[VoIP] [off VoIP] Ernest Telecomm 7D-3 Payphone

Tue Sep 4 18:18:14 CDT 2007

The whole rate file concept is the one major problem I have with COCOTs from
a collector/recreational perspective. I want a real, honest to goodness,
working payphone with working coin collect and coin return, which prompts
for deposit, etc. However, I don't want to buy a COCOT from a COCOT company,
because they are geared to people using them to generate revenue, rather
than for recreational/amusement purposes. That's why I've always thought an
implementation of ACTS in Asterisk would be so cool. Then, I could get a
non-COCOT single-slot phone, and make up my own rate file! Five dollars for
ten seconds to CNET! Ten cents for ten hours long distance! You get the
idea.
Jayson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donald Froula" <dfroula at sbcglobal.net>
To: <voip at ckts.info>
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 9:30 AM
Subject: Re: [VoIP] [off VoIP] Ernest Telecomm 7D-3 Payphone

> Well, some kind collector sent me a .pdf manual for a
> similar (ETX) payphone. He also sent along the
> software needed to program the phone using a 1200 baud
> modem.
>
> Another individual sent me a guide to wiring up a
> standard 14-pin LCD module to the "LCD" connector on
> the circuit board to allow keypad programming.
>
> I decided to go the modem programming route. I had a
> NIB "old" MultiTech modem that I decided to try to
> use. The software (written in Visual Basic) wants to
> see a real Hayes modem and has the original Hayes
> command set hard-coded into some parts of it. The
> software did allow settting up custom initialization
> strings. I found the commands to lock the modem to
> only try 1200 baud connects and to disable hardware
> handshaking. After reprogramming the phone ID number
> with the keypad (blind, without the LCD) I was able to
> connect and read back the stored settings over
> Asterisk and two ports on a Linksys PAP2 ATA.
>
> The phone uses a pre-loaded rate table that is
> customized to the area code and exchange where the
> phone is installed. The rate table classifies any
> dialed number into local, inter-lata, intra-lata,
> inter-state, and international. The classification is
> all relative to the area code and exchange where the
> phone was installed. This is problematic when using
> the phone in another location.
>
> This rate table file can be uploaded and downloaded,
> but not edited by the software. Apparently, one had to
> buy a customized table from Ernest Telecom, now out of
> business. I looked at the uploaded rate table with a
> hex editor, but there is no readable text that could
> be edited inside.
>
> There are rate override settings to allow one single
> rate for all 7 digit and another set for all 10 digit
> phone numbers. However, the predefined local area
> codes and exchanges override the overrides!
>
> The answer was another function in the phone called a
> CSN (Customized Special Number) table. This allows
> redifining the rate band for any area code, exchanges,
> specific phone number, etc. Wildcard characters are
> allowed, so it is quite flexible. I used this to
> redefine the band all of the area codes/exchanges
> predefined as local, then defining a new set of local
> exchanges. This worked, although it would have been
> great to have the software that actually generates a
> new rate table.
>
> An interesting feature of the phone is the ability to
> define a "211" refund number. The phone will make a
> free call to the defined "211" number. The person
> answering the phone can query the phone via DTMF to
> check the last call dialed, the amount collected, and
> the duration of the call. The "operator" can then
> remotely actuate the coin return and/or issue a refund
> amount that the phone will apply to the next call from
> the phone.
>
> The owner can also check the coin box balance and
> reset it remotely or from the keypad.
>
> I have this all working on Asterisk with a custom
> context.
>
> The phone is completely line-powered. It seems quite
> happy when connected to a Linksys PAP2 ATA, even
> though the voltage is not 48VDC.
>
> The phone uses a coin detector switch that has three
> slots, matching the three slots output of the coin
> sorter. As the sorted coins drop through one of three
> slots, it closes a contact that tells the circuit
> board what has been deposited. The switch occasionally
> jams when a coin slips between the wall of the slot
> and the little actuator lever. Apparently a new unit
> is available that has wider actualtors to avoid this.
> It is a real pain to fix these jams, so I will order a
> new switch from payphones.com. All these coin path
> parts appear to be standard across brands of COCOT.
>
> There are pins on the board for a ringer, although
> none was installed. The ringer capacitor is on the
> board. I hooked an old mechanical ringer to the pins
> and it rang fine.
>
> Now to put it in the family room and try to collect
> some cash from the family for a "second line"!
>
> Don
>
> --- Steph Kerman <stfkerman at jps.net> wrote:
>
> > Don,
> >
> > I checked.  He does not have any info on this.
> >
> > Steph
> >
> > On 8/25/07 Steph wrote:
> >
> > I'm copying this to a friend who had a COCOT
> > business some years ago.  I
> > don't know whether he can help but I'm sure if he
> > can he will.
> >
> > Steph
> >
> > Donald Froula wrote:
> > > I picked up an Ernest Telecomm 7D-3 single-slot
> > COCOT
> > > payphone today. There is a programming switch on
> > the
> > > board in the phone that seems to put the keypad in
> > > programming mode, but I get no voice prompts or
> > any
> > > other indication, other than DTMF when I press the
> > > keys.
> > >
> > > The board is labeled "Ernest D3".
> > >
> > > Does anyone have programming instructions for this
> > > beast?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Don
> > > --- Steph Kerman <stfkerman at jps.net> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >> Mark,
> > >>
> > >> Do you have the detailed description of the 1D
> > type
> > >> CTS?
> > >>
> > >> Steph
> > >>
> > >> Mark Rudholm wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Steph Kerman wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>> Mark Rudholm wrote:
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>>> Something I've noticed with my D phones is
> > that
> > >>>>>
> > >> they mute the coin
> > >>
> > >>>>> tones much more than my C phones.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>> I noticed recently that the coin maintenance
> > >>>>
> > >> practice specifically says
> > >>
> > >>>> the Ds mute completely and the Cs not.
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>> If you're in a quiet place, you can hear the
> > coin
> > >>>
> > >> tones on a D
> > >>
> > >>> set, but just barely.  I assume it's
> > unintentional
> > >>>
> > >> (like the
> > >>
> > >>> slight amount of pulse clicking you can hear on
> > >>>
> > >> most rotary
> > >>
> > >>> phones despite the receiver being "muted").
> > >>>
> > >>> If you know of a way to change the "muting" to
> > >>>
> > >> something more
> > >>
> > >>> like the attenuation applied by touch-tone dials
> > >>>
> > >> when sending
> > >>
> > >>> DTMF signals, I'd be interested.  Presumably
> > >>>
> > >> there's a switch
> > >>
> > >>> opening somewhere in the phone that could be
> > >>>
> > >> defeated with a
> > >>
> > >>> jumper or resistor (non-permanently).
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>>> There are some other minor differences. For
> > >>>>>
> > >> example, if you put a coin
> > >>
> > >>>>> into a C phone while it is on-hook, the phone
> > >>>>>
> > >> will pause and then
> > >>
> > >>>>> return it. If you do that on a D phone, the
> > coin
> > >>>>>
> > >> will sit on the
> > >>
> > >>>>> hopper until you go off-hook and then on-hook.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>> That's interesting.  Never noticed.  I have C
> > and
> > >>>>
> > >> E sets but haven't
> > >>
> > >>>> played with them much.  I'd like to have an A
> > too
> > >>>>
> > >> but so far don't.
> > >>
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>> I'd like to have an un-modified three-slot.
> > >>>
> > >> Unfortunately,
> > >>
> > >>> those don't seem to exist anymore.
> > >>> _______________________________________________
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> > >
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>
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