[comp.dcom.modems] Dowty vs Trailblazer

aris@tabbs.UUCP (Aris Stathakis) (02/12/91)

I believe that in the UK a modem called the Dowty (sp?) that is basically
a re-labled trailblazer.  Could some kind soul out there tell me exactly
what the differences are between the two (besides the name) and if there
are any incompatibilites?

Thanks

Aris

-- 
 Aris Stathakis | Bang: ..!uunet!ddsw1!olsa99!tabbs!aris or aris@tabbs.UUCP
-                                                                          -
-        Never let your schooling interfere with your education.           -

ronald@robobar.co.uk (Ronald S H Khoo) (02/13/91)

aris@tabbs.UUCP (Aris Stathakis) writes:

> I believe that in the UK a modem called the Dowty (sp?) that is basically
> a re-labled trailblazer.  Could some kind soul out there tell me exactly
> what the differences are between the two (besides the name) and if there
> are any incompatibilites?

Dowty will sell you a Telebit with "Dowty" printed on the front.  As
far as I know, only the TB+ is available, and the firmware revision
is old, and modified to conform to Dowty's (stupid) idea of what
the British PTT regulations are.  E.g. no more than 5 failed calls
to any one number in 4 hours (or something like that) and no more than
a dozen or so of such "blacklisted" numbers allowed before the modem
curls up and needs to be powered on and off again.  Bloody ridiculous.
Also, they have a bunch of illiterate monkeys who write their manuals.

But other than that, they're normal Telebits and work as usual.
There's one on my desk.  It's illegal to use a non-Dowty Telebit
in the UK as it won't have a PTT approval sticker on its bottom.
(Doesn't stop them working though, I'm told :-)

Oh, and the markup is pretty gross as well.
-- 
Ronald Khoo <ronald@robobar.co.uk> +44 81 991 1142 (O) +44 71 229 7741 (H)

peter@micromuse.co.uk (Peter Galbavy) (02/15/91)

In article <1991Feb13.154145.4473@robobar.co.uk> ronald@robobar.co.uk (Ronald S H Khoo) writes:
>the British PTT regulations are.  E.g. no more than 5 failed calls
>to any one number in 4 hours (or something like that) and no more than
>a dozen or so of such "blacklisted" numbers allowed before the modem
>curls up and needs to be powered on and off again.  Bloody ridiculous.
>Also, they have a bunch of illiterate monkeys who write their manuals.

IMO - totally pointless, just gives agravation. (sp?)

>But other than that, they're normal Telebits and work as usual.
>There's one on my desk.  It's illegal to use a non-Dowty Telebit
>in the UK as it won't have a PTT approval sticker on its bottom.
>(Doesn't stop them working though, I'm told :-)

Oh, what makes you say that ? ;-)

>
>Oh, and the markup is pretty gross as well.

Wrong words - sick would be closer. You could (if it were not for BABT
approval problems) bring them in at almost retail and still make a
sick margin to beat Dowty on price. Off the top of my head - they now
have the T2500 equivalent available at 1400 pounds (about $US 2800 now
!). That's sick.

-- 
Peter Galbavy

Writing at Home, but working for Micromuse Ltd, who don't even know I
am posting, and probably don't care, so this ain't nothing to do with
them... But if you must, call me daytime on +44 71 352 7774. **BEEP**

garvey@johnny5.uucp (Joe Garvey) (02/17/91)

> Wrong words - sick would be closer. You could (if it were not for BABT
> approval problems) bring them in at almost retail and still make a
> sick margin to beat Dowty on price. Off the top of my head - they now
> have the T2500 equivalent available at 1400 pounds (about $US 2800 now
> !). That's sick.

I'm sorry, I don't beleive this. 1400 pounds cannot equal 2800 US dollars.
I don't have the financial section handy, but ...

That would mean  1 pound = .5 US dollar. Last I remember it was more
like 1 dollar = 1.35 pounds (I can actual remember a time when it was over
2 pounds to the dollar). Assuming I'm some where in the ball park (+/- 30
cents)... Then 1400 pounds ~= 1037 US dollars.

This is about what you'd pay in the US... though it's below list price
from Telebit (last time *I* asked), it's slightly above what the market
price is. Considering transport to the UK from Sunnyvale California, then
it might be reasonable.

Question: Is it 100 pence to a pound? What fraction is a quid (sp?)?


-- 

Joe Garvey                       uucp: sumax!ole!johnny5!garvey
J5 Research                      registration has been sent in, though we're
Bothell, Wa.                     not in the maps yet.

bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion) (02/18/91)

In article <1991Feb16.205454.21893@johnny5.uucp> garvey@johnny5.uucp (Joe Garvey) writes:

>> Wrong words - sick would be closer. You could (if it were not for BABT
>> approval problems) bring them in at almost retail and still make a
>> sick margin to beat Dowty on price. Off the top of my head - they now
>> have the T2500 equivalent available at 1400 pounds (about $US 2800 now
>> !). That's sick.
 
>I'm sorry, I don't beleive this. 1400 pounds cannot equal 2800 US dollars.
>I don't have the financial section handy, but ...
 
>That would mean  1 pound = .5 US dollar. Last I remember it was more
>like 1 dollar = 1.35 pounds (I can actual remember a time when it was over
>2 pounds to the dollar). Assuming I'm some where in the ball park (+/- 30
>cents)... Then 1400 pounds ~= 1037 US dollars.

Wednesdays close had 1 pound at $1.992.  Thursday was slight lower.  I
wouldn't quibble over 8/10th of a cent.  I think it also crossed the $2.00
point earlier in the week.

As of Wednesday 1400 pounds was equal to $2797.20 American.  You'd better
believe it.

The dollar is NOT a healthy item.

-- 
Bill Vermillion - UUCP: uunet!tarpit!bilver!bill
                      : bill@bilver.UUCP

tony@mwuk.UUCP (Tony Mountifield) (02/18/91)

In article <1991Feb16.205454.21893@johnny5.uucp> garvey@johnny5.uucp (Joe Garvey) writes:
.....
> > have the T2500 equivalent available at 1400 pounds (about $US 2800 now
> > !). That's sick.
> 
> I'm sorry, I don't beleive this. 1400 pounds cannot equal 2800 US dollars.
> I don't have the financial section handy, but ...
> 
> That would mean  1 pound = .5 US dollar.

No, it would mean 1 pound = 2 US dollar (just divide both numbers by 1400 :-)

>                                          Last I remember it was more
> like 1 dollar = 1.35 pounds (I can actual remember a time when it was over
> 2 pounds to the dollar). Assuming I'm some where in the ball park (+/- 30
> cents)... Then 1400 pounds ~= 1037 US dollars.

Ummm, I think you're remembering upside-down. Currently, the pound buys
somewhere between $1.90 and $2.00. The lowest the pound got to (sometime
in the last few years) was around $1.10 or just under, I believe. In the
dim and distant past, I think a pound could buy $4 or more.

> This is about what you'd pay in the US... though it's below list price
> from Telebit (last time *I* asked), it's slightly above what the market
> price is. Considering transport to the UK from Sunnyvale California, then
> it might be reasonable.

Well it does illustrate the heavily-loaded price over here.

> Question: Is it 100 pence to a pound? What fraction is a quid (sp?)?

Yes, 100 pence = 1 pound. A quid is just a slang word for a pound (like
buck is for dollar).

> Joe Garvey                       uucp: sumax!ole!johnny5!garvey
> J5 Research                      registration has been sent in, though we're
> Bothell, Wa.                     not in the maps yet.

Tony.
-- 
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pjmp@gec-rl-hrc.co.uk (Peter J M Polkinghorne) (02/20/91)

In article <269@mwuk.UUCP> tony@mwuk.UUCP (Tony Mountifield) writes:
>In article <1991Feb16.205454.21893@johnny5.uucp> garvey@johnny5.uucp (Joe Garvey) writes:
>.....
>> > have the T2500 equivalent available at 1400 pounds (about $US 2800 now
>> > !). That's sick.
>> 

Just a quick price update - they are now on sale from a distributor Logitek
at 1100 pounds and UKUUG members get a 30% discount - so with a bit of haggling
things should not look quite so horrendous.

But the usual rule of thumb for US equipment (eg Suns) is $1 = 1 pound. So
get rich sell stuff to us!

Peter Polkinghorne