Date   : Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:06:47 +0100
From   : rick@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: [OT] ADSL capabilities

On 23/03/2010 13:10, Jules Richardson wrote:

> Yes, I could use one of those - but also to use with the US system,
 > and I don't know how similar that is in terms of tones, line voltages
 > etc.

I think "Ma Bell's" tones are all different to the CCITT ones. Wiki 
probably has a pretty table listing them. I dunno, when I was more 
"into" that sort of stuff, I mostly ignored all the American-oriented 
textfiles as being "irrelevant", and obsessed with naming things:
   <colour> box

(like cyan box, blue box, black box, magenta box, etc etc)


I think the line voltages are pretty standardised, at around -48V DC 
floating (hung up), nominal 9V DC in call, and an AC ringer of around 
90-110V. What might bite is the current loop. I've a Frenchie phone that 
was wwwaaayyy too quiet when hooked into the English phone system. My 
old dial phone actually has a bunch of different options inside it, 
selectable by moving little metal lugs.


> I've got an old black 1940's GPO phone that I'd like to hook up sometime

That'll astonish the neighbours!

How's the earpiece? I seem to remember it was a common "trick" to bang 
the handset from time to time to make it louder. I took some emery cloth 
to the contact plates on mine and it sounds okay. [the Livebox will run 
it, I just can't dial out with it...]


Best wishes,

Rick.

-- 
Rick Murray, eeePC901 & ADSL WiFI'd into it, all ETLAs!
BBC B: DNFS, 2 x 5.25" floppies, EPROM prog, Acorn TTX
E01S FileStore, A3000/A5000/RiscPC/various PCs/blahblah...