Problem Locating Telco Box

[flipside]

I've been lookin in on how to beige box for a few months. I got one made and I have tried it out on my house. It works good but I think I want to try one of the bigger boxes. Problem is, I don't know how to locate one. I have found plenty of green boxes and such. They have small little locks on them at the bottom and I don't think these are the right ones. If you could tell me how to tell what kind are telco boxes, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[frog]

I've been lookin in on how to beige box for a few months. I got one made and I have tried it out on my house. It works good but I think I want to try one of the bigger boxes. Problem is, I don't know how to locate one. I have found plenty of green boxes and such. They have small little locks on them at the bottom and I don't think these are the right ones. If you could tell me how to tell what kind are telco boxes, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Concentrators have 'small little locks' on them, but they are typically found in the middle. Around here, it's a little flap of metal with a hexagonal screw buried in the centre. Cans sometimes have a bunch of ventilation slits, but it's not a necessity. They are a far paler green than electric cans. You will always find telephone cables running down poles into the ground near these boxes. Also note that in the top left corner (typically) you can find a two or three digit number.

Here is a picture of a concentrator from the southeastern US:
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/q400d.jpg

This does not have the type of lock I described, but I can't find a picture of one of those. Does anyone not from Canada know what I'm talking about?

[flipside]

I found a little can like the one pictured on the far left of the photo. Are these the same as the big boxes just with less lines?

[frog]

I found a little can like the one pictured on the far left of the photo. Are these the same as the big boxes just with less lines?

Those are for every couple houses, they connect back to the bigger boxes where the general area is wired.

[flipside]

Well I can only open it from the top. It has a cover on the top held on by a small screw. I didn't see any side openings. Do you know if this is normal and if so how I should beige box it?

[frog]

Well I can only open it from the top. It has a cover on the top held on by a small screw. I didn't see any side openings. Do you know if this is normal and if so how I should beige box it?

I've never heard of one opening from the top, but I can't tell you for sure that it's not a can.

Assuming you have found one, there will be ten billion wires in pairs. Take one of those pairs and strip a section. Connect your box like normal. The problem doing it this way is I have absolutely no clue how to find out what line represents what. Doing it at a concentrator holding a business's lines will give you a bit of an ability to guess.

Seriously, though, if you're going to try this, make sure you wear gloves and use insulated tools.

[flipside]

Thanks for the info. It's standing right next to a telephone pole so I think it might be one. I will be sure to take pictures and let you take a look.

[Telcogal]

The smaller pedestal probably opens like this:  These are the
smallest pedestals in the distribution plant, and they don't have doors (they
look like waist-high square poles).  In order to open one of these pedestals,
the two bolts on either side half way down the pedestal must be loosened with
a 7/16 hex wrench; then the front cover can be lifted up, out, and off the
rest of the closure. 

You can find this info here:  http://www.swiss.ai.mit.edu/6805/articles/lod/lod01/lod01-09.txt

For info on the larger box (crossbox), read this:  http://www.swiss.ai.mit.edu/6805/articles/lod/lod01/lod01-08.txt

Like Frog said, use insulated tools in case you hit a T1 service (it will hurt ya if you are not insulated from ground)  Ringing voltage is also fun.

Bed of Nails type clips work best, no wire stripping needed.

[ghostman]

Bed of Nails type clips work best,

...is there a diff between 'angled' clips + other kinds?  What if I don't have those?

[flipside]

Good news, I tried the top two screws in the box and they worked. For some reason it had a dial tone, then static, then the dial tone again. I'm not sure whats up with that but I'm thinking about routing a phone cord through the ground and under a bush or something. It's right by a path that I sometimes walkthough. Kind of like a shortcut through a small patch of trees. It will be kinda like a community phone.

[hosh_spicer]

I'm thinking about routing a phone cord through the ground and under a bush or something. It's right by a path that I sometimes walkthough. Kind of like a shortcut through a small patch of trees. It will be kinda like a community phone.

you mean just leaving the phone cord running out of the box?

don't think thats such a good idea...

[BillCancer]

thatd be kinda obvious ....

[flipside]

Not really, the box isn't very noticable. I never even realized there was one there till I actually started looking for em. Plus, there's a small patch of tress and plants and stuff. If I ran it under the grass, nobody would really notice at all unless they actually came out and opened the box to examine it.

[Dr P4nyk]

Which they do from time to time.

P4nyk

[Telcogal]

Not a good idea.  This is what will happen if you connect a cord or wire to the 1st set of lugs in that terminal.  First time it rains or someone steps on the end and smashes it into the soil, the ends of that cord or wire will get wet, and put a short and or grounds on the tip and ring of that line.  The customer will call telco repair, a tech will get dispatched.  If that is the serving terminal (If you already see drop wires attached to those lugs), then the tech will disconnect the offending wire and report a wire tap to their supervisor who will report it to telco security.  If it is not the serving terminal, some dumb tech will just change the cable pair because they are too lazy to look for the cause of the trouble and leave those lugs dead.  There are other ways!