TELECOM%usc-eclb@brl-bmd.UUCP (07/19/83)
TELECOM AM Digest Tuesday, 19 July 1983 Volume 3 : Issue 40
Today's Topics: Bell System Batteries
The Day Bell System Died
PABX Help Wanted
Office Names (CEdar, Etc.)
Atari Modem, A/C On Local Calls
212A Modems, EAX, Etc.
Office Names (CEdar, Etc.)
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Date: Mon, 18 Jul 83 00:28:52 PDT
From: jlapsley%D.CC@Berkeley
Subject: Bell System Batteries
When the power goes out, the local Bell operating companies have
two standby sources of power. One of the sources is battery power,
and the other is standby diesel (and gas turbine) generator power.
Bell batteries are similar to automotive batteries, but are
designed for long discharge times, such as hours, while car batteries
are made to deliever high currents for a few seconds. The cells are
also designed to last longer than car batteries, for, say, about 15
years. They come in sizes ranging from 100 to 7000 ampere-hour
ratings.
What all this boils down to is that there is usually enough battery
power to provide three to eight hours of operating time. The
generators are normally idle, and are started after an outage of
power, and assume the load of the C.O., while at the same time
recharging the batteries.
In small C.O.'s, the stand-by generator may not exist. Instead,
the batteries are set up such that they can provide power for up to 24
hours, and a generator will be brought in if the power utility decides
it wants to be out for longer than a day.
-- Summarized from "Engineering And Operations
In The Bell System".
Phil
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Date: 18 Jul 1983 0258-CDT
From: Clive Dawson <CC.Clive@UTEXAS-20>
Subject: The Day Bell System Died
To: vortex!lauren@LBL-CSAM
Bravo, Lauren!! What a great song! You should immediately switch
careers and become a recording star--this is top-40 material for sure!
Seriously, are you placing any restrictions on its distribution? I'd
love to send a copy to the Texas PUC to aid their consideration of the
latest rate increase request...
Clive
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Date: Mon 18 Jul 83 09:42:22-EDT
From: Charles B. Weinstock <Weinstock%TARTAN@CMU-CS-C.ARPA>
Subject: PABX Help Wanted
Tartan Labs is about to replace it's phone system (currently a Mitel
SX100). We have been talking to several vendors, but so far have not
identified a state of the art system that is impressive enough to
commit to. Basically we want the following features:
- Capable of expanding to 1000+ lines over time without throwing away
our investment.
- Fairly econmical to configure at the 100 to 200 line level.
- Capable of supporting non-switch hook feature control (we HATE the
switch hook convention).
Additionally, it would be nice if the phone system could act as a cost
effective front end to our various computer systems. Such a front end
would:
- Allow true 9600 baud connections.
- Allow the user to put one computer connection "on hold" while
connecting to another.
So far, all of the switches we have looked at are too expensive for
data connections (a Micom, for example, would be more cost effective),
and are missing one of the above features.
Does anyone out there have a pointer to systems we should consider?
We've talked to American Bell, Rolm, Northern, and NEC.
Chuck
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Date: Mon Jul 18 1983 10:02-EDT
From: Dennis Rockwell <drockwel@BBN-Vax>
Subject: Re: office names (CEdar, etc.)
To: Carl Moore <cmoore@brl-vld>
I remember having the phone number 617-CEdar 8-3386 20 years ago in
North Easton, MA. I have no idea what the origin of the name was; I
was much too young to care (which is why I remember the number; it was
drilled into me).
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Date: Mon, 18 Jul 83 07:41:13 PDT
From: jmrubin%Coral.CC@Berkeley
Subject: Atari modem, a/c on local calls
I have a VICMODEM (on a Commodore '64) which also connects
between headset and phone base. I think the problem may be with
phones that have their dialing mechanism in their headset. These
phones will instantly hang up if you disconnect the headset. By the
way, you can connect the modem directly to the phone line (you have to
make up a cord) at the loss of some fidelity. Commodore sells an
adaptor for their modem, so it can be used with phones which are not
full modular. I don't know if this is anything but a passive Y-cord.
The cost is about $15.
Subject: A/C on local calls
You do have to dial an area code on local calls between 415
and 408, as from about September, last year. You don't have to dial
1+ yet, in most of the 415 area, and in the immediate San Jose area in
408. You also have to dial the area code on local calls from 415 to
707. (e.g. Martinez-415-228,229,372 to Bencia, 707-745 and 746) By
the way, Pittsburgh, CA's Eastern section (415-458) and I think one or
2 other 415 exchanges have 1+ dialing. I think a local call from
Crockett to Vallejo would be interpreted as a long distance call from
Crockett to Berkeley without the area code 707.
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Date: 18 Jul 1983 1039-PDT
Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V3 #38
From: Ian H. Merritt <MERRITT@USC-ISIB>
Re: RICK@MC's comments:
I think the 212A format is in fact 300 baud QPSK (4 bits per baud).
EAX, if I recall correctly, stands for Electronic Automatic
X[switch]ing, and is GTE's entry into the market of electronic
telephone equipment. It is similar in concept, but not particularly
so in implementation.
About wiring documentation, I don't know.
<>IHM<>
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Date: Mon, 18 Jul 83 18:01 EDT
From: Axelrod.wbst@PARC-MAXC.ARPA
Subject: Re: office names (CEdar, etc.)
To: Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) <cmoore@brl-vld.arpa>
Yes, indeed, (516) 239 was originally CEdarhurst 9. That was my phone
number when I moved to Cedarhurst in 1948, at age 11. It wasn't 516
in those days, either, because DDD and the NPA hadn't happened yet.
When I dial my folks, I still think "CE 9", rather than "239".
Art Axelrod
Xerox Webster Research Center
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End of TELECOM Digest
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