TELECOM Digest Thu, 16 Dec 93 01:07:00 CST Volume 13 : Issue 820 Inside This Issue: Moderator: Patrick A. Townson Book Review: "Ecolinking" by Rittner (Rob Slade) Executone CPI - Far Too Expensive? (Harry Skelton) Need Information on T1's and Equipment (Lee Havemann) Dedicated Line Provivsioning Systems (Yohan) 5ESS Questions (Tom Ace) NEC Information Needed (Antonio Saponaro) Cellular Phone on a PC Board (Filippo Tripiciano) Low-Bandwidth Speech (Ulrich Neumann) Magazine Contacts Wanted (Brian Combs) Help Wanted Restoring WECO '64 Six Button Set (Thomas P. Brisco) Call For Papers and Panel Session Proposals (Bing Gao) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of public service systems and networks. Subscriptions are available at no charge to qualified organizations and individual readers. 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You can reach us by snail mail at Post Office Box 1570, Chicago, IL 60690 or Fax at 1-708-329-0572. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 16 Dec 93 15:22 -0600 From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "Ecolinking" by Rittner BKECOLNK.RVW 931117 PeachPit 2414 6th St. Berkeley, CA 94710 510-548-4393 fax: 510-548-5991 800-283-9444 "Ecolinking", Rittner, 1992, U$18.95/C$23.95 donr@aol.com 70057.1325@compuserve.com drittner@uacsc1.albany.edu Working in computer virus research, I can have a lot of sympathy with those involved in the environmental movement. Both fields can be relatively unpopular. Both suffer from the fact that a "critical mass" of concerned individuals cannot often be gathered in one place. Both fields are multi-disciplinary, and require input from experts in a variety of fields. The only reason the virus research community has survived at all, is because of computer communications networks. It is quite reasonable to assume that computer networks would be of help to the environmental activist, wherever located. Rittner's book, indeed, gives numerous examples and case studies of computer links giving victory to the environmental side -- sometimes just in the nick of time. It is both introduction and resource for those who are interested in using the new computer communications tools in their ecological work and study. Part one (or, more accurately, chapter two) is an introduction to "The Basics" of getting online, dealing briefly with modems, communications software, and communications functions. Very briefly. As noted in chapter one, those involved with computers will find nothing new here. Newcomers, however, are advised to take the advice of chapter one and find a local friend for help. You are unlikely to get online successfully, with only this as your guide. As far as it goes, however, it is a reasonably good primer, with only a few idiosyn- cracies such as "8-0-1" for what most online people would call "8N1". I was happy to see a mention of virus checking, although, since most ecological researchers would be primarily interested in information, some discussion of data versus program files might be in order. Still, I suppose it's best to err on the side of caution. I was also pleased to note the brief discussion of online etiquette. Given the strong emotions involved in the environmental movement this could be quite important. It is difficult to see why parts two, three and four are separate parts. Certainly there are differences in price, interface and availability, but functionally, the similarities are greater than the differences between bulletin boards, networks and commercial services in regard to communications and access to information. Quarterman's "The Matrix" (cf. BKMATRIX.RVW) is obviously admired: its structure has also been copied. This is appropriate to a technical reference work, but, for the computer communications neophyte, a structuring of features, with discussions of the differences, by system, might have been more helpful. As it is, the VAX and Mac specific references may occasionally confuse the reader using other systems. To be fair, though, Rittner has obviously worked hard to try and keep technical matters as generic as possible. The US-centric listings of systems and access may be more of a problem for international readers. Part five, "Libraries That Never Close," demonstrates to a certain extent the enormous quantity of information now available either online or on disk. The appendices are rather odd. The first lists communications software, and states that many are cheap or free. Kermit, however, which is available (basically) free for any system, is listed only for the Mac. Appendix B is a list of Internet mailing lists with an environmental bent. Very useful -- but the Fidonet, BITNET and Usenet lists are printed within their respective chapters. Appendix C lists gateway services that provide access to the nets, this time *definitely* US-centric, while D is a sample BBS session. The most useful part of the book will likely be the listings of various environmental Fidonet "echoes," BITNET "listservs," Usenet "newsgroups," and Internet distribution lists. While these tend to be somewhat ephemeral, the wealth of research done here will quite possibly save you years, in getting linked into the proper channels. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993 BKECOLNK.RVW 931117 Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of TELECOM Digest and associated mailing lists only. DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 DECUS Symposium '94, Vancouver, BC, Mar 1-3, 1994, contact: rulag@decus.ca ------------------------------ From: zorba@netcom.com (Harry Skelton) Subject: Executone CPI - Far Too Expensive? Organization: USS Enterprise Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1993 22:30:03 GMT A bit ago our Executone rep. gave us a quote of $17,000 for software/hardware to allow our computer to access and control the Executone system directly via a Computer Port Interface (CPI). This, in my opinion, is far too expensive. This considering that it cost us $20,000 for the system. I was told directly that the cost involved is more involved in granting us permission to access and control the system than it is for software or hardware to allow this. Not being of a deep telcom background, the company found this cost ludirous. Especially since we OWN the system and it only cost us $20k in the first place. My questions are: 1. Is there a way I can gain control over the CPI without Executone's 'help'. 2. Is there an inexpensive, T1 capable, 30 phone system available that would allow us to control it? Something cheaper than the $17k? 3. Has anyone delt with Executone on this issue? If so, what happened in your environment? 4. Are there other Executone offices that might give me a better price or is this a case of proprietary schemes raised to the limits? i.e. I'm SOL? Many thanks!! Harry Skelton - 1848 Beaver Dam Lane - Marietta, Georgia - 30062 404-590-7100 or 800-366-8181 Work -- 404-578-8085 Home skelton@jdp.dragon.com ------------------------------ From: Lee Havemann Subject: Need Information on T1's and Equipment Date: 15 Dec 93 12:54:33 EST Organization: HSH Associates We are faced with the possibility of having to install a T1 on our premises, and as I am not familiar with this technology, I thought I would turn to the net for help. We would be averaging approx 50,000 minutes/month over a T1, of which 12 lines would go do a dedicated fax broadcast system. The system (using gammaLink hardware) is supposedly T1 ready. The other 12 lines would go into a Premier 24/60 phone system which is not equipped for T1. Our phone carrier says we need two channel banks, one at their POP, and one at our location to make this work. My questions: Where can I get some more info on T1's and related equipment? What do these channel banks do? Are they just a kind of digital to analog converters? Why do I need _2_ channel banks? Can I buy these channel banks from another source (preferably cheaper than paying $500/month lease from our LDC?) Does anybody else out there have any T1's installed who can answer these (and other :-) questions for me? Any info would be gratefully appreciated! Lee Havemann, Comp Ops Dir. HSH Associates (201) 838-3330 Internet: lee@hsh.com Compuserve: 70410,3507 AOL: HSH Assoc "Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of anyone else, including myself." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 14:30:00 PST From: Yohan Subject: Dedicated Line Provivsioning Systems I am doing a study on dedicated line provisioning systems (Fractional T1, T1, T3 ). I am looking for information regarding relevant services offered by IXCs, RBOC or CAPS, the cycle times involved for provisioning and some information regarding the underlying provisioning processes and systems. If anyone can answer some of these questions or point me towards some sources I would appreciate it. Thank you in advance. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 16:30:57 -0800 From: tea@netcom.com (Tom Ace) Subject: 5ESS Questions A recent article (in a magazine not noted for thoroughgoing and authoritative reporting) discussed the White House phone system, and included the following statement: Now, stuffing a 5ESS in the White House basement would have been impressive and it would have given the Clinton Administration the telecommunications power of a city roughly the size of New York, give or take a couple of boroughs. Sensing overkill, the Clinton administration went with the cheaper Definity G3R PBXs. Could someone knowledgeable about the 5ESS please tell me: 1) I assume that a 5ESS can be had in different configurations, suitable for different numbers of subscribers. What's the minimum number of lines appropriate for a 5ESS installation, and what's the maximum number of lines a 5ESS could be configured for? 2) Does it even make sense to suggest a 5ESS for a PBX application like the White House? Tom Ace tea@netcom.com ------------------------------ Subject: NEC Information Needed Date: Thu, 16 Dec 93 1:50:37 CET From: Antonio Saponaro I'm looking for technical informations about Nec cellular telephones, like service manuals and programming tips. Can anyone help me? Antonio Saponaro ------------------------------ From: phil@sibilla.it56.bull.it (Filippo Tripiciano ) Date: Wed, 15 Dec 93 11:49:34 MET Subject: Cellular Phone on a PC Board I'm looking for a PC board (possibly AT compatible) that provides a direct connectivity to a cellular phone line. In fact, what I'm really trying to do is to build a system that connect to a remote site (using cellular phone network) without having a modem connected to a cellular phone device. Any help would be appreciated. :-) Please answer by e-mail. My correct e-mail address is: f.tripiciano@it56.bull.it Filippo Tripiciano BULL HN Italia Voice: +39-2-6779 2553 Via del Parlamento 33 FAX: +39-2-6779 2439 ------------------------------ From: neumann@cs.unc.edu (Ulrich Neumann) Subject: Low-Bandwidth Speech Date: 15 Dec 1993 20:31:38 GMT Organization: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Does anyone have knowledge of very low bandwidth speech communications systems? I'm looking for <10K bits/sec technology for toll-quality speech. Please email pointer to algorithms and/or hardware to: neumann@cs.unc.edu Thanks, UN ------------------------------ From: combs@quadralay.com (Brian Combs) Subject: Magazine Contacts Wanted Date: 15 Dec 1993 22:19:21 GMT Organization: Quadralay Corporation If anyone has any information about the following magazine (i.e. contact info, whether they are still publishing, etc.) I would be very grateful if you would e-mail the information to me. The list is as follows: Sun World PC Week Communication Week Communications of the ACM Computer World Data Communication Datamation Information Week EDN Electronic Design Electronic Products Electronics EDN News ECN Electronic News EE Product News I would prefer e-mail over a response posting as I do not normally read TELECOM Digest. However, I am perfectly willing to forward information I receive to interested parties. Thanks, Brian Combs Tel: 512-346-9199 Fax: 512-794-9997 Quadralay Corporation FTP Address: ftp.quadralay.com combs @ quadralay.com WWW Server: www.quadralay.com ------------------------------ From: brisco@hercules.rutgers.edu (Thomas P. Brisco) Subject: Help Wanted Restoring WECO '64 Six Button Set Date: 15 Dec 93 21:30:48 GMT Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. During a "rotary unit decom" sweep last summer (yes, we're just getting rid of all of the old rotary units) I managed to get my paws on a six button rotary set -- the bottom is marked "565HK 2-64" - presumably 1964 unit, and some of the guts bear this out. (BTW: Can anyone fill me in on the 565HK bit?). What is odd (or odd to me) about this unit is that the push button/lights are round -- not square. Anyway, I just (today) came across a "harmonica" to RJ11 converter for this beastie (one Radio Shack claimed to not have them, another had it on the wall -- go figure) so I can hook my conventional home lines into it. I get tone and can dial fine, but the bell and appropriate light doesn't work. I took off the shell, and the internals had been modified (pretty badly -- it's hard to tell if it's Bell work or not :-) for a RJ11. (I can't get anything if I plug my line into that - but I'm not concerned there). There appears to have been about four wires moved off of the wiring block in there -- does anyone know where I can get schematics for this puppy? I'd dearly love to hear that old jangle again, blinkey lights are, of course, a thrill. I've got an old 30-or-so button set also, which I can cannibalize if necessary (though I'd like to get that working -- if only for kicks). While I'm here; the unit is a bit dirty, and has some of the required "911/Emergency" sticker on it (which gives you a clue how recently it was used :-). Any hints on cleaning this thing? I'm reluctant to throw chemicals on it. Additionally, I'd like to get new paper inserts for the dial and buttons -- any clue on those? (BTW: I just took apart the handset, it looks like wax paper in the speaker, and the inside of the speaker cap is marked 2-64 also -- so I don't believe it's been refurb'd). From the top: 1) Schematics for WECO '64 era 6 button set? 2) Suggestions on cleaning the plastic/metal? 3) Where to get new paper inserts? (Maybe I'll just ask my local repair person) Thanks for any pointers/tips ... The dial and face-plate are metal, but the handset and casing are _heavy_ plastic -- was this at the beginning of the "plastic era"? Can anyone recommend any books that might detail the construction of the phones over the years? While this one is pretty nice, I think a '50's period piece would be even nicer. It adds a nice bit of charm to my den. [Moderator's Note: All the six button (five line plus hold) phones until sometime in the 1960's had round buttons rather than square ones. I think your phone is made of very hard rubber rather than heavy plastic. Does it have a curly cord between the handset and the phone or a straight cord? Straight cords were used until about the same time, and cloth cords (as opposed to rubber covering) were also common until during the 1950's. The phone you have also requires a control box (a rather big, ugly unit) which hangs on the wall nearby *if* you want the hold button to work and the lights to flash when the phone rings or a line is put on hold. Obviously you can wire five lines into it if you don't mind doing without hold and the lights. The other thing you can do is modify it a little so you use the six buttons to handle *three* lines with a hold button for each line. i.e. line one, line one hold; line two, line two hold; and line three, line three hold. You don't need the control box for that, just re-arrange the wires in the phone itself so each of three lines goes to two buttons, but with every other button terminated right there and *not* getting back to the receiver. Then, you also have to do a little surgery and castrate the phone -- cut those balls out from up in front under the buttons. See the little ball-bearings under the buttons which slide back and forth, forcing one button to rise when another is pressed down, and see how the hold button on the left end is spring loaded so it comes back up anyway when pressed? Maybe button six has the same spring loading in it in the event the former owner was using one of the lines for ICOM and the last button for the ICOM signal. Fix those so that *two* or more buttons can be made to stay down at the same time, i.e. line 'x' hold-path and line 'y' talking-path. Basically what you will then have is the GTE (Automatic Electric) ver- sion of a multiline phone from the 1940-50 era since theirs had three lines and three hold buttons. For extra points, pick up a DC transformer at Radio Shack and fix things so those buttons at least light up when you are off hook on one of them (or on hold on one of your three lines if you go that way) even if you can't get them to flash in rythmn with the ringing cadence lacking the control box. If you prefer, get a few neon test lamps; they'll sit there on the line without causing any disturbance since they don't illuminate until they get 90 volts or so. Squeeze one behind each of the six buttons or at least behind the buttons with lines. That will cause your buttons to flash when the associated line rings (but not stay lit while you are talking). Have fun and report back to us, y'hear? Those old phones can make such great hobbyist kits on their own merits. PAT] ------------------------------ From: gaob@azalea.cis.ufl.edu (Bing Gao) Subject: Call For Papers and Panel Session Proposals Date: 15 Dec 1993 22:00:22 GMT Organization: Univ. of Florida CIS Dept. CALL FOR PAPERS and Panel Session Proposals COMPSAC 94 The Eighteenth Annual International Computer Software and Applications Conference Conference: November 9 - 11, 1994 International Convention Center, Taipei Professional Development Seminars: November 7 - 8, 1994 Science and Technology Building, Taipei The conference is a major international forum for researchers, practioners, managers and policy makers interested in computer software and applications as well as software industry. Original papers and panel session proposals on various research and practical aspects as well as future trends are invited. It is anticipated that leaders and experts from industry, academia and governments will participate in the program. The following topics are examples of sessions planned for the conference. Special sessions facilitating the presentation of timely results from the industry will be arranged for those papers with presentation material only. * Software Development and Maintenance Paradigms and Environments * Software Quality Assurance, Process Improvement and Maturity Models * Software Reliability, Security and Safety * Risk Assessment and Management of Large-Scale Software Projects * Re-engineering, Reverse Engineering, Reuse and Customization * Software Metrics and Modeling * Software Development for Distributed and Parallel Processing systems * Co-design of Hardware and Software for Application Specific Systems * Interoperability in Systems and Tools * Large-Scale Software System Integration * Formal Methods * AI Tools and Techniques * Data and Knowledge Bases * Computer-Aided Support for Document Preparation * Advances in CASE * Interactive Computing and Groupware * Multimedia Systems and Virtual Reality * Software Engineering Education * Applications: Government Services, Telecommunications, Banking Systems, Health Care, Entertainment, Consumer Electronics. * Industry Trends: Downsizing, Outsourcing, Off-Shore Software Support. * Legal and Social Issues of Computer Software Information for Authors for formal papers (included in the proceedings): * Mail six copies of an original (not submitted or published elsewhere) paper (double space) of 3000-5000 words. * Include the title of the paper, the name and alliiation of each author, a 150-word abstract and no more than 8 keywords. * Include the name, position, address, telephone numbers, and if possible, fax numbers and e-mail address of the author responsible for correspondence of the paper Information for Authors for providing presentation material only: ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ * The presentation material of all accepted papers in this category will appear in a bound conference record. * Mail six copies of an original paper with the title and a 300-word abstract to the Program Chair. * Include the name, position, address, telephone number, and if possible, fax number and e-mail address of the author responsible for the correspondence of the presentation. Information for Panel Organizers: * Send six copies of panel proposals to the Program Chair. * Include the title, a 150-word scope statement, proposed session chair and panelists and their affiliations and locations, the organizer's affiliation, address, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail address. IMPORTANT DEADLINES: * March 1, 1994 all papers and panel proposals due * April 1, 1994 panel organizers notified of acceptance * April 20, 1994 organizers of accepted panel proposals provide final information on session chairs and panelists * May 16, 1994 au;thors notified of acceptance * July 12, 1994 camera-ready copies of accepted papers and panelists' position papers to be included in the conference proceedings due * September 20, 1994 camer-ready copies of presentation material of accepted paperd to be included in the conference record due Program Chair C. V. Ramamoorthy University of California at Berkeley Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A. Tel: 1-510-642-4751 Fax: 1-510-642-5775 e-mail: ram@cs.berkeley.edu Conference Chair Yun Kuo Institute for Information Industry 11th Floor, 106 Hoping E. Road, Sec. 2 Taipei (10636), Taiwan For further information, contact: Stephen S. Yau COMPSAC Standing Committee Chair University of Florida Department of Computer and Information Sciences 301 Computer Science and Engineering Building Gainesville, FL 32611, U.S.A. Tel: 1-904-392-1211 Fax: 1-904-392-1220 e-mail: yau@cis.ufl.edu Sponsored by IEEE Computer Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., and hosted by the Institute for Information Industry. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V13 #820 ****************************** Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253