From: John De Armond
Subject: Re: Type of Phone Jacks at Campsites
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 1999 01:13:40 EDT
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel

Chris Bryant wrote:
> 
> On Thu, 07 Oct 1999 16:03:00 -0400, Neon John <johngd@bellsouth.net>
> wrote:
> >At the sites we stayed at while traveling up the Atlantic coast, the
> >most common plugs were either RJ11 (standard old phone plug) or more
> >commonly the marine-type 2 prong twist-lock.  Someone else mentioned
> >seeing a 3 prong twist-lock.  I saw 2 prong twist-lock to RJ11
> >adapters in my local RV supply center.
> 
>         That was me- actually, IIRC, the "two prong" plugs have a
> center, ground, prong, which is what the phone company around here
> wants- Tip, Ring, and Ground.

Ah, OK, I know exactly the connector you're talking about now.  That
is probably the case in Florida too.  I didn't get down and get
close and personal with the outlets so I could have missed the
center hole.

>         This is very good advice- but do be aware that, while phone
> company voltages are low, the "ring" voltage can be around 80 volts,
> AC- enough to bite, if the line happens to ring.

Yup.  I've had a lot of fun with a little ring generator.  Take a
book, put a foil dust sleeve on it, hook the ring generator to it so
that one pole goes to each cover and label it something like "The
Girls of Playboy".  Then lay it out on the counter and watch the fun
begin.  The body can actually vibrate at 20 hz! :-)  I call it the
Twenty Cycle Stomp.  A variation, the Sixty Cycle Stomp is done with
a neon sign transformer :_)

> 
> >I've learned from traveling around with my concessions operations
> >that when you absolutely positively have to have a utility
> >connection, there is no substitute for adapters and ingenuity.  I
> >have a plastic tool box that contains nothing but power adapter
> >apparatus.  If power is available, I can get it, even if it means
> >climbing a pole and clipping onto the transformer lugs (been there,
> >done that).  Appears that the same situation applies to phone
> >service, at least until some standardization happens.
> >
> >John
> 
>         John, I greatly enjoy your posts, and like your website (I've
> poked around there a bit.

Well thank you!  That's about the most minimalist web page I could
come up with but it's fast and easy to get to.  I figure that if I
throw enough pictures at it, pretty soon it will be really
interesting.

>         I, too, have had to get power "where ever, and how ever" I
> could. I used "Trico" test clamps to get up to 100 amp, single phase
> power from breaker panels (of course, the panels were hot, at the
> time).

Same here.  I have a set of lineman's hot gloves that stay in the
adapter toolbox.  I have 60 to 100 amp versions of all the popular
breakers (hint: grind the rivets out of a 2 pole 240 volt breaker
and viola!, you have two 120 volt, 80 amp or whatever breakers), the
Trico clamps, individual stabs on insulated handles plus every plug
I've ever seen anywhere. Hmm, guess I need to take some fotos and
put 'em on the web site.  With the NEC now requiring all outdoor
convenience outlets to have GFI, something that doesn't get along
too well with restaurant equipment, it's adapt or stay dark.  If
that power is there, I'll get it out!  

I've gotten a kick out of watching these guys argue about 15 vs 20
vs 30 amps on cords.  Well at least as much as you can enjoy
watching a bunch of geezer babies bickering in the nursery school. 
On many occasions I've cranked 80 amps or more through a couple
hundred feet of 10-3 SO cable.  Sure it gets hot but no big deal. 
It's outside on the ground so until concrete figures out how to
burn, I'm not worried.

John