31 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981
Add this Digest to your personal
or 
The Telecom Digest for October 30, 2012
Volume 31 : Issue 252 : "text" Format
====== 31 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
|
Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
Internet. All contents here are copyrighted by Bill Horne and
the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other
journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are
included in the fair use quote. By using any name or email address
included herein for any reason other than responding to an article
herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to that person, or email address
owner.
Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be
sold or given away without the explicit written consent of the owner of
that address. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk
are definitely unwelcome.
We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we
are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because
we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands
against crime. - Geoffrey Welsh
See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details
and the name of our lawyer, and other stuff of interest.
|
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 08:37:56 -0400
From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: FiOS and battery backups
Message-ID: <k6ltb6$eut$1@dont-email.me>
I just received an email entitled "A message to Verizon customers
affected by Hurricane Sandy". Since I have a DSL line, the email told
me that my service would go out along with the power if the electric
feeds go dark. No surprise there, of course, since my DSL modem uses
AC, but I wonder if Verizon was warning me that their equipment
won't have power, i.e., if there's some intermediate vault that will
be out of service without commercial power. The policy used to be that
every node was backed up, but I don't know if that has changed.
It also warned FiOS customers that their Internet access would be cut
off, since the battery back-ups in the FiOS ONT's only provide voice
service. I'm wondering why that is so: how much of a "Delta" is there
between an ONT that's providing a POTS jack vs. one that's providing
Internet and/or TV?
Bill
--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:13:35 +0000 (UTC)
From: David Lesher <wb8foz@panix.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: FiOS and battery backups
Message-ID: <k6m9vf$99m$1@reader1.panix.com>
Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> writes:
>but I wonder if Verizon was warning me that their equipment
>won't have power, i.e., if there's some intermediate vault that will
>be out of service without commercial power. The policy used to be that
>every node was backed up, but I don't know if that has changed.
More DLCs have a few hours of batteries at best. In theory,
Verizontal will dispatch a small generator when needed, but in
any big storm:
a) They do not have enough generators
b) They can't get to the DLC's.`
c) The generators get stolen as fast as they are deployed.
>It also warned FiOS customers that their Internet access would be cut
>off, since the battery back-ups in the FiOS ONT's only provide voice
>service. I'm wondering why that is so: how much of a "Delta" is there
>between an ONT that's providing a POTS jack vs. one that's providing
>Internet and/or TV?
Quite a bit; it seems the TV modulators draw more than you'd
think. It's easy to test, put an ammeter in series with the
battery, and remove the AC line. TV/Internet will shut down in 5
minutes; measure the current before & after they do.
But even with just the phone, don't count on that wimpy battery
lasting more than a few hours. My recommendation is to get
a 75AH deep cycle battery from Wal-Mart & a few feet of #14 wire.
- -
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433
***** Moderator's Note *****
If the DLC's are going to go down anyway, having a 75AH battery on the
ONT won't make much difference.
Bill Horne
Moderator
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 21:51:55 +0000 (UTC)
From: David Lesher <wb8foz@panix.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: FiOS and battery backups
Message-ID: <k6mtpq$4d2$2@reader1.panix.com>
David Lesher <wb8foz@panix.com> writes:
>>But even with just the phone, don't count on that wimpy battery
>>lasting more than a few hours. My recommendation is to get
>>a 75AH deep cycle battery from Wal-Mart & a few feet of #14 wire.
>If the DLC's are going to go down anyway, having a 75AH battery
>on the ONT won't make much difference.
Apples & Oranges
FIOS is totally passive outside plant. The only power needed
is in the CO, and in your house. The splitters in the beige
cabinets are prisms.
DLC's support POTS and maybe DSL at non-CO-based multiplexers
{to use a term no Bell-head ever would...}. They need power.
--
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433
Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:23:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: HAncock4 <withheld@invalid.telecom-digest.org>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Feeding Frenzy
Message-ID: <c4b26247-3120-49eb-8d7a-85a971fa8dd2@o8g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>
On Oct 28, 10:48 pm, Bill Horne <b...@horneQRM.net> wrote:
> I have my own generator, and enough gasoline to keep it going for a
> couple of days,
You're fortunate. Unfortunately, for those of us in an apartment it's
not a practical option.
I've heard of some people investing in a "whole house" generator, a
large permanent unit able to power an entire house. They're
expensive. But with nasty storms on a regular basis that create
extended power failures, they may be justified.
> All of this is neither here nor there as far as telecom, but it led me
> to wonder if the urge to buy up all the food - or anything else - is
> likely to be reflected in the telecom world. Is there a way to measure
> sales of cell phones and to see if they've spiked in the last couple
> of days?
It would be interesting to see the reliability of traditional
landline, cell phones, cable, and VOIP telephone services during and
after the storm in affected areas.
They expect widespread and long lasting power outages, and it will be
interesting to see how long cell towers in such areas remain
operational (or are overwhelmed by call volume).
FWIW, in our area many robo-calls have already been sent out by
various agencies already with storm preparation recommendations.
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:17:58 -0400
From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Feeding Frenzy
Message-ID: <20121029131758.GA1715@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
On Sun, Oct 28, 2012 at 08:23:48PM -0700, HAncock4 wrote:
> On Oct 28, 10:48 pm, Bill Horne <b...@horneQRM.net> wrote:
>
>
> > I have my own generator, and enough gasoline to keep it going for a
> > couple of days,
>
> You're fortunate. Unfortunately, for those of us in an apartment it's
> not a practical option.
Not necessarily: if you have a fire escape, a small inverter unit
would be quiet enough to use. It would have to be outdoors, of course,
and I don't know if that includes air wells, but there are units
that are quiet enough for apartment buildings that would keep your
refrigerator cold.
> I've heard of some people investing in a "whole house" generator, a
> large permanent unit able to power an entire house. They're
> expensive. But with nasty storms on a regular basis that create
> extended power failures, they may be justified.
I don't have a "whole house" generator; it's a 5,000 watt model that
will power my furnace and the refrigerator and a few lights or maybe a
stove-top burner, but it's not intended to provide transparent or
instantaneous changeover. I have to manually transfer power from the
utility line to the generator, after I wheel the genset out of my shed
and yank it through the mud and run the special 220v cable out from my
transfer switch.
"Whole house" units that run from Propane or Natural gas cost a lot
more, and I didn't feel the expense was justified. They need a cement
pad, gas pipe, buried wires, and regular professional maintenance: it
was just too much for my budget. I bought the one I have for $567
after last year's October storm, which left me out for two days and my
sister out for six. It was a discontinued model that Home Depot was
selling at a discount, so I was able to justify the expense, since I
was competent enough to wire the transfer switch and 220 volt cable
myself.
The problem with nasty storms is that the power company sometimes
turns off power as a precaution: they're afraid of getting sued if
someone drives over a downed line, not to mention the zillions of TV
sets and computers that can be damaged by power surges when wires
cross. Some electric utility companies won't endure the risks: a
little lost revenue is nothing compared to what a high-powered
attorney could get in a contributory negligence tort.
That leaves you and me to fend for ourselves, and that means generators.
> > All of this is neither here nor there as far as telecom, but it led me
> > to wonder if the urge to buy up all the food - or anything else - is
> > likely to be reflected in the telecom world. Is there a way to measure
> > sales of cell phones and to see if they've spiked in the last couple
> > of days?
>
> It would be interesting to see the reliability of traditional
> landline, cell phones, cable, and VOIP telephone services during and
> after the storm in affected areas.
Do you have any statistics from New Jersey? You're in the path of the
storm, so please tell us what the "official" figures are.
> They expect widespread and long lasting power outages, and it will be
> interesting to see how long cell towers in such areas remain
> operational (or are overwhelmed by call volume).
Operational, well, that's a thorny issue. Requirements vary from one
state to another, and there's always the temptation to "magic pencil"
battery checks and genset tests. Call volume, not so much: with
businesses closed, the volume won't be an issue.
> FWIW, in our area many robo-calls have already been sent out by
> various agencies already with storm preparation recommendations.
Did the "1-000-000-0000" CID mark the call I got as a "Reverse 911"
communication?
--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:36:30 +0000 (UTC)
From: danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Feeding Frenzy
Message-ID: <k6m0ou$eao$1@reader1.panix.com>
In <20121029131758.GA1715@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> writes:
>>
>> > I have my own generator, and enough gasoline to keep it going for a
>> > couple of days,
>>
>> You're fortunate. Unfortunately, for those of us in an apartment it's
>> not a practical option.
>Not necessarily: if you have a fire escape, a small inverter unit
>would be quiet enough to use.
Your local fire chief would get very, very, upset if
she saw a gasoline powered appliance on your fire escape...
--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:51:21 -0400
From: Telecom Digest Moderator <telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: The input queue may be slow for a day or two
Message-ID: <20121029195121.GA18552@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
My power just went off, so I'm going to shut down to conserve wear and
tear on the generator. The input queue may be slow for a day or two: I
hope everyone comes through the storm without injury or damage.
Good luck!
Bill
--
Bill Horne
Moderator
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:12:12 -0400
From: Telecom Digest Moderator <redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Arc Flash
Message-ID: <20121029231212.GA26707@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
I've seen the safety films.
I've seen the Utube videos.
I've seen the demonstrations.
Nothing compares to what I saw tonight.
Right after I last wrote, I went out to get some more gas, just to
have it on hand. On the way home after a trip to the gas station and
the supermarket (which was nearly deserted, btw), I was taken aback by
a "Detour" sign blocking the road: a tree had fallen across it while I
was shopping. I started to make the turn onto the alternate route.
The sky lit up like God's own welding torch. It was an hv arc flash,
which lasted over thirty seconds. I went down the road, and saw some
smoke coming across, but no wires, so I kept going, but when I got up
to the smoke I realized that the hv line was lying across someone's
lawn, burning the grass.
I told the fire department.
I'm back on the generator just for long enough that my wife could cook
dinner. I'll stop now.
Stay safe!
Bill
--
Bill Horne
Moderator
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecom-
munications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in
addition to Usenet, where it appears as the moderated newsgroup
'comp.dcom.telecom'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Bill Horne. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
The Telecom Digest is moderated by Bill Horne.
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list
on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
Copyright (C) 2012 TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help
is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of fifty dollars
per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.
Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
your name to the mailing list.
All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the
author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only
and messages should not be considered any official expression by the
organization.
End of The Telecom Digest (8 messages)
Return to Archives ** Older Issues