[GreenKeys] Little Army Patch panel: Cable color codes?

[Roy Morgan]

At 11:22 AM 4/29/2005, Roy Morgan wrote:
>In ... "TM11-655 Fundamentals of Telegraphy (Teletypewriter)", I 
>discovered very brief descriptions of two Army items I have: ....
>2) A little wooden box with 5 rows of 6 jacks intended for temporary 
>patching of various parts of a teletype system.

Greenkeyers,

This thing turns out to be:
  - AT&T Telephone Test Board 392-2301
or:
  - 63C1 Telephone Loop Switchboard

Depending on if you are in the army or not, I guess.

My memory was a bit optimistic: it has four rows of four each jacks.  By 
peering intently with a magnifying glass at the label inside, I have 
figured out how it works:

The two rows marked LPG 1 and LPG 2 are looping jacks (type 303A).  They 
allow another device to be inserted into a loop without breaking the loop. 
So, a teletype conversation in progress would not be interrupted if you 
patch another device into the loop.

The third row marked SET  (jack type 438C) allows you to remove the 
existing teletype set from it's loop or circuit, again without interrupting 
the loop it was in, and connect it via the patch cord into any of the other 
(three) circuits.

The fourth row, marked MISC. is just four jacks available of the sort in 
the Looping rows.  They could be used to carry any other four circuits.

Thinking about how this thing can be used leads me to believe the 
arrangement of jacks is quite versatile.  You could:

  - Have four circuits set up doing different things, with four different 
"Sets".
  - Remove any of the sets from it's normal loop and insert it into any of 
the other three.
  - Put a nice panel mounted center scale Western Electric current meter 
(like I got an estate sale recently) on one of the MISC jacks and use it to 
monitor line current in any of the four circuits.
  - Put a T/D on one of the MISC jacks, to be able to send a brag tape at 
any time.
  - Put a receive only page printer on another jacks for use when your main 
SET runs out of paper

And all this in a thing the size of half a loaf of bread.

>   The connections are made with a set of solder terminals ...
>What is the standard color code for multiple-pair  telephone/teletype cables?

I got the color codes from more than one helpful list member, and 
discovered that indeed the code was used to wire this thing up originally.

I look forward to getting this thing hooked up.

Roy



- Roy Morgan, K1LKY since 1959 - Keep 'em Glowing!
7130 Panorama Drive, Derwood MD 20855
Home: 301-330-8828 Cell 301-928-7794
Work: Voice: 301-975-3254,  Fax: 301-948-6213
roy.morgan at nist.gov --