--------------------
Blue Box
--------------------
THIS IS THE TONE MATRIX FOR A BOX WHICH GENERATES TONES THAT
OPERATORS USE TO DIAL.ROTARY WORKS AS WELL, ON OPERATOR LINES,
BUT THIS IS TECHNOLOGICAL(!). NOW I AGREE WITH THE OPINION OF A
WELL KNOWN PHREAK THAT 'BOXING' IS/WILL BE FOR THE MOST PART
DEAD, BUT THIS IS TRADITION... FIRST,YOU DIAL DIR.ASST, OR AN
OPER. ETC, THEN YOU BLAST TE LINE WITH A 2600HZ TONE. THIS GIVES
YOU THE LINE, THIS IS ALSO HOW MA BELL TRACKS DOWN BLUE
BOXERS... THERE ARE 2600HZ DETECTORS SYSTEMS, AND EVEN ON OLD
#4 CROSSBARS... ONCE ON A OPER.TRUNK LINE, YOU USE YOUR BLUE
BOX/ROTARY TO DIAL... SO, IF YOU USE2600HZ, WHICH IS
NECESSARY, UNLESS YOU ARE *VERY* CAREFUL, YOU WILL BE SNAGGED.
FINALLY, THIS IS WHAT YOU READ!SO LONG AND HARD FOR:
700 : 1 : 2 : 4 : 7 : 11 :
900 : + : 3 : 5 : 8 : 12 :
1100 : + : + : 6 : 9 : KP :
1300 : + : + : + : 10 : KP2 :
1500 : + : + : + : + : ST :
: 900 : 1100 : 1300 : 1500 : 1700 :
USE KP TO START A CALL, AND ST TO STOP, WITH THE BELOVED 2600HZ
TONE TO DISCONNECT. I ALSO HEAR THAT 2600HZ RESETS SPRINT NODES
AND GIVES YOU THEIR INITIAL TONE.. NOW, IF YOU'RE WONDERING
ABOUT WHAT TO CALL FROM AN OPERATOR TRUNK, HERE ARE SOME GOODIES
TO HELP YOU OUT: XXX+101 - TOLL SWITCHING XXX+121 - LOCAL
OPERATOR XXX+131 - INFORMATION XXX+141 - RATE & ROUTE XXX+181 -
COIN REFUND OPERATOR XXX+11501 - MOBILE OPERATOR XXX+11521 -
MOBILE OPERATOR XXX+11511 - CONFERENCE OPERATOR
THESE WORK WITH ROTARY OR OPERATORS TONES, BUT ONLY ON OPER.
TRUNK LINES...
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Blue Boxes, Part II
While reading the fine article on the blue box I saw that
there a lot of data left out of the document. I hope this adds,
in some small way, to the information.
First the tones. While all the informatio is correct, the
timing specs were not included. The tone pairs are to remain on
for 1/10 sec. with 1/10 sec. of slience between digits. The 'KP'
tones should be sent for 2/10 sec. A way to defeat the 2600hz
traps is to send along with the 2600z some pink noise(most of
the energy in this signal should be above 3000hz, this signal
won't make it over the toll network, but should carry as far as
your local toll center) so that the traps won't find 'pure'
2600hz on the trunk. Ths is not a perfectly safe way to box,
but it should slow down the discovery.
As to use, the first thing you need to understand is that
there are two(2) types of toll completing trunk, inward and
outward. The names are reference to the ofice that is switching
the call(The toll center that serves the WATS line you called)
and each type of trunk has a different class of service. From an
inward toll completing trunk, you can reach the different service
operators, the toll test board and the Inward Operator. Some
offices also allow remote testing and it is in these offices that
you can access the outward toll completing trunks. The Outward
trunks allow you to make Verification(emergency) calls, do
service monitoring(tapping), stack trunks(busy out all trunks
between LA and NYC), enable and disable TSPS positions, and in
some cases(on some 4A's) issue temporary rerouting instructions(
send all calls from LA to NYC via Miami, Boston, or any other
class 5 office or offices). Both type of trunk allow you to
place a 'standard' call with a box.
In some offices, mostly the small ones with a toll test
board that is unattended at night and on weekends, you can get an
outward toll completing tUh oh...
--------------------
[{-=:*> ASSORTED <*:=-}]
[{-=:*> BOX FREQUINCES <*:=-}]
(=)=(=)=(=)=(=)=(=)=(=)=(=)=(=)=(=)=(=)
BLUE BOX FREQUENCIES:
2600 HZ - USED TO GET ON/OFF TRUNK
TONE MATRIX TO USE AFTER 2600 HZ.
700: 1 : 2 : 4 : 7 : 11 :
900: + : 3 : 5 : 8 : 12 :
1100: + : + : 6 : 9 : KP :
1300: + : + : + : 10 : KP2 :
1500: + : + : + : + : ST :
900 :1100 :1300 :1500 : 1700 :
USE KP (1700+1100) TO START A CALL AND
ST (1500+1700) TO STOP. USE 2600 HZ TO
DISCONNECT.
--------------------
WE ALL KNOW THAT THE TOUCH TONES FREQUENCIES ARE COMPOSED
OF TWO TONES (TWO DIFFERENT FREQS.) SO THAT IS THE REASON
WHY WE HAVE 2 VCO'S ( VOLTAGE CONTROLLED OSCILLATORS). WE
WILL CALL THESE VCO#1 AND VCO#2. IF YOU HAVE NOTICED
VCO#1 AND VCO#2 ARE EXACTLY THE SAME TYPE OF CIRCUITS.
THAT IS WHY ONLY ONE WAS DRAWN. BUT REMEMBER THAT WHATEVER
GOES FOR VCO#1 ALSO GOES FOR VCO#2. BOTH VCO'S ARE COMPOSED
OF A HANDFULL OF PARTS. ONE CHIP TWO CAPACITORS 2 RESISTORS
AND FIVE POTENTIOMETERS. ALL OF THIS WILL GIVE YOU (WHEN PROPERLY
CALIBRATED) ONE OF THE FREQS. NECESSARY (THE OTHER ONE WILL
COME FROM VCO#2) FOR THE OPERATION OF THE BB. BOTH OF THESE
FREQS. WILL BE MIXED IN THE SPEAKER THUS FORMING THE REQUIRED
TONE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED DESIGNS I HAVE EVER MADE.
WHY?. BECAUSE OTHER DESIGNS WILL DRAIN THE BATTERY AFTER 10 -
CALLS! THIS DESIGN WILL MAKE THEM LAST 10 MONTHS!!!!!!. BUT
NEVERTHELESS DON'T FORGET TO PUT IN A SWITCH FOR ON AND OFF.
OK LET'S BUILD THE TWO VCO'S AND CALIBRATE THE UNIT BEFORE
WE GET TO THE KEYBOARD CONTRUCTION.
VCO CONTRUCTION
=== ===========
TOOLS REQUIRED
1 OSCILLOSCOPE (RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED)
1 FREQ. COUNTER (REQUIRED)
1 VOLT METER " " "
ELECTRONICS TOOLS (PLIERS, DRILL, SCREWDRIVERS, ETC)
PARTS
R1 1.5K RESISTOR 5%
R2 1K RESISTOR 5%
C1 .1UF ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITOR 16VDC
C2 .01UF ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITOR (MYLAR) 16VDC
IC1 2207 VCO CHIP BY EXAR ELECTRINICS
REMEMBER THE ABOVE IT IS ONLY FOR VCO#1 BUT THE SAME GOES FOR
VCO#2.
R3-R4 150 OHM RESISTORS 5%
C3-C4 .1 UF ELECTROLITIC CAPACITOR 10VDC
P1-P10 200K TRIMMER POT - 20 TURNS
DIODES USED IN THE KEYBOARD ARE 1N914 TYPE (40 OF THEM)
AND 13 SWITCHES FOR THE KEYBOARD SPST. MOMENTARY.
SPKR= YOU CAN USE A TELEPHONE SPEAKER FOR THIS(IT WORKS BEST)
BUT REMEMBER TO TAKE OUT THE DIODE THAT IS CONNECTED
ACCROSS IT.
****************************************************************
IMPORTANT NOTES
1 DO NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE THAN A MYLAR CAPACITOR FOR C2
2 PINS 10,9,8 SHOULD BE TIED TOGETHER AND BE LEFT FLOATING.
3 ALL RESISTOR SHOULD BE 5%! NOTHING ELSE
4 A TELEPHONE SPEAKER GIVES THE BEST RESULTS
*****************************************************************
TROUBLE SHOOTING
BY NOW YOU SHOULD HAVE CONSTRUCTED THE TWO VCO'S
ON A BREAD BOARD OR ANYTHING THAT PLEASES YOU.
CHECK FOR COLD SOLDER JOINTS, BROKEN WIRES, POLARITY
OF THE BATTERY, ETC.........
BEFORE WE APPLY POWER TO THE VCO'S WE HAVE TO ADJUST THE POTS
FOR THEIR HALF WAY TRAVEL POINT. THIS IS DONE BY TURNING THEM
21 TURNS TO THE RIGHT AND THEN 10 TURNS TO THE LEFT. DO THE
SAME FOR ALL TEN OF THEM.
NOW APPLY POWER TO THE UNIT CHECK TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE POWER
IN THE CHIPS BY PUTTING THE POSITIVE LEAD OF YOUR VOLT METER
ON PIN 7 AND THE NEGATIVE LEAD ON PIN 12. IF YOU DON'T HAVE
ANYTHING THERE TURN OFF THE UNIT ANT RECHECK THE WIRING.
WHEN YOU GET THE RIGHT VOLTAGES ON THE CHIPS, CONNECT A
DIODE TO A PIECE OF WIRE (LOOK AT FIG. 2 FOR THE ORIENTATION
OF THE DIODE) FROM GROUND TO ANY POT AT POINT T (LOOK CAREFULLY
AT THE SCHEMATIC FOR POINT T IT IS LABELED T1-T10 FOR ALL POTS)
YOU SHOLD BE ABLE TO HEAR A TONE, IF NOT DISSCONNECT THE LEAD
AND PLACE THE SPEAKER CLOSE TO YOUR EAR AND IF YOU HEAR A CHIRP
LIKE SOUND, THIS MEANS THAT THE TWO VCO'S ARE WORKING IF YOU DON'T,
IT MEANS THAT EITHER ONE OR BOTH OF THE VCO'S IS DEAD.
SO IN THIS CASE IT IS ALLWAYS GOOD TO HAVE AN OSCILLOSCOPE ON HAND.
DISCONNECT THE SPEAKER FROM THE CIRCUIT AND HOOKUP THE OCILLISCOPE
TO ONE OF THE LEADS OF THE SPEAKER AND THE GROUND FROM THE SCOPE
TO THE GROUND OF THE BATTERY. CONNECT AGAIN THE GROUND LEAD
WITH THE DIODE CONNECTED TO IT FROM GROUND TO ANY POT ON THE
VCO THAT YOU ARE CHECKING AND YOU SHOULD SEE A TRIANGLE WAVE
IF NOT TURN THE POT IN WICH YOU ARE APPLYING THE GROUND TO
QUNTIL YOU SEE IT. WHEN YOU DO SEE IT DO THE THE SAME FOR THE
OTHER VCO TO MAKE SURE IT IS WORKING. (AMPLITUDE IS ABOUT 2VAC)
WHEN YOU GET THE TWO VCO'S WORKING YOU ARE SET FOR THE ADJUSTMENT
OF THE INDIVIDUALS POTS...
ADJUSTMENT
DISCONNECT THE SPEAKER FROM THE CIRCUIT AND CONNECT A FREQ.
COUNTER (THE POSITIVE LEAD OF THE COUNTER TO ONE OF THE SPEAKERS
LEADS THAT BELONGS TO VCO#1 OR CONNECT IT TO PIN 14).
CONNECT THE NEGATIVE LEAD TO THE BATTERY NEGATIVE AND
CONNECT THE JUMPER LEAD WITH THE DIODE FROM GROUND TO POT NUMBER 1
T1 .( THE FIRST POT NUMBER 1 POINT T1)
IF YOU GOT IT WORKING YOU SHOULD HEAR A TONE AND GET A READING ON THE
COUNTER. ADJUST THE POT FOR A FREQ. OF 1700HZ AND CONTINUE DOING THE
SAME FOR POTS 2-5 EXCEPT THAT THEY GET DIFFERENTS FREQS.
P1= 1700HZ
P2= 1300HZ
P3= 1100HZ
P4= 900HZ
P5= 1500HZ
NOW DISCONNECT THE FREQ. COUNTER FROM THE SPEAKER LEAD OF VCO#1 OR
FROM PIN 14 (WHICH EVER YOU HAD IT ATTACHED TO AT THE BEGINNING) AND
CONNECT IT TO THE SPEAKER LEAD OF VCO#2 OR TO PIN 14 OF VCO#2 AND
PERFORM THE SAME ADJUSTMENTS TO P6-10.
P6= 1100HZ
P7= 700HZ
P8= 900HZ
P9= 2600HZ MAGIC NUMBER!!!!!
P10= 1500HZ
WHEN YOU FINISH DOING ALL OF THE POT GO BACK AND RECHECK THEM
AGAIN.
KEYBOARD
IF YOU LOOK AT FIG-2 YOU WILL SEE THAT THE KEYS ARE SIMPLE SWITCHES
CONNECTED TO GROUND AND TWO DIODES ON THE OTHER END. THESE DIODES
ARE USED TO SIMPLIFY THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE KEYBOARD BECAUSE OTHERWISE
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE GROUND SIGNAL FOR BOTH VCO'S WOULD HAVE BEEN
DONE MECHANICALLY. ONE DIODE WILL GO TO VCO#1 AND THE OTHER WILL GO TO
VCO#2. FIG-3 SHOWS THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE KEYS ON THE KEYBOARD.
DBELOW IS A TABLE THAT WILL HELP YOU CONNECT
THE KEYS TO REQUIRED VCO'S POTS.
TO TO FREQ OUT FREQ OUT
KEY POT ON VCO1 POT ON VCO2 PIN 14 VCO1 PIN 14 VCO
C 1 6 1700 1100
0 2 10 1300 1500
E 1 10 1700 1500
1 4 7 900 700
2 3 7 1100 700
3 3 8 1100 900
4 2 7 1300 700
5 2 8 1300 900
6 2 6 1300 1100
7 5 7 1500 700
8 5 8 1500 900
9 5 6 1500 1100
X - 9 ---- 2600
***********************************************************************
* REMEMBER THAT FIG-2 IT IS THE SAME FOR EACH KEY EXCEPT THE "X" WHICH*
* ONLY TAKES ONE DIODE. *
***********************************************************************
AS A FINAL WORD YOU CAN BUILD THIS IN ANY TYPE OF ENCLOSURE
AND SHOULD NEVER BE USED TO MAKE FREE CALLS USING THE TELEPHONE
LINES. I HOPE THIS BULLETIN WILL CLEAR ANY QUESTION YOU MAY
HAD ON THE BLUE BOXES.
KEY
===
FIRST A FEW KEYS TO THE DIAGRAM:
CX IS CAPACITOR #X DENOTED BY: ---] ]---
PX IS POT OR VARIABLE RESISTOR #X DENOTED BY :/
\
/<--
\
RX IS RESISTOR #X DENOTED BY /\/\/\/\
SCHEMATICS
==========
THE XR-2207 CHIP IS A VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED OSCILLATOR AND A 14
PIN DEVICE TH
US YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN SOLDERING THE PARTS
TO THIS DEVICE. IT IS A LITTLE DIFICULT TO ACTUALLY DRAW A
SCHEMATIC ON A 80 CHARACTER SCREN USING LIMITED GRAPHICS BUT WILL
GIVE IT A TRY.
TO GND_____________
]
___
C2 C3 ___
']]' ]
] ] _____]__9V+
] ] ] ]
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ]
------------------------------- ]
]7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ] ]
] < ]
]8 9 10 11 12 13 14] ]
------------------------------- ]
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ]
] ] ]
--] ]--------] ] ]
]C1 R2 ] R1 ]
GND ______]___/\/\/\/\______]_____/\/\/\/\______]
THIS IS A DIAGRAM OF HOW TO LOCATE THE DIFFERENT PINS ON THE
CHIP PLEASE NOTICE THAT PIN ONE IS THE CLOSEST TO THE NOTCH ON TOP
OF THE CHIP. THE FIRST THING WE'LL DO IS TO CONNECT POWER TO THE
CHIP (REMEMBER THAT YOU NEED TO BUILD TWO OF THESE TO GET A
COMPLETE SYSTEM) THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY CONNECTING THE POSITIVE
WIRE OF THE BATTERY LEAD TO PIN 1 ONE LEG OF R1 AND R2 IS SOLDER
TO PIN 11 THE OTHER LEG OF R1 GOES TO PIN 1 OR TO THE POSITIVE OF
THE BATTERY. THE OTHER LEG OF R2 GOES TO GROUND, C1 GOES BETWEEN
PIN 10 AND GROUND.
THE TIMING CAPACITOR OR C2 GOES BETWEEN PINS 2 AND 3 OF THE CHIP
PINS 8 AND 9 SHOULD BE GROUNDED TO GROUND. PIN 14 IS THE OUT PUT
AND THIS IS WHERE ONE LEG OF C4 (C3 GOES ON THE OTHER VCO) IN
SERIES WITH R3(THE SAME GOES FOR THE OTHER VCO) AND TO ONE LEAD
OF THE SPEAKER.
THE TRIMMER POTS P1 TO P10 SHOULD BE GROUPED IN GROUPS OF 5
POTS EACH. THE WAY YOU GROUP IT IS BY SOLDERING ONE END OF THE
POT TO EACH OTHER LEAVING THE WIPER AND THE OTHER END FREE.
] THIS END GOES TO PIN 6 OF THE CHIP
]
_____________]_____________
/ / / / /
\ \ \ \ \
/<- /<- /<- /<- /<-
\ ] \ ] \ ] \ ] \ ]
/ ] / ] / ] / ] / ]
] ] ] ] ]
] ] ] ] ]
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5
AND FINALLY THIS IS THE WAY EACH KEY SHOULD BE WIRED.
DIODE
TO PX ------>]-----] THIS IS THE CONTACT OF THE KEY
]--------- \------
TO PX ------>]-----] ]
DIODE ]
-----
--- GROUND
-
--------------------
This Blue Box is based on the Exar 2207 Voltage Controlled Oscillator.
There are other ways to build Blue Boxes, some being better and some not as
good, but I chose to do it this way. My reason for doing so: because at the
time I started this project, about the only schematic available on BBS's was
the one written by Mr. America and Nickie Halflinger. Those plans soon (in
about 90 seconds) became very vague in their context with a couple in-
consistencies, but I decided to "rough it out" using those plans (based on the
Exar 2207 VCO) and build the Blue Box using that as my guide. During the
construction of the Blue Box, I decided to type-up a "more complete and clear"
set of Blue Box schematics than the file that I based mine on, in order to help
others who may be trying/thinking of building a Blue Box. I hope these help.
Note: You should get a copy of the Mr. America/Nickie Halflinger Blue Box
plans. Those plans may be of help to anyone who may have difficulty
understanding these plans. Also, these plans currently do not support CCITT.
+---------------------------------+
| Why should I build a Blue Box ? |
+---------------------------------+
Many of you may have that question, and here's my answer. Blue Boxing was
the origin of phreaking (excluding whistling). Without the advent of Blue
Boxes, I feel that some of the advances in the telecommunications industry
would've taken longer to develop (The need to stop the phone phreaks forced
AT+T Bell Laboratories to "step up" their development to stop those thieves!).
There is no harm in building a Blue Box (except the knowledge you will
gain in the field of electronics). Although there are software programs (Soft
Blue Boxes) available for many micro's that will produce the Blue Box
Multi-Frequency (MF) tones, they are not as portable as an actual Blue Box (you
can't carry your computer to a telephone, so you must use it from home which
could possibly lead to danger).
Many phreaks are announcing the end of the Blue Box Era, but due to
discoveries I have made (even on ESS 1A and possibly ESS 5), I do not believe
this to be true. Although many people consider Blue Boxing "a pain in the
ass", I consider Blue Boxing to be "phreaking in its' purest form". There is
much to learn on the current fone network that has not been written about, and
Blue Boxes are necessary for some of these discoveries. The gift of free fone
calls tends to be a bonus.
Note: Blue Boxes also make great Christmas gifts!
+---------------------------------------+
| Items needed to construct a Blue Box. |
+---------------------------------------+
Here is the list of items you will need and where you can get them. It
may be a good idea to gather some of the key parts (the chips, and especially
the potentiometers, they took about 6 months to back order through Digi-key. A
whole 6 fucking months!) before you start this project. Also, basic
electronics tools will be necessary, and you might want to test the circuit on
a bread board, then wire-wrap the final project. Also, you will need a box of
some sort to put it in (like the blue plastic kind at Radio Shack that cost
around $5.00).
Note: An oscilliscope should be used when tuning in the
potentiometers because the Bell system allows
only a 7-10% tolerance in the precision of the
frequencies.
Qty. ItemPart No.Place
---------------------------------------------------
1 | 4 x 4 Keypad|| Digi-Key
6 | Inverter Chip| 74C04|
32 | Potentiometer||
1 | 4-16 Converter Chip| 74LS154|
1 | 16 Key Decoder| 74C922|
2 | 2207 VCO| XR2207CP | Exar Corp.
3 | .01 uf Capacitor | 272-1051 | Radio Shack
5 | .1 uf Capacitor | 272-135| Radio Shack
2 | 1.5K Ohn Resistor || Radio Shack
2 | 1.0K Ohm Resistor || Radio Shack
1 | Speaker|| From an old Autovon fone.
1 | 9 Volt Battery|| Anywhere
The resistors should be a +/- 5% tolerance.
The speaker can be from a regular telephone (mine just happened to be from
an old Autovon phone). But make sure that you remove the diode.
The Potentiometers should have a 100K Ohm range (but you may want to make
the calculations yourself to double check).
The 9-volt battery can be obtained for free if you use your Radio Shack
Free Battery Club card.
The Exar 2207 VCO can be found if you call the Exar Corp. located in
Sunnyvale, California. Call them, and tell them the state you live in, and
they'll give the name and phone number to the distributor that is located
closest to you. The 2207 will vary from about $3.00 for the silicon-grade
(which is the one you'll want to use) to about $12.00 for the high-grade
Military chip.
Note: When you call Exar, you may want to ask them to send you the
spec-sheets that gives greater detail as to the operation and construction of
the chip.
+-------------------+
| Schematic Diagram |
+-------------------+
+--------------++-------------+
| 1 2 3 A || Figure #1 |
| 4 5 6 B |+-------------+
| 7 8 9 C || Logic Side |
| * 0 # D |+-------------+
++-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
1 | 3 | 5 | 7 |(VCC)
| 2 | 4 | 6 | 8(+5 Volts) +----+
| | | < u | | |[+]| _|_
| | | | | | | ||| \_/GND
+--+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+----++--+----------+---+
| 2 | 11| 10| 7 | || 147 |
(.01C) | | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 12+------+1|
+--||---+513+------+2 (*74C04*) |
_|_||||
\_/GND |(*74C922*)|+-----------------+
+--||-+6|
|(.1C)||
_|_ ||
\_/GND | 9 17 16 15 14 18|
+--+--+--+--+--+---+--+
| | | | | |
_|_ A B C D |
GND\_/ | | | | [+] (VCC)[+] (VCC)
| | | |(+5 volts) | (+5 volts)
| | | ||
-------+--+--+--+------------------+-----------------
|23 22 21 202418+-+
+-----+12| +--+
||(*74LS154*)19+-+ _|_
_|_ || \_/
\_/GND | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 | GND
+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-+--+--+--+--+--+--+----+
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (Connects)
| +---------->
+------------------------+ | (Figure 2)
|+--++-------+
|| ||
+--+-------+--+-------+---+
| 3--|>o--4 5--|>o--6 |
| (Invtr.) (Invtr.) |
+---------------+7|
_|_|(*74C04*)|
GND\_/ (VCC) [+]--+14|
(+5 volts) ||
+-------------------------+
+-------------+_
| Figure #2 |/ |
+---+-------------+----++----------------+ |
| Tone Generation Side |_|_| | SPKR
+----------------------+GND\_/ +---+--+---+ |
| |\_|
| |
| | +---------------+
+-------+| | ||
|_|_| +--+14|
|\_/GND|| (Repeat of) |
||| (First) |
----- (.1C)|| (Circuit) |
-----|||
||| (*XR2207CP*) |
|+-----------------+ | +--+6|
||| | | ||
[+]-----+-------+114+--+ | +---------------+
(VCC)||+--------------------+
(+9 Volts) +----+2||
| |12+---------------------+|
(.01C) ----- ||_|_ |
----- | (*XR2207CP*) |\_/GND |
| ||1.5K Ohms|
+----+311+---+---\/\Rx/\/---+--+|
|| || _|_ |
|| +---\/\Rx/\/---+ \_/GND |
||1.0K Ohms|
|10+----+|
+-------------+69+----+---+|
||8+----+ ||
|||----- (.1C)|
|+-----------------+-----|
+---------+_|_+----------+
|| Pot.GND\_/ Pot. ||
|\/\/\/\/--+-----------------------\/\/\/\/|
|1400 Hz. |1600 Hz.|
+---------+|+----------+
|| Pot. |Pot. ||
|\/\/\/\/--+----------------+------\/\/\/\/|
|1500 Hz. ||900 Hz.|
||||
|14 more||14 More|
| Potentiometers ||Potentiometers |
|in this||in this|
| area left out ||area left out|
| for simplicity ||for simplicity |
||||
||||
|
(Connects) |
<-------------+
(Figure 1)
+-------------------------+
| Multiplex Keypad System |
+-------------------------+
First, the multiplex pattern used in the 4x4 keypad layout. I suggest that
keys 0-9 be used as the Blue Box's 0-9 keys, and then you can assign A-D, *, #
keys to your comfort (ie. * = Kp, # = St, D = 2600, and A-C as Kp1, Kp2 or
however you want).
Note: On your 2600 Hz. key (The D key in example above)
it may be a good idea to tune in a second
potentiometer to 3700 Hz. (Pink Noise).
KeypadKey Assignments Multiplex Pattern
+---------+ +-------------+ +------------+
| 1 2 3 A | | 1 2 3 4 | | 1 2 3 A |----Y1=8 X1=3
| 4 5 6 B | | 5 6 7 8 | | 4 5 6 B |----Y2=1 X2=5
| 7 8 9 C | | 9 10 11 12 | | 7 8 9 C |----Y3=2 X3=6
| * 0 # D | | 13 14 15 16 | | * 0 # D |----Y4=4 X4=7
+---------+ +-------------+ +------------+
| | | |
X1 X2 X3 X4
+----------------------+
| Blue Box Frequencies |
+----------------------+
This section is taken directly from Mark Tabas's "Better Homes and Blue
Boxing" file Part 1.
Frequenies (Hz) Domestic Int'l
----------------------------------
700+90011
700+110022
900+110033
700+130044
900+130055
1100+130066
700+150077
900+150088
1100+150099
1300+150000
700+1700ST3pCode 11
900+1700STpCode 12
1100+1700KPKP1
1300+1700ST2pKP2
1500+1700STST
2600+3700*Trunking Frequency*
Note: For any further information about the uses or duration of the
frequencies, read the Mark Tabas files.
+----------------+
| Schematic Help |
+----------------+
This is the Key to the diagrams in the schematic. I hope that they help
more then they might hurt.
_|_
\_/GND is the Ground symbol
| |
---| |-- is the Capacitor symbol
| |(.1C) stands for a .1 uf Capacitor
(.01C) stands for a .01 uf Capacitor
|
-----
-----is another Capacitor symbol
|
--\/\Rx/\/-- is the Resistor symbol (The 1.5K Ohm and 1.0K Ohm
Resistors are at +/- 5% )
---+
|
\/\/\/\/-- is the Potentiometer symbol (The frequncies I supplied
above are just examples.)
--|>o--is the Inverter symbol
+------------+
| Conclusion |
+------------+
This is just one way to build a Blue Box. If you choose this way, then I
hope this file is adequate enough to aid you in the construction. Although
these are not the best plans, they do work. This file does not tell you how to
use it or what to do once it's built. For that information I mention that you
read Mark Tabas's "Better Homes and Blue Boxing" files, or any other files/BBS
subboards that deal with that realm.
If you need help, I sluggest (thanks for that one Taran) that you ask a
close friend, possibly an electronics teacher, or a phreak friend to help you.
Also, if you need help or have questions or comments about this file, you can
address them to me. I can be contacted through the LOD/H Technical Journal
Staff account on the boards listed in the Intro, or on the few boards I call.
+-------------+
! Credentials !
+-------------+
At last, this article would not be possible without the help of the
following people/places whom contributed to it in one way or another (it may
not be apparent to them, but every minute bit helps).
Deserted Surfer (Who helped immensly from Day 1 of this project.)
(Without his help this file would not be.)
Mark Tabas(For the BHBB files which inspired my interests.)
Nickie Halflinger (For the original Blue Box plans I used.)
Mr. America(For the original Blue Box plans I used.)
Lex Luthor
Cheap Shades
Exar Corp.
Lastly, I would like to thank the United States government for furnishing
federal grants to this project. Without their financial help, I would have had
to dish out the money from my own pocket (Approximately $80.00. Egads!)
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VCO CONSTRUCTION
TOOLS REQUIRED
1 ocilliscope(optional but not req)
1 Freq. counter (REQUIRED)
1 Volt meter " " "
Electronics tools (Pliers, drll, screwdrivers, etc.)
PARTS
R1 1.5K RESISTOR 5%
R2 1K RESISTOR 5%
C1 .1uf ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITOR 16VDC
C2 .01uf " " (MYLQR) 16VDC
C1 2207 VCO CHIP BY EXAR ELECTRONICS
Remember the above only says VCO#1 but the same is for VCO#2
R3-R4 150 OHM RESISTORS 5% .
C3-C4 .1 uf ELECTROLITIC CAPACITOR .
10VDC .
P1-P10 200K TRIMMER POT - 20 TURNS DIODES USED IN THE KEYBOARD
ARE 1N914 TYPE(40 OF THEM) & 13 SWITCHES FOR THE KEYBOARD SPST
MOMENTARY.
SPKR YOU CAN USE A TELEPHONE SPEAKER FOR THIS (IT WORKS BEST) BUT
REMEMBER TOTAKE OUT THE DIODE THAT IS CONNECTED ACCROSS IT.
IMPORTANT NOTES
1. DO NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN A MYLAR CAPACITOR FORC2.
2. PINS 10,9,8 SHOULD BE TIED TOGETHER AND BE LEFT FLOATING.
3. ALL RESISTORS SHOULD BE 5%! NOTHING ELSE!
4. A TELEPHONE SPEAKER GIVES THE BEST RESULTS.
TROUBLE SHOOTING
By now you should have constructed the two VCO'S on a bread board
or anything that pleases you. Check for cold solder
joints,broken wires,polarity of the battery, etc. Before we
apply power to the VCO'S we have to adjust the pots for their
half way travel point. This is done by turning them 21 turns to
the right and then 10 turns to the left. Do the same for all ten
of them.
Now apply power to the unit check to see that you have power in
the chips by putting the positive lead of your volt meter on pin
7 andthe negative lead on pin 12. If you do not have anything
there turn off the unit and RECHECK THE WIRING.
When you get the right voltages on the chips, connect a diode to
a piece of wire (look at fig. 2 for the orientation of the diode)
from round to any pot at point T (look carefully at the schematic
for point T it is labeled T1-T10 for all pots). You should be
able to hear a tone, if not disconnect the lead and place the
speaker close to your ear and if you hear a chirp-like sound,
this means that the two VCO'S are working if you don't,
it means that either one or both of the VCO'S are dead. So in
this case it is always good to have an ocilloscope on hand.
Disconnect the speaker from the circuit and hook the ocilliscope
to 1 of the leads of the speaker & the ground from the scope to
the ground of the battery. Connect again the ground lead with the
diode connected to it from ground to any pot on the VCO that you
are checking and you should see a triangle wave if not turn the
pot in which you are applying the ground to until you see it.
When you do see it do the the same for the other VCO to makesure
it is working. (amplitude is about 2VAC). When you get the two
VCO's working you are set for the adjustment of the individual
spots.
ADJUSTMENT
Disconnect the speaker from the circuit and connect a freq.
counter (the positive lead of the counter to one of the speakers
leads that belongs to VCO#1 or connect it to pin 14.
Connect the negative lead to the battery negative and connect the
jumperlead with the diode from ground to pot number 1.T1 (the
first pot number 1 point T1). If you got it working you should
hear a tone and get a reading on the counter. Adjust the pot for
a freq. of 1700hz and continue doing the same for pots 2-5
except that they get different freqs. which are:
: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ :
: $ $ :
: $ P1 1700hz $ :
: $ P2 1300hz $ :
: $ P3 1100hz $ :
: $ P4 900hz $ :
: $ P5 1500hz $ :
: $ $ :
: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ :
Now disconnect the freq. counter from the speaker lead of VCO#1
or from pin (which ever you had it attached to at the beginning)
and connect it to the speaker lead of VCO#2 or to pin 14 of VCO#2
and make the same adjustments toP6-10.:
: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ :
: $ $ :
: $ P6 1100hz $ :
: $ P7 700hz $ :
: $ P8 900hz $ :
: $ P9 2600hz $ :
: $ P10 1500hz $ :
: $ $ :
: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ :
When you finish doing all of the pots go back and re-check
them.
KEYBOARD
IF YOU LOOK AT FIG-2 YOU WILL SEE THAT THE KEYS ARE
SIMPLE SWITCHES. CONNECTED TO A GROUND AND TWO DIODES ON THE
OTHER END. THESE DIODES ARE USED TO SIMPLIFY THE CONSTRUCTION OF
THE KEYBOARD BECAUSE OTHERWISE THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE GROUND
SIGNAL FOR BOTH VCO'S WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE MECHANICALLY. THE
DIODE WILL GO TO VCO#1 AND THE OTHER WILL GO TO VCO#2. FIG-3
SHOWS THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE KEYS ON THE KEYBOARD.
BELOW IS A TABLE THAT WILL HELP YOU CONNECT THE KEYS TO THE
REQUIRED VCO'SPOTS.
<------------------------------------->
< >
< (-FIG 2-) >
< >
<-----!-----!--------!--------!------->
< ! ! ! ! >
< TO ! TO ! FREQ ! FREQ ! KEY >
< POT ! POT ! OUT: ! OUT: ! >
< ON ! ON ! ! ! >
< VCO1! VCO2! ! ! >
<-----!-----!--------!--------!------->
< 1 ! 06 ! 1700hz ! 1100hz ! C >
< 2 ! 10 ! 1300hz ! 1500hz ! 0 >
< 1 ! 10 ! 1700hz ! 1100hz ! E >
< 4 ! 07 ! 0900hz ! 0700hz ! 1 >
< 3 ! 07 ! 1100hz ! 0700hz ! 2 >
< 3 ! 08 ! 1100hz ! 0900hz ! 3 >
< 2 ! 07 ! 1300hz ! 0700hz ! 4 >
< 2 ! 08 ! 1300hz ! 0900hz ! 5 >
< 2 ! 06 ! 1300hz ! 1100hz ! 6 >
< 5 ! 07 ! 1500hz ! 0700hz ! 7 >
< 5 ! 08 ! 1500hz ! 0900hz ! 8 >
< 5 ! 06 ! 1500hz ! 1100hz ! 9 >
< - ! 09 ! ------ ! 2600hz ! X >
< ! ! ! ! >
<------------------------------------->
REMEMBER THAT IN FIG-2 IT'S THE SAME FOR EACH KEY EXCEPT THE "X"
KEY, WHICH ONLY TAKES ONE DIODE.
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