[comp.dcom.telecom] conference calls

dp@JASPER.PALLADIAN.COM.UUCP (04/16/87)

    Date: Mon, 13 Apr 87 10:01:52 EDT
    From: dave%lsuc%math%math.waterloo.edu@RELAY.CS.NET

    I have two lines at home, one normally used for a modem. Of
    the 4 wires in any jack, red & green hook up the main line and
    yellow & black (if connected to red & green on the phone) hook
    up the second line.

    I'm curious to know whether I can construct something which will
    let me achieve conference calling by using both lines -- the
    electronic equivalent to holding the mouthpiece of one phone to
    the earpiece of another, I guess.  In other words, if I'm at home
    talking to my wife on one line and our broker on the other, can
    I do something which will let them hear each other as well as me?

    I realize I can get conference calling from the phone company;
    I'm curious as to whether I can do it with what I already have.

    David Sherman	dave@lsuc.UUCP
    Toronto
    -- 
    { seismo!mnetor  cbosgd!utgpu  watmath  decvax!utcsri  ihnp4!utzoo } !lsuc!dave

some cheap two line phones have this as a feature. (I got mine from some sleazy mail
order house whose name escapes me) the problem with the cheap ones, is that they have
no buffer amp, so engaging the feature costs 6db. This was more featurefull than the
telco conferencing, as that prohibits certain revenue beating combinations. (It is
impossible for you to conference two incoming calls with telco conferencing, as it is
possible to beat tolls with this arrangement)

<dp>