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-
-
- **************************BIOC AGENT 003'S COURSE IN**************************
- * *
- * ========================== *
- * =BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS= *
- * ========================== *
- * PART VI *
- ******************************************************************************
- -=*> REFORMATTED TO 80 COLUMNS <*=-
- REVISED: 27-OCT-84
-
- PREFACE:
-
- THIS ARTICLE WILL FOCUS PRIMARILY ON THE STANDARD WESTERN ELECTRIC SINGLE-
- SLOT COIN TELEPHONE (AKA FORTRESS FONE) WHICH CAN BE DIVIDED INTO 3 TYPES:
-
- - DIAL-TONE FIRST (DTF)
-
- - COIN-FIRST (CF): (IE, IT WANTS YOUR $ BEFORE YOU RECEIVE A DIAL TONE)
-
- - DIAL POST-PAY SERVICE (PP): (YOU PAY AFTER THE PARTY ANSWERS)
-
-
- DEPOSITING COINS (SLUGS):
- -------------------------
-
- ONCE YOU HAVE DEPOSITED YOUR SLUG INTO A FORTRESS, IT IS SUBJECTED TO A GAMUT
- OF TESTS.
-
- THE FIRST OBSTACAL FOR A SLUG IS THE MAGNETIC TRAP. THIS WILL STOP ANY LIGHT
- -WEIGHT MAGNETIC SLUGS AND COINS. IF IT PASSES THIS, THE SLUG IS THEN
- CLASSIFIED AS A NICKEL, DIME, OR QUARTER. EACH SLUG IS THEN CHECKED FOR
- APPROPRIATE SIZE AND WEIGHT. IF THESE TESTS ARE PASSED, IT WILL THEN TRAVEL
- THROUGH A NICKEL, DIME, OR QUARTER MAGNET AS APPROPRIATE. THESE MAGNETS SET
- UP AN EDDY CURRENT EFFECT WHICH CAUSES COINS OF THE APPROPRIATE
- CHARACTERISTICS TO SLOW DOWN SO THEY WILL FOLLOW THE CORRECT TRAJECTORY. IF
- ALL GOES WELL, THE COIN WILL FOLLOW THE CORRECT PATH (SUCH AS BOUNCING OFF OF
- THE NICKEL ANVIL) WHERE IT WILL HOPEFULLY FALL INTO THE NARROW ACCEPTED COIN
- CHANNEL.
-
- THE RATHER ELABORATE TESTS THAT ARE PERFORMED AS THE COIN TRAVELS DOWN THE
- COIN CHUTE WILL STOP MOST SLUGS AND OTHER UNDESIRABLE COINS, SUCH AS PENNIES,
- WHICH MUST THEN BE RETRIEVED USING THE COIN RELEASE LEVER.
-
- IF THE SLUG MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVES THE GAMUT, IT WILL THEN STRIKE THE
- APPROPRIATE TOTALIZER ARM CAUSING A RATCHET WHEEL TO ROTATE ONCE FOR EVERY 5
- -CENT INCREMENT (EG, A QUARTER WILL CAUSE IT TO ROTATE 5 TIMES).
-
- THE TOTALIZER THEN CAUSES THE COIN SIGNAL OSCILLATOR TO READOUT A DUAL
- -FREQUENCY SIGNAL INDICATING THE VALUE DEPOSITED TO ACTS (A COMPUTER) OR THE
- TSPS OPERATOR. THESE ARE THE SAME TONES USED BY PHREAKS IN THE INFAMOUS RED
- BOXES.
-
- FOR A QUARTER, 5 BEEP TONES ARE OUTPULSED AT 12-17 PULSES PER SECOND (PPS).
- A DIME CAUSES 2 BEEP TONES AT 5 - 8.5 PPS WHILE A NICKEL CAUSES ONE BEEP TONE
- AT 5 - 8.5 PPS. A BEEP CONSISTS OF 2 TONES: 2200 + 1700 HZ.
-
- A RELAY IN THE FORTRESS CALLED THE "B RELAY" (YES, THERE IS ALSO AN 'A RELAY'
- ) PLACES A CAPACITOR ACROSS THE SPEECH CIRCUIT DURING TOTALIZER READ- OUT TO
- PREVENT THE "CUSTOMER" FROM HEARING THE RED BOX TONES.
-
- IN OLDER 3 SLOT PHONES: ONE BELL (1050 -1100 HZ) FOR A NICKEL, TWO BELLS FOR
- A DIME, AND ONE GONG (800 HZ) FOR A QUARTER ARE USED INSTEAD OF THE MODERN
- DUAL-FREQUENCY TONES.
-
- =============
- =TSPS & ACTS=
- =============
-
- WHILE FORTRESSES ARE CONNECTED TO THE CO OF THE AREA, ALL TRANSACTIONS ARE
- HANDLED VIA THE TRAFFIC SERVICE POSITION SYSTEM (TSPS). IN AREAS THAT DO NOT
- HAVE ACTS, ALL CALLS THAT REQUIRE OPERATOR ASSISTANCE, SUCH AS CALLING CARD
- AND COLLECT, ARE AUTOMATICALLY ROUTED TO A TSPS OPERATOR POSITION.
-
- IN AN EFFORT TO AUTOMATE FORTRESS SERVICE, A COMPUTER SYSTEM KNOWN AS
- AUTOMATED COIN TOLL SERVICE (ACTS) HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN MANY AREAS. ACTS
- LISTENS TO THE RED BOX SIGNALS FROM THE FONES AND TAKES APPROPRIATE ACTION.
- IT IS ACTS WHICH SAYS, "TWO DOLLARS PLEASE (PAUSE) PLEASE DEPOSIT TWO DOLLARS
- FOR THE NEXT TEN SECONDS" (AND OTHER VARIATIONS). ALSO, IF YOU TALK FOR MORE
- THAN THREE MINUTES AND THEN HANG-UP, ACTS WILL CALL BACK AND DEMAND YOUR
- MONEY. ACTS IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR AUTOMATED CALLING CARD SERVICE.
-
- ACTS ALSO PROVIDE TROUBLE DIAGNOSIS FOR CRAFTSPEOPLE (REPAIRMEN SPECIALIZING
- IN FORTRESSES). FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A COIN TEST WHICH IS GREAT FOR TUNING
- UP RED BOXES. IN MANY AREAS THIS TEST CAN BE ACTIVATED BY DIALING 09591230
- AT A FORTRESS (THANKS TO KARL MARX FOR THIS INFORMATION). ONCE ACTIVATED IT
- WILL REQUEST THAT YOU DEPOSIT VARIOUS COINS. IT WILL THEN IDENTIFY THE COIN
- AND OUTPULSE THE APPROPRIATE RED BOX SIGNAL. THE COINS ARE USUALLY RETURNED
- WHEN YOU HANG UP.
-
- TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS ACTUALLY MONEY IN THE FONE, THE CO INITIATES A
- "GROUND TEST" AT VARIOUS TIMES TO DETERMINE IF A COIN IS ACTUALLY IN THE FONE
- . THIS IS WHY YOU MUST DEPOSIT AT LEAST A NICKEL IN ORDER TO USE A RED BOX!
-
- GREEN BOXES:
- ------------
-
- PAYING THE INITIAL RATE IN ORDER TO USE A RED BOX (ON CERTAIN FORTRESSES)
- LEFT A SOUR TASTE IN MANY RED BOXER'S MOUTHS THUS THE GREEN BOX WAS INVENTED.
- THE GREEN BOX GENERATES USEFUL TONES SUCH AS COIN COLLECT, COIN RETURN, AND
- RINGBACK. THESE ARE THE TONES THAT ACTS OR THE TSPS OPERATOR WOULD SEND TO
- THE CO WHEN APPROPRIATE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE GREEN BOX CANNOT BE USED AT A
- FORTRESS STATION BUT IT MUST BE USED BY THE CALLED PARTY.
-
- HERE ARE THE TONES:
-
- COIN COLLECT 700 + 1100 HZ
- COIN RETURN 1100 + 1700 HZ
- RINGBACK 700 + 1700 HZ
-
- BEFORE THE CALLED PARTY SENDS ANY OF THESE TONES, AN OPERATOR RELEASED SIGNAL
- SHOULD BE SENT TO ALERT THE MF DETECTORS AT THE CO. THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED
- BY SENDING 900 + 1500 HZ OR A SINGLE 2600 HZ WINK (90 MS) FOLLOWED BY A 60 MS
- GAP AND THEN THE APPROPRIATE SIGNAL FOR AT LEAST 900 MS.
-
- ALSO, DO NOT FORGET THAT THE INITIAL RATE IS COLLECTED SHORTLY BEFORE THE 3
- MINUTE PERIOD IS UP.
-
- INCIDENTALLY, ONCE THE ABOVE MF TONES FOR COLLECTING AND RETURNING COINS
- REACH THE CO, THEY ARE CONVERTED INTO AN APPROPRIATE DC PULSE (-130 VOLTS FOR
- RETURN & +130 VOLTS FOR COLLECT). THIS PULSE IS THEN SENT DOWN THE TIP TO
- THE FORTRESS. THIS CAUSES THE COIN RELAY TO EITHER RETURN OR COLLECT THE
- COINS.
-
- THE ALLEGED "T-NETWORK" TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THIS INFORMATION. WHEN A PULSE
- FOR COIN COLLECT (+130 VDC) IS SENT DOWN THE LINE, IT MUST BE GROUNDED
- SOMEWHERE. THIS IS USUALLY EITHER THE YELLOW OR BLACK WIRE. THUS, IF THE
- WIRES ARE EXPOSED, THESE WIRES CAN BE CUT TO PREVENT THE PULSE FROM BEING
- GROUNDED. WHEN THE THREE MINUTE INITIAL PERIOD IS ALMOST UP, MAKE SURE THAT
- THE BLACK & YELLOW WIRES ARE SEVERED; THEN HANG UP, WAIT ABOUT 15 SECONDS IN
- CASE OF A SECOND PULSE, RECONNECT THE WIRES, PICK UP THE FONE, HANG UP AGAIN,
- AND IF ALL GOES WELL IT SHOULD BE "JACKPOT" TIME.
-
- PHYSICAL ATTACK:
- ----------------
-
- A TYPICAL FORTRESS WEIGHS ROUGHLY 50 LBS. WITH AN EMPTY COIN BOX. MOST OF
- THIS IS ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE ARMOR PLATING. WHY ALL THE SECURITY? WELL,
- BELL CONTRIBUTES IT TO THE FOLLOWING:
-
- "SOCIAL CHANGES DURING THE 1960'S MADE THE MULTISLOT COIN STATION A PRIME
- TARGET FOR: VANDALISM, STRONG ARM ROBBERY, FRAUD, AND THEFT OF SERVICE.
- THIS BROUGHT ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION OF THE MORE RUGGED SINGLE SLOT COIN
- STATION AND A NEW ENVIRONMENT FOR COIN SERVICE."
-
- AS FOR PICKING THE LOCK, I WILL QUOTE MR. PHELPS: "WE OFTEN FANTASIZE ABOUT
- 'PICKING THE LOCK' OR 'GETTING A MASTER KEY.' WELL, YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT IT.
- I DON'T LIKE TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE, BUT IT WILL SAVE YOU FROM WASTING ALOT OF
- YOUR TIME--TIME WHICH CAN BE PUT TO BETTER USE (HEH, HEH)."
-
- AS FOR PHYSICAL ATTACK, THE COIN PLATE IS SECURED ON ALL FOUR SIDE BY
- HARDENED STEEL BOLTS WHICH PASS THROUGH TWO SLOTS EACH. THESE BOLTS ARE IN
- TURN INTERLOCKED BY THE MAIN LOCK.
-
- ONE PHREAK I KNOW DID MANAGE TO TAKE ONE OF THE 'MOTHERS' HOME (WHICH WAS
- ATTACHED TO A PIECE OF PLYWOOD AT A CONSTRUCTION SITE; OTHERWISE, THE
- PERMANENT ONES ARE A BITCH TO DETACH FROM THE WALL!). IT TOOK HIM ALMOST TEN
- HOURS TO OPEN THE COIN BOX USING A POWER DRILL, SLEDGE HAMMERS, AND CROW BARS
- (WHICH WAS EMPTY -- PERHAPS NEXT TIME, HE WILL DEPOSIT A COIN FIRST TO HEAR
- IF IT SLUSHES DOWN NICELY OR HITS THE EMPTY BOTTOM WITH A CLUNK.)
-
- TAKING THE FONE OFFERS A HIGHER MARGIN OF SUCCESS. ALTHOUGH THIS MAY BE
- DIFFICULT OFTEN REQUIRING BRUTE FORCE AND THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL CASES OF
- BACK AXLES BEING LOST TRYING TO TAKE DOWN A FONE! A QUICK AND DIRTY WAY TO
- OPEN THE COIN BOX IS BY USING A SHOTGUN. IN DETROIT, AFTER ECOLOGISTS
- CLEANED OUT A MUNICIPAL POND, THEY FOUND 168 COIN PHONE RIFLED.
-
- IN COLDER AREAS, SUCH AS CANADA, SOME SHREWD PEOPLE TAPE UP THE FONES USING
- DUCT TAPE, POUR IN WATER, AND COME BACK THE NEXT DAY WHEN THE WATER WILL HAVE
- FROZE THUS EXPANDING AND CRACKING THE FONE OPEN.
-
- IN ONE CASE, "UNAUTHORIZED COIN COLLECTORS" WHERE CAUGHT WHEN THEY BROUGHT $6
- ,000 IN CHANGE TO A BANK AND THE BANK BECAME SUSPICIOUS...
-
- AT ANY RATE, THE MAIN LOCK IS AN EIGHT LEVEL TUMBLER LOCATED ON THE RIGHT
- SIDE OF THE COIN BOX. THIS LOCK HAS 390, 625 POSSIBLE POSITIONS (5 ^ 8,
- SINCE THERE ARE 8 TUMBLERS EACH WITH 5 POSSIBLE POSITIONS) THUS IT IS HIGHLY
- PICK RESISTANT! THE LOCK IS HELD IN PLACE BY 4 SCREWS. IF THERE IS
- SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE TO THE RIGHT OF THE FONE, IT IS CONCEIVABLE TO PUNCTURE
- IT.
-
- HAVE MUCH PHUN,
- THERE IS MORE TO COME... IN CHAPTER #7...
-
- (COPYRIGHT, 1985)
-
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