The Anarchist Cookbook (26 page)
person should dial the 'hang' side, and the other person dial the tone side, and the tone
should stop if you have got the right loop.) If you want to find the number of the line that
you're on, you can either try to decipher the 'bridging log' (or whatever), which is on the
left door. If that doesn't work, you can use the following:
ANI # (Automatic Number ID)
This is a Telco test number that reports to you the number that you're calling from (It's
the same, choppy 'Bell bitch' voice that you get when you reach a disconnected number)
For the:
213 NPA - Dial 1223
408 NPA - Dial 760
914 NPA - Dial 990
These are extremely useful when messing with any kind of line terminals, house boxes, etc.
Now that we have bridging heads wired, we can go on... (don't forget to close and latch the
box after all... Wouldn't want GE and Telco people mad, now, would we?)
"CANS" - Telephone Distribution Boxes
Basically, two types:
Large, rectangular silver box at the end of each street.
Black, round, or rectangular thing at every telephone pole.
Type 1 - This is the case that takes the underground cable from the bridge and runs it to
the telephone pole cable (The lowest, largest one on the telephone pole.) The box is always
on the pole nearest the bridging head, where the line comes up. Look for the 'Call before
you Dig - Underground cable' stickers.. The case box is hinged, so if you want to climb the
pole, you can open it with no problems. These usually have 2 rows of terminal sets. You
could try to impersonate a Telco technician and report the number as 'new active' (giving a
fake name and fake report, etc.) I don't recommend this, and it probably won't (almost
positively won't) work, but this is basically what Telco linemen do.)
Type 2 - This is the splitter box for the group of houses around the pole (Usually 4 or 5
houses). Use it like I mentioned before. The terminals (8 or so) will be in 2 horizontal
rows of sets. The extra wires that are just 'hanging there' are provisions for extra lines
to residences (1 extra line per house, that's why the insane charge for line #3!) If its the
box for your house also, have fun and swap lines with your neighbor! 'Piggyback' them and
wreak havoc on the neighborhood (It's eavesdropping time...) Again, I don't recommend
this, and its difficult to do it correctly. Moving right along...
APARTMENT / BUSINESS MULTI-LINE DISTRIBUTION BOXES
Found outside the building (most often on the right side, but not always... Just follow the
wire from the telephone pole) or in the basement. It has a terminal for all the lines in the
building. Use it just like any other termination box as before. Usually says 'Bell system' or
similar. Has up to 20 terminals on it (usually.) the middle ones are grounds (forget these).
The wires come from the cable to one row (usually the left one), with the other row of
terminals for the other row of terminals for the building fone wire pairs. The ring (-) wire
is usually the top terminal if the set in the row (1 of 10 or more), and the tip is
in the clamp/screw below it. This can be reversed, but the cable pair is always terminated
one-on-top-of-each- other, not on the one next to it. (I'm not sure why the other one is
there, probably as a provision for extra lines) Don't use it though, it is usually to close to
the other terminals, and in my experiences you get a noisy connection.
Final note: Almost every apartment, business, hotel, or anywhere there is more than 2 lines
this termination lines this termination method is used. If you can master this type, you can
be in control of many things... Look around in your area for a building that uses this type,
and practice hooking up to the line, etc. As an added help, here is the basic 'standard'
color-code for multi-line terminals/wiring/etc...
Single line: Red = Ring
Green = Tip
Yellow = Ground *
*Connected to the ringer coil in individual and bridged ringer phones (Bell only) Usually
connected to the green (Tip)
Ring (-) = Red
White/Red Stripe
Brown
White/Orange Stripe
Black/Yellow Stripe
Tip (+) = Green (Sometimes yellow, see above.)
White/Green Stripe
White/Blue Stripe
Blue
Black/White Stripe
Ground = Black
Yellow
RESIDENCE TERMINAL BOX
Small, gray (can be either a rubber (Pacific Telephone) or hard plastic (AT&T) housing
deal that connects the cable pair from the splitter box (See type 2, above) on the pole to
your house wiring. Only 2 (or 4, the 2 top terminals are hooked in parallel with the same
line) terminals, and is very easy to use. This can be used to add more lines to your house or
add an external line outside the house.
TEST SETS
Well, now you can consider yourself a minor expert on the terminals and wiring of the local
telephone network. Now you can apply it to whatever you want to do. Here's another
helpful item:
How to make a Basic Test-Set and how to use it to dial out, eavesdrop, or seriously tap and
record line activity. These are the (usually) orange hand set fones used by Telco
technicians to test lines. To make a very simple one, take any Bell (or other, but I
recommend a good Bell fone like a princess or a trimline. GTE flip fones work excellently,
though..) fone and follow the instructions below.
Note: A 'black box' type fone mod will let you tap into their line, and with the box o, it's
as if you weren't there. They can receive calls and dial out, and you can be listening the
whole time! Very useful. With the box off, you have a normal fone test set.
Instructions:
A basic black box works well with good results. Take the cover off the fone to expose the
network box (Bell type fones only). The
(orange or different if touch tone - doesn't matter, its the same thing). Disconnect the
wire and connect it to one pole of an SPST switch. Connect a piece of wire to the other
pole of the switch and connect it to the
resistor and put it between the
and a white wire going to it (different for touch tone). It should look like this:
-----Blue wire----------
!
----White wire-----!
!
10k Resistor
!
!
--Green wire-- !----
! !
SPST
What this does in effect is keep the hookswitch / dial pulse switch (F to RR loop) open
while holding the line high with the resistor. This gives the same voltage effect as if the
fone was 'on-hook', while the 10k ohms holds the voltage right above the 'off hook'
threshold (around 22 volts or so, as compared to 15-17 or normal off hook 48 volts for
normal 'on-hook'), giving Test Set Version 2.
Another design is similar to the 'Type 1' test set (above), but has some added features:
From >----------------Tip------
Alligator set
Clip >----------------Ring-----
! !
x !
! !
o !
! x---RRRRR---!
! x !
!---x !
x----0------!
x = Spst Switch
o = Red LOD 0 = Green LED
RRRRR= 1.8k « watt xxxx= Dpst switch
resistor
When the SPST switch in on, the LED will light, and the fone will become active. The green
light should be on. If it isn't, switch the dpst. If it still isn't, check the polarity of the line
and the LEDs. With both lights on, hang up the fone. They should all be off now. Now flip
the dpst and pick up the fone. The red LED should be on, but the green shouldn't. If it is,
something is wrong with the circuit. You wont get a dial tone if all is correct. When you
hook up to the line with the alligator clips (Assuming you have put this circuit inside our
fone and have put alligator clips on the ring and tip wires (As we did before)) you should
have the spst #1 in the off position. This will greatly reduce the static noise involved in
hooking up to a line. The red LED can also be used to check if you have the correct
polarity. With this fone you will have the ability to listen in on all audible line activity, and
the people (the 'eavesdroppers')
can use their fone as normal. Note that test sets #1 and #2 have true 'black boxes', and
can be used for free calls (see an article about black boxes).
Test Set Version 3
Using a trimline (or similar) phone, remove the base and cut all of the wire leads off
except for the red (ring -) and the green (tip +). Solder alligator clips to the lug. The wire
itself is 'tinsel' wrapped in rayon, and doesn't solder well. Inside the one handset, remove
the light socket (if it has one) and install a small slide or toggle switch (Radio Shack's
micro-miniature spst works well). Locate the connection of the ring and the tip wires on
the PC board near where the jack is located at the bottom of the handset. (The wires are
sometimes black or brow instead of red and green, respectively). Cut the foil and run 2
pieces of wire to your switch. In parallel with the switch add a ¬ uf 200 VDC capacitor
(mylar, silvered mica, ceramic, not an electrolytic). When the switch is closed, the
handset functions normally. With the switch in the other position, you can listen without
being heard.
Note: To reduce the noise involved in connecting the clips to a line, add a switch selectable
1000 ohm « watt resistor in series with the tip wire. Flip it in circuit when connecting, and
once on the line, flip it off again. (or just use the 'line disconnect' type switch as in the
type 2 test set (above)). Also avoid touching the alligator clips to any metal parts or other
terminals, for I causes static on the line and raises people's suspicions.
RECORDING
If you would like to record any activity, use test set 1 or 2 above (for unattended
recording of all line activity), or just any test set if you are going to be there to monitor
when they are dialing, talking, etc. Place a telephone pickup coil (I recommend the Becoton
T-5 TP coil or equivalent) onto the test set, and put the TP plug into the mic. jack of any
standard tape recorder. Hit play, rec, and pause. Alternate pause when you want to record
(I don't think anyone should have any difficulty with this at all...) Well, if you still can't
make a test set or you don't have the parts, there's still hope.
Alternate methods:
Find a bell test set in a manhole or a bridging head and 'Borrow it indefinitely'...
Test sets can be purchased from:
Techni-Tool
5 Apollo Road
Box 368
Plymouth Meeting PA., 19462
Ask for catalog #28
They are usually $300 - $600, and are supposed to have M-F dialing capability as well as
TT dialing. They are also of much higher quality than the standard bell test sets. If you
would like to learn more about the subjects covered here, I suggest:
Follow Bell trucks and linemen or technicians and ask subtle questions. also try 611 (repair
service) and ask questions.
Explore your area for any Bell hardware, and experiment with it. Don't try something if
you are not sure what you're doing, because you wouldn't want to cause problems,
would you?
95. Getting Money out of Pay Phones by The Jolly Roger
I will now share with you my experiences with pay telephones. You will discover
that it is possible to get money from a pay phone with a minimum of effort. Theory: Most
pay phones use four wires for the transmission of data and codes to the central office.
Two of them are used for voice (usually red and green), one is a ground, and the last is
used with the others for the transmission of codes.
It is with this last wire that you will be working with. On the pay phone that I usually did
this to, it was colored purple, but most likely will be another color. What you will do is
simply find a pay phone which has exposed wires, such
that one of them can be disconnected and connected at ease without fear of discovery.
You will discover that it is usually a good idea to have some electrical tape along with you
and some tool for cutting this tape. Through trial and error, you will disconnect one wire at
a time starting with the wires different than green and red. You do want a dial tone
during this operation. What you want to disconnect is the wire supplying the codes to the
telephone company so that the pay phone will not get the 'busy' or 'hang-up' command.
Leave this wire disconnected when you discover it. What will happen: Anytime that
someone puts any amount of money into the pay phone, the deposit will not register with
the phone company and it will be held in the 'temporary' chamber of the pay phone. Then,
(a day later or so) you just come back to the phone, reconnect the wire, and click the hook
a few times and the phone will dump it all out the chute. (What is happening is that the
