[QCWA] AUTODIN

Sun Dec 6 18:45:45 EST 2015

I used AUTOVON while in the Air Force 1968-'72 including from Vietnam. 
To my knowledge, there was no State Department use of AUTOVON by the 
State Department during my commo tours beginning in the mid-1980's. 
State used international direct dial telephone from overseas posts. 
STU-II's, later replaced by STU-III's were used for classified 
conversations.  Many posts now have other options open to them.

Dave Heil K8MN

On 04-Dec-15 23:42, Robert Rich wrote:
> Art, AUTOVON (automatic
>   Voice network) was a switched telecom network for the Dept. Of defense (DOD). Served all branches of military plus the State Dept. all U.S. Embassy's and U.S. Military command posts world wide.
> A 7 digit telephone number , no area   Codes. The system was a 4wire  digital switched network and could not be integrated or cross over into the public switched network. There were 77, 4wire hi speed digital switches with stored program control and 2 processors "0 and 1" often referred to as "Gee (right) and Haw (left)" strategically located throughout the USA and Canada, all sites were hardened (nuke bomb proof) and some under ground. The network lay-out was a "poly grid" with a 100% reliability. Each switch site was self contained, well water, sewer system, a controlled environment, temp at 72 df and humidity no more than 25%. 90 days supply of fuel for power alternators and 90 day supply of dehydrated food for staff and immediate family plus secured medical supplies.all sites were under air pressure to keep out radiation.
> All transmission facilities were wireless.
> The cost of AUTOVON was a flat rate, so Base Commanders encouraged GI's to use the AUTOVON system for personal calls  to hold down the cost of public network calls. A caveat , if a personal call terminated out side the AUTOVON system you had to have a buddy to "phone patch " you in to the public network on the far end, such as phone calls home when you needed money LOL.
> Other points of interest: the system was 4 wire phone to phone, no side tone, and you could not hear your self talk as compared to public 2 wire system. Each phone had a 4X4
> Touchtone dial pad, 16 buttons. The
> 4th row of 4 buttons were designated, top to bottom; FO, F3, F2, and F1. These were priority capabilities, F1 being the first level of over-ride, example; the base commander or officer of the day had F0 (flash over-ride) capability, that is if General Half Track needed to talk to the president or joint chief of staff and he called and got a busy tone, he/she could punch F0 (flash over/ride) and bump all others off the line and plow right through to the President.
> Those persons that had the need could use "scramblers" for secure voice.
> The AUTOVON system started in 1965 and last through the 1990's.
> The AUTOVON system faded away as satellite communications developed.
> Some one questioned if AUTOVON became FTS?
> The short answer is NO.
> They were two different systems,
> FTS was (federal telecom system) and supported federal entities such as , IRS, FBI, Social Security, Medicare and other gov agencies.
> This system worked through the public switched network but did not use area codes.
> whew!!! Thanks for listening!! Art,
> Hope that answered your questions.
> 73, de Bob.  WA4PWA
>
>
>
>> On Dec 1, 2015, at 7:50 PM, Art (K5FNQ) <k5fnq at lusfiber.net> wrote:
>>
>> I haven't heard AUTOVON for quite a while. I still have a copy of my orders in 1969 that restrict all collect commercial calls unless AUTOVON is not accessible.
>> I had always wondered what that was?
>> Art K5FNQ
>>
>>
>>> On 12/1/2015 7:45 PM, Robert Rich wrote:
>>> Fellow QCWA's as I recall, running parallel to AUTODIN was AUTOVON,
>>> I was very much involved in the AUTOVON project for several years.
>>>
>>> 73 de Bob WA4PWA
>>>
>>>> On Dec 1, 2015, at 6:37 PM, Mike Sturm <mike at mikesturm.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> For W2HB:
>>>>
>>>> Thanks Doug for bringing back a great memory.  Almost forgot about AUTODIN
>>>> - the programmers nemesis :)  Still remember the hassle of batching every
>>>> 500 of those 80 column records (don't forget to include the header and
>>>> trailer records in the count) and transferring them to 9-track tape -
>>>> despite the fact we were on the Defense Data Network by 1985.
>>>>
>>>> Being a programmer, I didn't touch the AUTODIN terminal but I sure
>>>> remember it - bigger than most of the computers we were working on.  I
>>>> joke but life was a lot simpler in those days and a heck of a lot more
>>>> secure.  Thrills me to know I was one of the ones affected by the OPM data
>>>> breach.  I can confidently say no enemy agent ever got even one of our
>>>> punched cards :)
>>>>
>>>> Thanks again Doug!  73 DE KA2E (Formerly of RUEOBMD)
>>>>
>>>> NNNN
>>>>
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>> --
>> K5FNQ - Art Mouton k5fnq(at)lusfiber.net (or (at)arrl.net) ARRL, QCWA, CW OPS, Louisiana Contest Club, DXCC Honor Roll (Mixed & CW), Digital/RTTY DXCC, 5BDXCC, DXCC 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 30, 40, 80 Meters
>>
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