

TELECOM Digest     Sun, 7 Nov 93 11:02:00 CST    Volume 13 : Issue 740

Inside This Issue:                       Moderator: Patrick A. Townson

    Motorola PT550 Cellular Phone Info Requested (Ed Greenberg)
    Preparing my Case Against Sprint (Chris Ambler)
    Received My Free Sprint Modem Today (Rosella Bartonico)
    CFP94 Scholarships (John F. McMullen)
    Recommendations For Programmable Audio Synthesizer Wanted (Brett Delmage)
    Frame Relay Summary (Michael Lewis)
    Books, Interesting to Some People (James H. Haynes)
    Telecom at the Opera (Aninda Dasgupta)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: edg@netcom.com (Ed Greenberg)
Subject: Motorola PT550 Cellular Phone Info Requested
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 22:17:53 GMT


I have the above cellular telephone and wonder if anybody out there
has the documentation for test mode.

I can get into test mode easily enough, since that is documented, for
the purpose of programming the rejection list of systems that you
don't want to use for roaming.

What I'd like to know is:

* Standard test mode display is alternating between the cell
frequency and signal strength on one flash, and a seven digit number
on the other flash which remains constant for each cell.  Does anybody
know the interpretation of this number?

* What else can you do in test mode?


Ed Greenberg   edg@netcom.com    Ham Radio: KM6CG

------------------------------

From: cambler@cymbal.aix.calpoly.edu (Chris Ambler - Fubar)
Subject: Preparing my case against Sprint
Organization: The Phishtank
Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1993 13:53:21 GMT


I promised I'd keep you up to date on this, so here is the current
situation, and a call for help, if you can. (This, in relation to
their "Dvorak offer" fiasco, for which I am suing them in small claims
court)

I called Sprint, to ask them for the proper address at which to serve
them. They refused me this information, pointing me at the Secretary
of State for my state (CA). I called there (after an hour of busy
signals) and was told that they no longer give that information out
over the phone.  Wonderful. I love our goverment. It now must be done
via writing, and costs $4. I sent that off.

Meanwhile, I've been doing legal research, and have come to the
conclusion that their verbal offer on the phone, my acceptance, the
switching of my lines, and the one long-distance call to "activate"
the plan constitutes a valid contract.

Point of help number 1. If anyone has specific case references for
verbal offer and acceptance, when acceptance relies on specific
performance of an action intended to benefit the party which made the
inital offer, this would be of great use to me. Also, if anyone knows
if the section of the law dealing with "rewards" is relivant here, I'd
like to know about it. Is there a section dealing with offers to the
public of a premium in exchange for perchase of item or service?

I also sent a letter, via registered mail, to Sprint, outlining what I
am preparind my case against them for, what I contracted for, and what
they offered. I then outlined the deficiency, and assigned it a fair
monetary value (average of ten street prices for the modem initially
offered).

Point of help number two: If anyone knows anything I'm missing here,
I'd like to know about it. I have legal citations to show that the
contract was valid, I have a letter demanding performance of the
contract, and I have documentation of names and times of phone calls
where they refused to honour the contract. What am I missing?

At this rate, I should have a court date some time in December or
January.  If there's anyone else who is taking Sprint to court over
this, I'd like to hear from you as well, we can share information.

One last thing. Those of you who called Sprint and were told that they
offered a 9600 baud external data/fax modem, could you PLEASE document
this, with the name and time you called (if you have it) and sign it
and send it to me? Simply a personal letter saying that you, too, were
promised this over the phone by Sprint. I was told that this would be
of invaluable help in any case. If you are taking Sprint to court as
well, I would be happy to send you the same.

My address is:

Christopher J. Ambler
1720 Diablo Drive
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
(805) 782-8000

More info as I get it. Thanks to all who have kept in touch over this.
While it's not something I want to do again, I am learning quite a lot
over this and enjoying the process, as frustrating as it is :-)


++Christopher(); // Home of the 30K plan!   | cambler@cymbal.calpoly.edu
Christopher J. Ambler, Author, FSUUCP 1.41  | chris@toys.fubarsys.com
Call The Central Coast Connection, Voice BBS: (805) 544-3754 - Avail 15 Nov!

------------------------------

From: rosellab@hawaii.edu (Rosella Bartonico)
Subject: Received My Free Sprint Modem Today
Organization: University of Hawaii
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 02:39:43 GMT


It finally came today, after eight weeks (I switched to Sprint for the
free modem about September 10).

It is indeed an internal 1/4 card (half size, half heigth) PC modem.
Not an external.

It came via UPS 2nd day air.  The modem comes in a shrink wrapped
package.  Here are the specs:

The Smart One Fax Modem from Best Data Products, Inc.
9600/4800 bps send/receive fax
2400/1200/300 bps data modem
  with V.42bis and MNP error correction and data compression

QUICKLINK WinDos Software

and a free month of Compu$erve for $8.95.

A letter was also included with the shipment that said:

November 1, 1993

Dear Customer,

Due to the emergency situation that we have had over the past week in
Los Angeles, we have had logistic difficulties with UPS and other
carriers.


Best Regards,
Best Data Products

So the Mac owners are outta luck, since this is indeed an internal
modem for the PC.  Let me just say that I don't think Sprint should be
held accountable because in the radio commercial that announced this
promotion, they clearly specified that it was an internal PC 2400 data
modem w/fax.  I know, I heard it with mine own ears.

Of course, it's unfortunate that the computer illiterate Sprint Reps
didn't know the difference between a 9600 bps data and 9600 bps fax.
Sprint should only switch the misinformed back to their original
carrier at Sprint's expense and compensate the customer with whatever
they might have lost for being with Sprint.  ($50 is very fair).

[steps down from soapbox]

Aloha.

------------------------------

Subject: CFP94 Scholarships
From: mcmullen@mindvox.phantom.com (John F. McMullen)
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 93 08:41:05 EST
Organization: [MindVox] / Phantom Access Technologies / (+1 800-MindVox)


The Conference on Computers, Freedom & Privacy (CFP'94) is pleased to
announce that it will once again provide a number of full tuition
scholarships for attendance at the conference. The conference will be
held in Chicago, IL from March 23rd through March 26th, 1995 and will
be hosted by the John Marshall Law School under the chairmanship of
George Trubow.

The conference traditionally attracts an extremely diverse group of
persons concerned with issues relating to the rapid development of the
"information society"; civil libertarians, information providers, law
enforcement personnel, privacy advocates, "hackers", sociologists,
educators and students, computer professionals, cryptography
advocates, government policy makers and other interested parties have
all played major roles in the three previous conference.

Speakers at previous conferences have included Electronic Frontier
Foundation (EFF) co-founders John Perry Barlow and Mitch Kapor, FBI
Deputy Director William A. "Al" Bayse, writer Bruce Sterling, privacy
advocate Simon Davies, Harvard University law professor Lawrence
Tribe, hacker "Phiber Optik", Georgetown University's Dorothy Denning,
"Cuckoo's Egg" author Clifford Stoll, Prodigy counsel George Perry,
USA Today founder Al Neuwith, former FCC Chairman Nicholas Johnson,
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)'s Marc
Rotenberg, Arizona prosecutor Gail Thackeray, and Bay Area Women in
Computing's Judi Clark.

The scholarships are intended to provide access to the conference to
those that would like to attend the conference but are unable to
afford the tuition. They are available to undergraduate and graduate
students in any discipline (previous student attendees have come from
computer science, law, sociology, liberal arts, journalism, and
womens' studies backgrounds), law enforcement personnel, hackers,
social scientists, and others interested in the future of the
information society.

Persons interested in a scholarship should send the following
information (e-mail greatly preferred) to:

John F. McMullen
CFP'94 Scholarship Chair
Perry Street
Jefferson Valley, NY 10535

mcmullen@panix.com
(914) 245-2734 (voice)
(914) 245-8464 (fax)

1. Personal Information -- Name, Addresses (including e-mail), Phone
Numbers, School and/or Business Affiliation

2. Short Statement explaining what the applicant helps to get from
CFP'94 and what impact that attendance may have in the applicant's
community or future work.

3. Stipulation that the applicant understands that he/she is
responsible for transportation and lodging expenses related to the
conference. The scholarship includes tuition and those meals included
with the conference.

4. Stipulation that the applicant would not be able to attend the
conference if a scholarship is not granted.

5. Stipulation that the applicant, if granted a scholarship, will
attend the conference.

6. Stipulation that the applicant, if granted a scholarship, will
provide a written critique of the conference to the scholarship
committee by April 30, 1994.

Applications will be accepted until December 31, 1993 and scholarship
winners will be notified by approximately February 1, 1994.

Please contact John McMullen at the above e-mail address or phone
numbers with any questions.


John F. McMullen           mcmullen@mindvox.phantom.com    Consultant,
knxd@maristb.bitnet        mcmullen@well.sf.ca.us            Writer,
70210.172@compuserve.com   mcmullen@panix.com                 Student,
GEnie - nb.nyc             mcmullen@eff.org                     Teacher

------------------------------

From: bd@hydra.CARLETON.CA (Brett Delmage VE3JLG)
Subject: Recommendations for Programmable Audio Synthesizer Required
Reply-To: bd@hydra.carleton.ca
Organization: JATOM Systems Inc.
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1993 22:26:05 GMT


I am looking for a replacement / back-up for my employer's
(Plantronics) Wilcom T-296 Programmable Frequency Synthesizer.  I have
not any luck finding anything in catalogues in the last year :(

The T-296 is a two channel programmable audio synthesizer.  It is
programmable by a front-panel keypad, and stored control programs can
be entered in a BASIC-like language, for example, 10 DTMF 123*# 20
DELAY 2000 30 GOTO 10.

Full user control over each tone frequency, level (in 1dB steps) and
timing (~1ms) is provided, which is an important feature for us.

Ideally, we would like a plug-in card for the ISA (IBM PC) bus that
can provide similar functionality. A free-standing box that can be
controlled over an RS232 link would also be acceptable.  We are
willing and able to program the device at a lower-level to the
hardware, in C.

One of the biggest shortcomings of the T-296 is that programs must be
entered on the front-panel keypad and cannot be saved externally. It's
getting to be quite a pain to reenter several- hundred program lines
when the T-296 loses its mind, which is happening more and more in its
old age :(

Please email your suggestions and recommendations. Contact information
(model, manufacturer/supplier and phone number) and personal
experience with the product would be appreciated if you can provide
it.

Thanks in advance!


Brett Delmage, JSI Telecom 613) 591-5910
bd@hydra.carleton.ca

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 7 Nov 93 02:16:53 -0800
From: Michael Lewis <mlewis@ssf-sys.dhl.com>
Subject: Frame Relay Summary


I would like to thank those of you who responded to my recent request
for guidance in the field of Frame Relay.  I have compiled the
following responses:


Michael L. Lewis        DHL Systems Inc.
Network Engineering     700 Airport Blvd      Phn: (415) 375-5135
Global Communications   Burlingame, CA 94010  FAX: (415) 571-7073
Internet:  mlewis@ssf-sys.dhl.com
 
                     -------------------

Try getting a hand on cisco's Internetworking Technology Overview.
They condense the X.25 to 6 pages and then go into frame relay for
another 8 pages, comparing frame relay to X.25.  Sounds like just
what you want for a broad overview.  StrataCom is evidently the
keeper of Frame Relay Interface Specification.  040-207460, Rev.
2.3, August 9, 1990.  cisco is at (800) 553-6387.  I have no idea how
to reach StrataCom, perhaps the cisco folks know.  They implement
frame relay well.

Ron Rietz   rreitz@sadis01.kelly.af.gov


Well, let me see if I can help you a bit ..

If the "one RFC" you're referring to is 1294, it has now been
replaced by 1490, which you should get a copy of.  I can mail it to
you if necessary (I'm a co-author).

You should call or send mail to the Frame Relay Forum.  I'm on the
road right now so I don't have the phone number, but send email to
vivianb@interop.com - she's in charge of the FRF Secretariate.  She
can mail you plenty of info, along with pointers and references on
where to find more.

There's also the ASNI specs if you want technical detail - T1.606,
T1.617, T1.618.

My company also sells FR switches and routers with FR interfaces -
let me know if we can be of assistance.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Andrew G. Malis
malis@maelstrom.timeplex.com  -or-  malis_a@timeplex.com
Ascom Timeplex    289 Great Rd., Acton MA 01720  USA~
+1 508 266-4522


I found that MCI has a pretty good overview of their services in a
little booklet which also described FR in general.

P.S.: This is no endorsement of their services of course :-)

Alex Bochannek Phone :  +32 2 778 42 00~
Technical Support Analyst Fax :  +32 2 778 43 00
Cisco Systems Belgium SA/NV RFC822:  abochann@cisco.com
Complex Antares, 5th Floor
72 Avenue des Pleiades
1200 Brussels, Belgium~
Currently on vacation in Berlin, Germany


We are just starting to work with BT Tymnet on a frame relay option
for our net also.  Our Canadian affilate has some frame relay in
place using Cisco ags routers.  I will inquire about their findings
and results.  What data rates and locations are you looking at - I
assume some international sites.

Warren Smith  wsmith@vaxl1.danavictor.com
Dana Corp / Victor Reinz Division


You might consider joining the Frame Relay Forum.

Jim Battan - Sequent Computer Systems, Beaverton, OR
battan@sequent.com or uunet!sequent!battan


Too bad you just missed Interop.  The vendors are the ones who seem
to be carrying and promoting Frame Relay services although in a
dizzying array of capabilities and costs.  A few articles of interest
from the trade magazines would be:

"Coping with Public Frame Relay:  a Delicate Balance"
Data Communications, 21 Jan.  1992

"What are the Network Design Choices for Frame Relay Based Networks?"
Networks-in-Depth, Feb.  1992

(If you cant get these articles, I can send a copy to you)

Also about a year ago, NIST (National Institute of Standards and
Technology) began a multivendor OSI/Frame Relay Interoperability
Trial that presumably is finished and the results are in.  You may
not be interested in the OSI aspects, but the list of vendors and
results may be of interest.  You can get information on the trial
from Doug Montgomery, dougm@osi.ncsl.nist.gov .  Some of the
participants were AT&T, Cascade Communications, ISDN Systems, NCR,
Sprint, StrataCom, 3Com.

Elin Klaseen    Research Engineer   SRI Int'l
333 Ravenswood Ave.  Menlo Park, CA 94025
(415) 859-4425   klaseen@erg.sri.com

------------------------------

From: haynes@cats.ucsc.edu (James H. Haynes)
Subject: Books, Interesting to Some People
Date: 6 Nov 1993 23:31:35 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz


Here's some books and things advertised in the latest issue of Morse
Telegraph Club newsletter.  I have no connection with any of the
vendors, have bought some of the books and enjoyed having them.

Morsum Magnificat - International bi-monthly journal for Morse telegraphy,
past, present, & future.  Details from:
   Morsum Magnificat
   9 Wetherby Close, Broadstone, Dorset
   BH18 8JB, England
or subscribe via Wise Owl Worldwide
4314 W. 238th St.
Torrance, CA  90505.
$21.50 surface or $26.50 airmail

QNC! Journal for amateur radio c.w. enthusiasts; cognizant that
landline gave rise to wireless.  QNC! 85000 Laughlin Rd., Eugene, OR
97405

The Vail Correspondent - Journal for key and telegraph hobbyists. Free
subscriber ads.  Sample copy $2; subscription (4 issues) $10.
 The Vail Correspondent
 POB 88, Maynard, MA  01754 (same as Artifax Books)

Railroad Telegrapher's Handbook. 60 pages. Excellent, Illustrated.
$11.95 ppd. [also good for model railroaders] also coming soon: Ted
McElroy Biography Illustrated.  Hardcover $41.95 ppd, softcover $21.95
ppd.  Printing date early December.  Artifax books, Box 88-D Maynard,
MA 01754

The Story of Telecommunications by George P. Oslin, Western Union's
first public relations director.  Hard cover, 507 pages, 150+
illustrations.  Comprehensive history covers smoke signals to fax
machines. $35.  Mercer University Press 1400 Coleman AVe., Macon, GA
31207 800-637-2378 Ext 2880

Collector Reprints of Bunnell Learners Manual of 1884, Drawings &
diagrams, telegraph fundamentals, $8 check or MO, L.A. Bailey
813-442-1557 909 S. Evergreen Ave., Clearwater FL 34616 [I have a copy
of this -- he did a beautiful job of reproducing the old booklet]

The Telegraph by Lewis Coe.  Hardcover 184 pages.  Illustrated.
Excellent overview of the telegraph.  $25.95, McFarland & Co.
919-246-4460 Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640.


haynes@cats.ucsc.edu   haynes@cats.bitnet

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 7 Nov 93 06:49:56 EST
From: add@philabs.Philips.Com  (Aninda Dasgupta)
Subject: Telecom at the Opera


Last week I was at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC.  We had real bad
seats (not my fault, I was there courtesy of my date) and were seated
in a box on the top left balcony, literally hovering over the stage.
As a result, part of the stage was blocked from my view and all I
remember seeing from up there are the cleavages of the dimensionally
disadvantaged divas and the bald patch on Placido Domingo's
cerebral-box (although the singing was great, not to mention the
music, but I digress).

Looking on towards the stage, one saw the orchestra pit, which was, as
is usual, sunk below the audience, then there was the front part of
the stage, in the middle of which was the prompter's box. So the
prompter was actually standing on the floor at the same level as the
orchestra pit, with his head barely reaching the stage floor and only
the performers could see him in the hole. Sitting right above the
stage allowed me a nice view of the backstage, the prompter's hole and
the orchestra pit.  I saw that the prompter had a Black and White TV
(about 10" wide), on which the conductor's gestures were being
constantly shown.  

The performers could stare at the two sides of the auditorium and
nicely concealed from the rest of the audience were strategically
placed TV monitors, which also showed the conductor.  Thus, the
prompter could watch the conductor's arm movements and, using hand
signals, prompt the different performers to sing lines. Simultaneously,
the performers would from time to time look at the walls and see the
conductor's wand and at other times watch the prompter for signals to
start, slow down or stop singing.  The lines were also being scrolled
on a little LED/Bulb strip that was sunk into the front of the stage
and which only the performers could see.  

Backstage were a number of TV monitors that allowed the director to
watch and direct the whole thing via audio with the prompter.  Outside
the Lincoln Center (of which the Metropolitan Opera House is a part)
was a huuuuge tractor trailer with the word "Unitel" painted on it.
The trailer had some neat modules that were hydraulically pushed/
raised out of the trailer's walls and steps lowered to allow people
access to the interior of the trailer.  There were no antennae or
dishes anywhere on the trailer, but I did see a guy scuttle in and out
wearing headphones.  I wonder what the trailer was for; I know the
local PBS station was recording the performance for a future
broadcast.  All in all, I was surprised that they use such telecom for
classical performances. I can only wonder how they did things in the
days when Verdi composed the music for the opera.

(Now don't you go comparing my experience with what you saw at the
Megadeth concert.)


Aninda DasGupta (add@philabs.philips.com) Ph:(914)945-6071 Fax:(914)945-6552
Philips Labs\n 345 Scarborough Rd\n  Briarcliff Manor\n NY 10510
"Err.., Phillips Petroleum gives you gas; fortunately Phillips Chemical
makes antacid. Philips is with one "el", we make lightbulbs. And other shtuff"


[Moderator's Note: Forty years ago during the 1950's, one could always
tell when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was doing a radio broadcast since
in the alley behind Orchestra Hall where the alley intersects with Adams
Street there would appear a very large semi-trailer/truck with the words
'Illinois Bell Telephone Company' on its side. A thick cable would snake
out of the stage entrance of the Hall and into this van, then it would
come out the van and go down into a manhole in the street.   PAT] 

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End of TELECOM Digest V13 #740
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