Sage 930-A

[Pourme]

I started anew thread for my queston as not to iunterfer with the excellant and informative discussion taking olace on the forum with reguard to the subject of cleaning and adjusting dialers.

The discussion began as a comparison of using the Sage 930-A verses Audacity software download.

My question:

If I or any member were interested in purchacing a Sage 930-A we can see that they are offered on EBAY at a price range from $22.00 to $2,400.00.

Ktownphoneco stated:

"By the way, Sage telecommunications test sets get obsolete fairly fast, and they can be purchased off eBay fairly cheap.    I bought mine for $95.00 plus shipping.    The thing one needs to know is if the 930-A set has the add-on card for the tests that the purchaser wants to perform.     Pulse speeds and break / make testing and DTMF frequency tests with the 930-A requires "Option Card - 01".    There are approximately 31 Option Cards for this unit.     The instrument itself, operates on either 48Volts DC, or 115 or 240 Volts AC, but not both."

Jeff

Many offerings on the auction site do state the option #'s installed on the device that is offered, most do not. How does one proceed finding a device that will be helpful analyzing our dials as a hobbyists? If we contact the seller is he/she likely to know if "option card-01" is on that particular machine? Can it be added if it isn't? Can I do it myself? Some sellers must have many devices to pick from, according to their description.

There are different face configurations offered, is one more preferred than the other?

I guess I am looking for guidance in choosing a device that will serve me as a phone hobbyist so I can choose what I need at the best possible price. 

I went through this before I purchased my 616 and program phone as well as my 1045_A analyzer. With advise from this forum I made good choices then, there may be others that could bebefit from members expert advise here as well.

Thanks,
Benny

[unbeldi]

Your are asking an important question here.  These 930s came in a multitude of configurations, depending on what the purchasers needed.  Sage had a list of 2 or 3 dozen add-on options that could be equipped beyond the standard basic set.  I studied this quite extensively before I bought mine, and it took a while to find what I wanted at a price I liked.  I sent test instructions to numerous sellers for them to display the option numbers installed in their units.  I think I posted them here on the Forum at one time too.

Unfortunately, the options that a telephone collector most likely would want are not part of the standard configuration.
These are:
01: Digit receiver
13: Ring generator and REN load

That doesn't mean that others are not useful, for example the T1 test and monitor options are nice regardless, if you like playing with T1 lines and channel banks, and such.

The digit receiver is for testing digits, either pulse dial or touch tone, and that is perhaps the main attraction.

The Ring generator is also very nice, because it is programmable and can be set to any of the frequency ringers that we find in telephones. That option also measures the frequency of ringing of a given line, and tests for basic good operating conditions of the line, by inserting a 3 REN load.

[unbeldi]

Here are the instructions that I have posted to sellers:

Would you please try to determine the options that are installed in this unit?  Here is the procedure:
a) Press OPTION MENU button (the lowest black key left of the display)
b) Use up/down arrow keys to display OPTION NUMBER: 94 LIST OPTIONS
c) Press Softkey 4 (the right-most button directly under the display)
d) read the numbers that are now displayed
e) press the same key again for additional page of numbers, if necessary



Instead of using up/down arrows in step b) one can also punch the number 94 into the key pad.

[unbeldi]

Here is a chart of options typically available.

For my documentation, I highlighted the options installed in my unit in color. The green items are the standard modules installed in my unit, and the purple ones are the options that are installed in my set.

The standard modules varied just slightly during the lifetime of the product.

[Pourme]

Good information, unbeldi. Thanks. It is my intention to find a unit at a reasonable price.

Am I to assume if a unit doesn't have the desirable options, it's not possible or practicable ($$$) to ad them after the purchase?

Benny

[unbeldi]

Good information, unbeldi. Thanks. It is my intention to find a unit at a reasonable price.

Am I to assume if a unit doesn't have the desirable options, it's not possible or practicable ($$$) to ad them after the purchase?

Benny

No, not practical.  The units are out of service and EOL.  The options are installed as a combination of plug-in cards and matched PROMs.

[unbeldi]

Here is a view of the inside.  Cards and software EPROMs.

This is still Z80 technology of the 1980s.

[unbeldi]

Well, I should perhaps have said, that some of this was 1970s technology. The Z80 was introduced in 1976.

By the chip dates, we see that my 930 was apparently made in 1991 or shortly after.

I wonder if it could run CP/M still, lol.

[Ktownphoneco]

Benny   ....  Did I cover everything for ya ?   If not let me know.    One thing.    If you end up purchasing one of these unit's, let me know.    I have a manual for it that I can email to you.      These sets are very much like a computer, in that they have a mother board, processor and RAM.   But they have an annoying little habit which is unlike a PC.    Most, if not all computer motherboards have a button battery which is easy to change if need be.     The Sage 930 also uses a battery to maintain settings in the system, but it's soldered onto the motherboard, rather than having a snap ring socket like a standard PC motherboard.    The batteries are somewhat "odd ball" in that they're made by some company in Israel, but they are available in Canada and the U.S.A.      If you find that after setting up the the unit to coincide with the C/O line your using, and if you unplug the set, or have a power outage, all your settings roll back to factory defaults, it's probably because the on-board battery has gone belly up.     If you can use a soldering iron, they're easy to replace.

Jeff

[Ktownphoneco]

One thing I meant to post.     If your wondering how much the   Sage 930-A sold for when it was a new set, have a look at the attached picture, which is a scan of a price list the Sage dealer near me, sent to me when I bought mine in 2006.     Might be best to sit down before you look at the prices.    The basic set started at $3,995.00 USD.

Jeff

[Stan S]

Hello
Being the simple person I am I always try and do highly technical things as simply as possible.

Although not as impressive as the Sage 930-A I find that this works just fine and has for over 15 years.
I added the power supply. These units have an internal 9V battery which I always forgot to replace.
You just connect the test cable to the dial's pulsing contacts.
See below.

There's one on Ebay now. I made my usual offer of $35. I probably won't win it but that's OK. Really don't need another one.
Ebay#  371617320521

Stan S.

[unbeldi]

I would think that all of these batteries are dead by now.
Here is one of the available batteries.

However, unless you are a heavy every day user of the box with multiple applications, there is very little to enter in terms of configurations.
Lack of the battery is not a big problem, I found.

[Stan S]

The DPA 106 uses a standard 9V transistor radio battery.

[oldguy]

Ok, I bought a Sage 930A. My question is, does anybody know were to get or make leads for a Sage 930A?
Sage Instruments 930A Communication Test Set W/OPTS
Options: 1-4,6-16,20,21,23,30-35,40-47,56,57,59,65,75,80,89-95,97,98

[TelePlay]

Ok, I bought a Sage 930A. My question is, does anybody know were to get or make leads for a Sage 930A?

Up late watching something on TV so did a search. This appears to be a complete cable kit for the 930A:

==========================

Sage 930A Cable Kit 9400-0037-01     Price: $400.00

The Sage 930A cable kit is the finest cable kit on the market.  The full part number is 9400-0037-01.  It includes the following items:

    2ea 8' Bantam to Bantam (red)
    2ea 8' Bantam to Bantam (blue)
    1ea 8' Bantam to 310 (red)
    1ea 8' Bantam to 310 (blue)
    1ea 8' Bantam to Alligator Clips (red)
    1ea 8' Bantam to Alligator Clips (blue)
    1ea 8' 310 to RJ-11 (grey)
    1ea 8' Dual Bantam to RJ-48 (black)
    2ea Bantam 100 ohm terminating plugs
    1ea Bantam Looping Plug
    6ea TAD-3s, 310 to Bantam Adapter
    4ea L284s, 66E Block Adapters
    1ea Mini-Maglite
    1ea Screwdriver
    1ea Multi-Tool
    1ea Extenstion Cord
    1ea Reinforced Nylon Carrying Case

==========================

I could  not find images of the cable but the above cable descriptions show a variety of connectors. I was able to find the below cable at Westek Electronics and it seems the Bantam is a 1/8" 3 conductor and the 310 is a 1/4" 3 conductor plug.

As an FYI, none of the 930A's I found for sale from those who commercially deal with used sets seemed to include a set of cables.

Those who have working 930A's can provide more info. The above is posted for posterity. Others can post additional information including images of their cable.