tom@pdx.mentor.com (Tom Ace @ PCB x2021) (09/30/89)
GTE used to install modular jacks wired so that the polarity would be the opposite of what was standard in Bell areas. (I noticed this in several instances, all residential service jacks in California in the early 1980s. I have no idea what they're doing nowadays.) A friend once moved from a Bell area to a GTE area and figured that his '70s-vintage WE touch-tone phone had gotten damaged in the move, because it wouldn't make tones any more. (I saw that he was dialing by making pulses with his finger on the switchhook.) I told him what the story was and swapped tip and ring in the jack for him. Tom Ace tom@sje.mentor.com ...!mntgfx!sje!tom
tad@ssc.UUCP (Tad Cook) (10/04/89)
Regarding Tom Ace's piece on GTE lines being wired backwards, it is not that they are always reversed, it's just that they don't care...because the AE phones have polarity guards. This is one of the tests built into the Proctor test systems for GTE. As part of the dial test, it checks with reversed and normal polarity. That way the installer never has to worry about whether the jack is wired reversed or not. It also means that on older offices with reverse answer supervision that the phone could still do end-to-end DTMF signalling. Tad Cook tad@ssc.UUCP
macy@hal.uucp (10/05/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0421m04@vector.dallas.tx.us> you write: >GTE used to install modular jacks wired so that the polarity would be >the opposite of what was standard in Bell areas. I used to work for GTE Ohio (something I seldom admit in public). They have never paid much attention to line polarity. All the 80 sets they used to rent/sell had polarity guards. They did not teach polarity in their training classes, except for PBX's and data circuits (which are normally done by a special class of installer, anyway) We have to instruct GTE to straighten out the polarity on their interface jacks to the phone systems we install. And we have to call them back regularly to fix lines they've flopped in routine repairs. We never, ever have this problem with Ohio Bell. Macy Hallock fmsystm!macy@NCoast.ORG F M Systems, Inc. hal!ncoast!fmsystm!macy 150 Highland Dr. uunet!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!fmsystm!macy Medina, OH 44256 Voice: 216-723-3000 X251 Disclaimer: My advice is worth what you paid for it. Alt.disclaimer: Your milage may vary. Biz.disclaimer: My opinions are my own. What do I know?