[GreenKeys] Need advice on telegraphing over a phone line?

[Bob McConnell]

From: "Derek Cohn/WB0TUA"

> I know there are a lot of tele
> As many of you know, I'm the resident telegrapher on this mailing list.  Our 
> club has two methods of telegraphing with others:
> 
> 1) On a telephone line using AFSK tones from a Bell 103 modem
> 2) Over the internet using software to simulate a telegraph wire
> 
> Either way, I need a phone line.
> 
> There is a group of railroad telegraphers gathering in a very rural area of 
> Missouri (Oran, MO) in about 3 weeks and they'd like me to bring my 
> equipment and do a demo.  The demo will be under a pavillion that has power 
> but no phone line.  There is a phone line I can use in a nearby house. I 
> would guess the house is 200 - 300 feet away.  This area is so rural, I 
> don't think there's any chance there is DSL on the line that I could pick up 
> as a WiFi hotspot with a wireless router.
> 
> Those of you who are knowledgeable about this....can I run an extension from 
> the phone jack to the pavilion if the distance is that long?  Does the 
> signal attenuate significantly over that distance?  Can I string together 
> phone extension cords to cover that distance or will Iose too much of the 
> signal?  If so, are there inline amplifiers that can be inserted?  Is there 
> a wireless solution that I might try instead of having to string a phone 
> line?.
> 
> If you guys have any suggestions for trying to bring the phone line down to 
> the pavilion so I can telegraph with others around the country for my demo, 
> I'd really appreciate it.

Stay away from the flat modular wire, particularly that junk known as 
silver-satin. It will act more like an antenna, picking up any local 
noise. Get a twisted pair with about 6-8 twists per foot for phone line. 
More twists = higher frequencies. CAT-5 is around 14 twists per foot. 
Put jack boxes on both ends and use a patch cord to connect in the house.

Bob McConnell
N2SPP