Re: We Live in a World of Redundancies

snipped-for-privacy@bbs.cpcn.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@telecom-digest.org:

Paul wrote: >> Even though there is supposed to be standby power all the way, when I >> have a power outage at home, the POTS line from Verizon fails within >> about 10 seconds (probably at the SLIC across the street), while the >> other line, from the cable TV service (not VOIP), keeps working. > How often do you have power failures at home to observe this failure?

Quite often, whenever there is a severe lightning storm or enough wind to blow branches across power lines.

Your battery TV works but the phone doesn't?

Not TV, but "digital" telephone service provided by the cable service (a second line); the TV cable feed probably does not work, but I do not care at such times.

I assume you're using a standard plain phone, not a cordless.

Of course.

I am really surprised that is the case and as far as I know, that > should be extremely rare. Have you reported that to the phone > company? What is their response?

At first, I tried calling Verizon from the Comcast line, but I did not have the right number to go from one local provider to another ... when I did get through, I was always told that the problem must be in my AC powered equipment, I would sometimes convince them that I did expect those sets not to work, but that I had plugged a 2500 set into the demarc, and it did not work either, and by the way, I was calling them on my Comcast line, and did they think I should change my primary line to Comcast too?

Usually the power would come back on before they had done anything, but once a truck showed up at the SLIC across the street, so I walked over and talked to the tech, who was setting up a portable generator. He told me that the batteries at the SLIC were designed to last 12 hours, but they had been adding subscribers, and the batteries were old and would no longer hold a charge, so they had to supply AC during a power failure.

We both agreed that things were not the way things SHOULD be. Lately, I don't bother with the hassles of reporting, since I have the other line and one or more wireless sets, and usually a VFD portable radio available for a REAL emergency.

The FD portable will work until the system is changed over to the new and improved digital radio system ... :)

Paul