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Line Status Verifier (was Re: Heathkits P.S.) [telecom]

While Bell literature described such devices, I question if they

>really existed or were used to any great extent.

I can't testify to the extent, but I can say most certainly that they did exist, and went by a TLA, something like LSV (Line Status Verifier or something) at one time.

I was one who was indeed pursued by the Ma Bell gesta^H^H^H^H inspectors who swore I had more devices that I was authorized on the line. Yes, I did, but I was VERY sure to be sure that only one ringer was connected.

I received a very snotty phone call at work from a Ma Bell agent confronting me about unauthorized equipment. Of course I lied my @$$ off. (At the time, lying to Ma Bell inspectors was not only ethical, but the honorable thing to do.) ;-) They wanted to come over right now and inspect, but I told them that said inspection would be at my convenience, and they seemed to back off. (Knowing good and well that it was very easy for me to prepare for inspection and they would be wasting their time. Both of us knew the rules to the game.) ;-)

Anyway, I phoned a friend who worked at Ma Bell and told him what was going on. He said he could very easily repeat the test using what they called the LSV. He did so, and said 'It looks to me like two', meaning two ringers. I was only authorized one, and I knew I had only one. He said that the tests were not always accurate due to the cable capacitance and the like. He also said that he would have a chat with the gestap^H^H^H^H^H^H agents and have them back off, which they did.

It turns out that a nosy neighbor had observed my extension in my garage, and the IW I had run next to the downspout to connect it and thought it was their Patriotic Duty to report me !!

***** Moderator's Note *****

In N.E.T., the program was run with "DUE", a device which was supposed to Detect Unauthorized Equipment. It also measured capacitance, and I assume it was a software extension to the LSV.

One of the agents' favorite tricks was to call a "DUE" customer who was paying for one phone, right after school, and ask the kids to have their mom pick up the extension. With two voices on the line at the same time, they had an easy time collecting.

Bill Horne

Reply to
jsw
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A friend in Transmission Engineering at an Operating Company built one for their X-bar offices. It ran at night and used a spinning-wheel calculator-type printer to dump the results.

He said it generated so much data they didn't know what to do with it.

[This is the same guy who fixed the box he wasn't supposed to know about, but I digress...]
Reply to
David Lesher

Hey, they were extremely polite next to the folks at General Telephone of California. I moved from Bell territory to GT Land in 1969. When I was with Bell I had a great 500 series phone that could handle two lines, which I needed.

"The General" had no such equipment. But, they had tariffed a standard

1A2 key system without lights that was very reasonable. I set this all up six weeks before the move. When the due date came, suddenly the equipment wasn't "available." I called the PUC. The equipment became available within hours.

A year, or so, later General filed a tariff change with the Cal PUC to bundle the key system; i.e., do away with the special without lights that was a lot less money. I went to a local hearing and said my arrangement was just fine. I also testified how they ran me around about equipment availability a year earlier, after 6 weeks notice, etc. Finally, I testified that although the premise equipment was great the central office service was lousy. The PUC examiner got really interested so I gave him the whole nine yards about failure rates on toll calls, etc. etc.

Two days later around noon there was very loud knocking on my front door. I opened it and there were two of the meanest General Telephone installers/repairmen from Hades or something like that. Very rude; wanted in immediately to "check my equipment." I told them to take a hike and slammed the door.

I called the PUC and explained that it had to be reprisal for my having testified a couple of days before. Within a hour some excusative from The General called and was Mr. Nice. But, he said they did have to "audit" my equipment because of the hearing. I responded that would usually involve notice, wouldn't it? "Absolutely," he said.

So, a couple days later, with appointment, the same two guys showed up and were just as nice as could be. I told them there was no way they were coming into my house after the way they were two days earlier. So, they departed. Another appointment was made, and two nicer guys showed up. And, one of them broke a component in the KSU so the system now wouldn't hold one line. (It worked fine before they showed up.) They showed me the broken part then "repaired" my equipment.

The General really made the Bell system folks look good.

We did battle for the next 8 years until I finally moved to Pacific Bell territory.

Reply to
Sam Spade

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