re: Space1999: Ring Around The Moon
They're visitor video phones for moon-to-Earth communication. Never
used in the series. I think they're labeled as "video phones" on the
stage floorplan in The Making of Space: 1999.
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 18:32:29 +0000
From: Mike Lynch (Mike-Lynch@big44foot.com)
Subject: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
I was just watching EARTHBOUND last night (one of my all-time favorite
episodes), and the recent questions/comments about the video phones have
prompted a few questions on my part.
Now the general consensus among everyone is that the video phones were used to
contact Earth in a manner not unlike that shown in 2001. In EARTHBOUND
Simmons uses his Commlock to communicate with Earth (or at least tries to),
and in BREAKAWAY Koenig has a conversation with an Earth-based Simmons via the
Comm Post in his office. ...So why have the video phones? Even if the phones
were for inter-base communication they always seem to appear within 10 feet of
a Comm Post which would serve the same purpose plus have the added benefit of
computer access, chronometer readings (that would be the clock), and the handy
area guides that are on top of the unit. What does the video phone have?
...a slightly covered monitor. Yes, the viewing area on the video phone is
larger than that available on the Comm Post, but it would be like being
offered to use a typewriter over a computer - which would you chose?
The vid. phones are a nice touch to the scenery of Moonbase Alpha, but really
seem to offer no practical use. Perhaps they were carry-overs from the
pre-Comm Post days of the base. Maybe the addition of Comm Posts didn't occur
until 1996 (if memory serves we saw Comm Posts in DRAGON'S DOMAIN), and the
vid. phones were kept around as secondary units, or were just over looked.
This may explain their position in relation to the Comm Posts: since Alphan
personnel would be used to vid. phones being located at specific areas of the
base why confuse matters by constructing Comm Posts elsewhere? Just add them
in the same areas. Not to mention that a great many Comm Posts are located at
hallway intersections.
Mike
From: "Robert Ashley Ruiz" (cybrarian@cybrary1999tag.com)
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 17:55:00 +0000
Subject: Re: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
> 2001. In EARTHBOUND Simmons uses his Commlock to communicate with
> Earth (or at least tries to), and in BREAKAWAY Koenig has a
> conversation with an Earth-based Simmons via the Comm Post in his
> office. ...So why have the video phones? Even if the phones
For the use of "civillian" visitors.
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 19:12:07 -0400
From: Dave Walsh (voidspider@mind44spring.com)
Subject: Re: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
There is a protocol for having the vidphones for contacting Earth in
addition to the Comm Posts: it's called "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY". Sure, you
can get in touch with Earth by Commlock or Comm Post, but those are only
for official channels. Just like in the military, there are regular phones
all over the base, but if you have to call home for anything that isn't
official military business, you had to use the pay phone in the hall! The
same ought to apply to Alphan personnel! If you want to make a call to
Earth about official business, you go to a Comm Post; if it's a personal
call to the family, use the Vidphone!
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 18:15:44 -0500
From: Kevin Hayes (khayes@sei44data.com)
Subject: Re: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
Hello,
I would think that the video phones were probably used by people who were
not permanently assigned to Alpha. Maybe the comm posts in pre-breakaway
days were only allowed to be used by authorized personnel. So the folks
who were just visiting needed a way to talk to friends, family and
colleagues back on earth. Then of course after breakaway since everyone in
a sense was authorized they did away with the requirement.
Just a thought
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 16:42:04 -0700
From: James Smith (jsmith@n44cube.com)
Subject: Re: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
Mike,
I have a few possible explanations for the inclusion of video phones:
1. As I recall, the phones had some sort of clear plastic bubble over the
screen. This may have provided more privacy than comm posts, which are far
from private (being located in the center of corridors and such).
2. I don't recall seeing a vid phone in operation, but perhaps they offered
color screens rather than the monochrome of comm posts.
3. Comm posts may have been unique to Alpha, and hence visitors to the base
may have been unfamiliar with their operation. Perhaps the video phones
were standard on Earth. Also, in the set weren't they located near the
travel tube stop? If they are intended primarily for base visitors, it
would have make sense to locate them there.
4. Comm Posts may have been exclusively for official Moonbase
communications. Since the comm posts and commlocks seemed to be tied to the
main computer, perhaps it recorded all transmissions as part of record
keeping (much as your company likely archives all the e-mail you send and
receive). The vid phones would have been out of this system, making them
appropriate for personal, private use. Before Breakaway, perhaps Moonbase
personnel were required to pay for personal communications (perhaps they
were even installed by a telephone company, like a pay phone).
5. As I recall, comm posts had 5 or 6 select buttons, not a full keypad
that one would need to connect to a tele/vid phone on Earth. Perhaps it was
possible to use the vid phones for direct access to phones on Earth,
whereas the comm posts would require the intervention of communication
personnel to route calls to Earth (like an overseas operator). It seems
unlikely that communications personnel would have the time to be routing
personal calls (see #4).
Does anyone have other ideas?
James Smith
From: Atomic Possum (atomicpossum@toast4tag.net)
Subject: Re: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 18:51:13 -0500
I would assume that the video phones were for the same purpose as 2001:
ordinary, commercial/personal communication. Its basically the same reason
that they have pay phones on military bases...for the personnel to make
calls home on, or to do their particular non-official-business stuff
on.....I mean, they don't use military channels to call home on, do they?
Jon "Mr. Wonderful" Stadter
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 22:38:57 -0400
From: Patricia Embury (Patriemb@sprint44mail.com)
Subject: Re: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
> There is a protocol for having the vidphones for contacting Earth in
> addition to the Comm Posts: it's called "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY". [....] The
> same ought to apply to Alphan personnel! If you want to make a call to
> Earth about official business, you go to a Comm Post; if it's a personal
> call to the family, use the Vidphone!
I could go along with this explanation, but one lagging question remains in my
mind. If comm posts were located in each of the resident quarters, then why would
they restrict use to official business. There didn't seem to be a great deal of
those 'dome phones' for lack of a better term, and I would think the lines to use
them would be disruptive. They may have been holdovers from old technology.
This Ring Around The Moon thing: Well, I had a revelation. You know those
soap suds they used during Space Brain? Well, it wasn't just the Space Brain.
There was a lot of leftover Wisk the Alphan laundry used to get rid of the Ring
Around The Moon.....
BWHAA BWAHAAAA (maniacal laughter)
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 23:23:16 -0400
From: Dave Walsh (void44spider@mind44spring.com)
Subject: Re: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
>I could go along with this explanation, but one lagging question remains in my
>mind. If comm posts were located in each of the resident quarters, then why would
>they restrict use to official business.
The Comm Posts were more than just a communications center, they were
also computer interfaces.
> There didn't seem to be a great deal of
>those 'dome phones' for lack of a better term,
>and I would think the lines to use them would be disruptive.
Not if you consider that there were only a little over 300 people on
Alpha at the time, and the personnel were internationally diverse, so not
everyone will be using the vidphones at the same time (Time zones, don'tcha
know? ;-) ).
From: "Sean Kreck" (sean44kreck@fiber-net.com)
Subject: Re: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 02:06:14 -0400
Hi All,
I'm impressed that my little question about the domed video phones has
prompted such a response.. It's what makes being on this list fun and worth
it.. Thanks to all of you for your responses..
Sean
P.S. Has anyone seen Brent Smith ??
From: "Robert Ashley Ruiz" (cybrarian@cybrary1999-4tag.com)
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 07:23:41 +0000
Subject: Re: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
Donald wrote:
> I always thought the "Vidphones" were for use by visiters to
> moonbase that would'nt be issued a Comlock. A modern version of an
> internal phone network.
Actually, I believe it was intended that everyone who arrived was
issued a commlock -- they just had different rights/levels of
capability programmed in. Visitors would need a commlock for
communication in case of emergency, to enter (open/lock) their
quarters, to be paged, etc. Take it from someone who has a digital
phone -- it's hard to give up that convenience once you have it, and
the tiny size makes it easy to get used to real fast.
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 03:25:47 -0500
From: Donald Hayunga (miramar@escape4tag.ca)
Subject: Re: Space1999: Video Phones... Why?
Mike;
I always thought the "Vidphones" were for use by visiters to moonbase that
would'nt be issued a Comlock. A modern version of an internal phone network.
Don