Howdy ammanmurali-ga,
As I have installed my fair share of phone lines, the following is from
personal experience.
It depends on the age of the house and the age of the telephone wiring
on what style of demarcation point, or demarc that a house has installed,
but the demarc, as it is usually called, is where the criminal is most
likely to disable phone service to a house.
This BroadbandReport.com web page has some pictures and descriptions of
the demarc and where it is usually placed, etc.
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/wiring/1.0+Introduction
"Generally, the demarc is located on the exterior of your home in a grey
or black box. Sometimes the demarc may be inside your home in the basement
if you live in an older home."
The demarc box is relatively small, 4"x6" to 6"x6" or so in size.
In your script, the bad guy would go to the demarc, usually located on the
side or rear of the house, open it with a screwdriver, and then clip the
wires. The wires could also be unscrewed, or as they are relatively thin,
and depending on the disposition of the criminal, just plain ripped out.
There usually would not be sparks when the wires were clipped, etc.
Wires don't even have to be clipped in most modern demarcs, as there is
a phone jack that is usually placed inside, and that just needs to be
unplugged in order to disconnect a single phone.
If you look at the images on the page referenced above, you will see that
in some situations, the phone cables are accessible in the area where they
enter the demarc, and in that case they could be clipped without opening
the demarc at all. Demarcs can be, but usually aren't, padlocked, so you
can have the demarc locked as a detail if you desire.
If clipped, the criminal would use some wire clippers. This myLoupe.com
web page has a picture of typical wire clippers cutting some wires, for
reference.
http://myloupe.com/home/detail-rf.php?image_id=142719
"Wire clippers cutting wires"
If you need any clarification, please feel free to ask.
Search strategy: Personal experience.
Google Images search on: demarc
http://images.google.com/images?q=demarc
Google Images search on: wire clippers
http://images.google.com/images?q=wire+clippers
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher |
Clarification of Answer by
denco-ga
on
25 Dec 2005 13:53 PST
Howdy ammanmurali-ga,
To add a bit more detail to the scene, there usually be four wires in
each phone cable and uina typical demarc. There are red, green, yellow
and black. If there is one phone circuit, then the red and green wires
will be used, and a second phone circuit, for a computer and modem or a
fax machine, will use the yellow and black wires.
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher
|
Clarification of Answer by
denco-ga
on
25 Dec 2005 13:54 PST
Apologies, that should have read:
"... in a typical demarc. There are red, green, yellow and black wires."
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
ammanmurali-ga
on
26 Dec 2005 03:41 PST
hi denco, that was a great answer...thanks...but I am writing a
script, you know...so, terminology is pretty important for me....so i
don't exactly need clarification, but i need elaboration if u can
please provide on the following points:
1)What do u call the telephone cable that goes from the demarc into
the house?(technical name). In the pictures u sent, please specify
where i can recognize it???and also the names of the different
coloured wires that comes into and goes out of the demarc.....
2) In my script, one of the criminals has to explain to his buddy,how
he is going to clip the wire and the process involved in it, so i need
all the technical names involved with the demarc box and its
peripherals if any, to make my scene sound more realistic..
3) You mentioned about padlocks. Well, suppose there isn't any padlock
and my bad guy opens it and finds something unexpected inside, i mean,
some technical hitch. You see, he exclaims to his buddy like "oh my
god, i din't expect it to be like this....." or something on those
lines...my question is, if there is any possibility of the criminal
encountering a technical glitch that prevents him from clipping the
cables inside, what could be the name of that problem???
I need the elaboration on the above points in order to add more flesh
to my scene to make it appear more detailed and realistic....Denco,
plz help me if u don't think am asking too much...................
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Clarification of Answer by
denco-ga
on
26 Dec 2005 13:29 PST
Not a problem, ammanmurali-ga.
Keep in mind there isn't anything very technical about phone lines.
- The "technical" name for the telephone cable would be the "telephone line."
Please look at the second and third pictures down on the following page.
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/wiring/1.0+Introduction
The black cables outside and on the bottom of the box are the telephone lines.
In your scenario, your guy is going to want to look into the demarc to make
sure that all the wires got clipped.
- The technical terms for the green wire is the "tip" and the red wire is the
"ring" wire. If the black wire is hooked up, it too is a "tip" wire and in
that case, the yellow wire is a "ring" wire as well.
This Hello Direct page covers other technical terms, such as POTS.
http://telecom.hellodirect.com/docs/Tutorials/TelWiringBasics.1.040401.asp
"If there is a punchdown block, and you can't get the phone company to
install a modular jack for each Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) or
central office (CO) line, then you will need a punchdown tool to connect
your inside wiring to the NI."
The scene might something like this.
Criminal #1 to Criminal #2:
"Now listen carefully! You need to make your way to the back of the house.
Next to the rain gutter, you are going to see a little grey box, around four
inches by six inches. This is called the demarc and it is where the phone
lines connect to the house.
There is a screw holding the door shut on the demarc. Unscrew that and open
the door. Inside you will see the telephone lines all connected up. Take
your clippers and cut the ring and tip lines. Those are the red and green
wires."
You could have all sorts of real looking gimmicks inside the box to make it
look like it is something more than a standard installation. You could have
a listening device (a "bug" or "wire tap") attached to the phones lines. You
could have a very obvious, such as a bright orange one, cable running off to
another box with an antenna, which could be a wireless alarm.
The U.K. base "Spycraft" website has a picture of a "wire tap" type of device.
http://www.spy-craft.co.uk/media/phone%20wire-tap.htm
The "clips" in the above image are called "alligator clips."
The "Spy Emproium" website has an image of a wireless device.
http://digital--recorders.com/bug_camera_wire_tap_detectors/bug_camera_wire_tap_detectors_wireless_video_jammer3.jpg
You could have a strip of LEDs ("Light Emitting Diodes") in the demarc,
looking like this animated graphic from the Duke University website.
http://www.duke.edu/images/animated/greenliteline.gif
The LEDs (the criminal would spell this out as "El Ee Dees") could be some
sort of alarm or scrambling device that would alert someone about tampering
to the phone lines.
The conversation, over a radio, would be something such this.
Criminal #2: "What are these green blinking lights?"
Criminal #1: "Like an LED strip?
Criminal #2: "Uhh, yeah, sure ..."
Criminal #1: "Trouble! Don't touch a thing!"
The "technical glitch" doesn't need to anything really all that complicated,
as the cables could be armored, that is, have a metal casing, such as this
one from the LiFaTeC USA website.
http://www.lifatec.com/img/armored.jpg
Another glitch could be that the wires are just of different colors than are
used in most cases, such as pink and purple, or you could have someone that
is "color blind" trying to differentiate between red and green wires.
Hope this helps!
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
ammanmurali-ga
on
30 Dec 2005 08:04 PST
hi, denco, sorry for delay in replying........i was out of
city....anyway, great answer, wonderful answer...thanks a lot....but i
wudn't bother u again, if u give me just another two line
answer.....if the telephone cables are armored like u said, how do u
cut them?????this one more and i will be through....looking
forward......Murali........
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Clarification of Answer by
denco-ga
on
30 Dec 2005 20:32 PST
Howdy Murali,
All sorts of things could be used to cut armored cables. A cordless
rotary tool, such as one that Dremel makes, would do the job.
http://www.dremel.com/productdisplay/tool_family_template.asp?SKU=1007787775&Color=99CCFF
"There are seven different cordless models to meet your specific
needs, including the all new 10.8V Lithium-Ion Cordless."
A small set of bolt cutters will accomplish the task as well. The
Widget Supply website shows a typical one.
http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/PROD/pliers-cut-other/BER11
"8 [inch] Mini Bolt Cutters"
The "micro blowtorch" is pretty cool as well. Here one is shown on
the Nott Products website.
http://www.nottproducts.com/solder/microtorch.htm
"...
- Electric self-starting ignition system
- 2400 degree flame
..."
No matter the method, and a possible twist for your screenplay, is that
unless it is done carefully, shielded wires could short circuit ("short
out") against the metal sheath when cut.
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher
|
