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Northern Electric Centurion Semi-Postpay Question

Started by compubit, December 30, 2017, 10:57:28 PM

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compubit

Playing with my QSD401A phone (semi-postpay), I have a quick question about operations:

As I understand it, line polarity was normal when initially dialing, but when the call was completed to a normal local call (i.e., not 911, 411, 0, Repair, etc.), line polarity reversed.  Once the appropriated amount (determined by the jumper board inside the phone), did the phone send a signal to the CO to re-reverse the line, or was the internal board supposed to handle that automatically (i.e., no signalling to the CO)?

Also, how would an operator know how much was deposited - I hear some beeping when coins are deposited - is there some specific frequency that the phone sends?  If anyone has some pay-phone references, I'd appreciate it.

I'm waiting for my ATA to arrive (tomorrow) so that I can setup the polarity change upon call completion, but wanted to see if anyone had any familiarity with these phones (in advance).

Thanks!

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

.....

Jim,

I hope this helps you. It's a installation manual.

Payphone installer

Post a pic of the inside of the lower housing if you can.

AE_Collector

The beeps when coins are deposited were for the operator on LD calls. One beep for 5c, 2 beeps for 10c and "about" 5 beeps for a 25c coin. The manuals I read would have been for AE payphones and made a point that "about" 5 beeps indicated a 25c coin and if only 4 beeps that didn't mean only 20c had been deposited.

I can't recall what the standard was now to allow the local call to be made once the initial deposit was correct. Might have been a splash of ground back to the CO rather than battery reversal.

Terry

compubit

I'm out of town right now, but will post when I get back.

Thanks,
Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

rcourtney

Responding for anyone searching the forum.

Semipostpay did use a line polarity reversal to cause the set to block the mouthpiece until the base rate is deposited usually on local numbers.
The central office did not change polarity on certain FREE numbers..911 0-Operator  Repair etc. 

The VoIP ATA reverses polarity upon call completion (free or not).  Toll free 800 for example will still reverse polarity and require coins.
In the future, SIP response message 402 "Payment required" may provide the correct action.