bmk@mvuxi.att.com (Bernard Mckeever) (08/30/89)
Patrick: This is my first attempt to post to any of the news groups
so I hope this gets to you in one piece. I have enjoyed this group
for the last 3 months but decided to hold back before posting. I
am sometimes amazed that so many people take the telephone network
for granted, but unless you are directly involved in telephony
factual information is hard to come by. For the last 20 years I
have been involved in many aspects of the telephone business and
would be happy to share experences and also pass on technical
information to clear up several mistakes I have noticed from time
to time. The overall quality and knowledge of this group is remarkable
considering most of the readers are in computer software related fields.
Of course we have been saying for years the the phone network is
the largest computer in the world. Keep up the Good Work.
A SHORT ARTICLE FOLLOWS
I have to second, or maybe third or forth by now, the
recommendation to visit a Step By Step [SXS] office while they
are still around. The stepper is a wonderful machine that was
actually fun to work on and the descriptions that were provided
bring back fond memories. I can't provide details of how to
arrange a visit, but, if you know someone at the local Telco ask
them to take you around the office, this always works for me. If
your lucky enough to go through at night when the traffic is
light, you can hear calls as they proceed from line finder to
selectors to connectors. One of the best trouble shooting tools
of the stepper switchman is a good ear. It also helps to have
good eye sight, SXS offices tend to be very dark.
Today most remaining SXS offices have evolved far enough to
provide Touchtone service, and use digital transmission systems
for interoffice communications. Way back when, the only modern
features you could get with a stepper were number hunting,
[rotary or level] and toll diversion if you were in a PBX
selector group. Of course you could always have a 1, 2, or 4
party line and in some cases 8 party rural service, not to
mention message rate service. Yes indeed, bending relays, oiling
switches, and adjusting wipers, what fun. And who could ever
forget digit absorbing selectors, rotary out trunk selectors
[ROTS], E-2 repeaters, level hunt connectors, and the brush
replacement routines for the ringing machines and motor
generators. No rectifiers for that tough switch.
And what a marvel the power room is. For the life of me I don't
know why some people were afraid to work in one. Just remember to
use only brass tools around the counter cells, we wouldn't want
one of those things blowing up and sending glass all over the
place. And please be careful when adjusting the load contactors
and the gear driven EM switch, no use losing a finger over a
simple task. If you want to wear a tie please tuck it in your
shirt when working on any equipment with moving parts. And last
of all, don't forget the rubber gloves aprons and your face
shield when measuring the specific gravity of the batteries. As
for all them copper bars and 600 amp fuses, don't worry it's only
48 volts.
For anybody that does not understand what I'm talking about, or
who remembers parts of SXS switching but not the rest, take
heart. If desired I will provide all the detail you ever needed
in 10 or 15 short easy lessons, about one every few weeks.
REMEMBER ESS MEANS EVENTUALLY STEP X STEP
Bernie McKeever
508-960-6289
[Moderator's Note: Well Bernie, some people say factual information is hard
to come by here in the Digest also! :) In any event, welcome to TELECOM
Digest; Usenet et al...and do contribute on a regular basis. PT]