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From: GFoster@USC-ISI.arpa (Glen Foster)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Black Bart (?) Query
Message-ID: <1718@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 26-Jun-86 15:40:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-smok.1718
Posted: Thu Jun 26 15:40:18 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 30-Jun-86 05:27:21 EDT
Sender: news@brl-smoke.ARPA
Lines: 30


Re:  Black Jack

We made the mistake of buying a black jack.  If you can manage to get it to
function, it works well.  The trick is to establish the initial
connection, there have been times when I've tried for over 1/2 an hour
without success.  I am slightly amazed that I didn't chuck it out the
window!  I am the only one in our organization or DARPA (we're a 
contractor) who has ever made it work.  

The thing contains no electronics, just connections between the "red"
and "green" phone wires and the two leaf contacts inside the phone's
mouthpiece.  A phone cord with an RJ-11 plug on one end and alligator
clips on the other would work much better and be a heck of a lot
cheaper to boot (the thing runs about $50 retail.)  We have tried to
improve the electrical connectivity of the beast by soldering etc.
but the main problem seems to be that they used steel for the contacts
and the resistance (impedance?) is too high for reliable usage.

Another possible problem is that many hotel phones have fixed
mouthpieces.  The phone mouthpiece must have the cover removed and
the carbon mike removed to allow the Black Jack to be used.  

While the Black Jack looks like a good idea, it fails in execution.

If you have any questions (or want to buy a slightly used BJ!), give
me a shout.

Glen
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