How to Use Your Silver Box

by Mad Scientist

If you built the Silver Box in the Winter 1989-1990 issue of2600, here is some useful info on its use.

Call directory assistance (e.g. XXX-555-1212).  While it is ringing, hold down the D key on your Silver Box.  This will disconnect you from the operator and put you into the Automated Call Distributor (ACD).  If you are successful you will hear a pulsing dial tone.

From here you can have ten selections to choose from your telephone's keypad:

1.)  Rings the Toll Test Board

2.)  Sometimes dead circuit, sometimes milliwatt test.

3.)  Sometimes milliwatt test, sometimes 1000 Hz tone.

4.)  Dead Circuit

5.)  Dead Circuit

6.)  Loop Around - Low-End

7.)  Loop Around - High End

8.)  600Ω Termination

9.)  Dead Circuit

0.)  Dead Circuit

I've found the loop to be very useful.  To use the loop, have someone call the same Directory Assistance number you will be using and press 6, which will put him on the low-side of the loop.  You then call the same number and press 7 for the high-end of the loop and you are connected.

Not all Directory Assistance numbers work so try some other not so distant ones.  Unfortunately I haven't been able to get the 800 area code to work.