PBX (or something) for modem testing

[Glen Slick]

On Tue, Dec 3, 2019 at 8:35 PM Jim Brain via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
> That said, I went out to eBay to see if I could source a 2-8 line
> something to help, and got smacked around with my lack of telephone
> system knowledge.
>
> So, any ideas (or links to eBay auctions) of brands/models/etc. I should
> focus on?
>

When I worked in a group that was doing modem related software over 20
years ago two of the telephone line simulators we used were from
Teltone and from TAS.

You can find Teltone TLS-2, 3, 4, and 5 boxes on eBay. The TLS-2 and
TLS-3 are two line boxes, the TLS-4 and TLS-5 are four line boxes. If
I remember correctly we had a TLS-5 model that could do more advanced
things like Call Waiting and Caller ID signalling. If you're patient
you might find a reasonable deal on one of these. Search eBay for
"Teltone TLS" and look at completed item sale prices.

The TAS Telephone Network Emulators were much more serious pieces of
complex programmable test equipment. We had a big TAS Series II box,
which was looped through an additional TAS 240 voiceband subscriber
loop emulator which could introduce various impairments on the line.
If you search eBay for "TAS telphone emulator" you'll see some of
those boxes. Doesn't look like those are typically cheap unless they
are likely broken, and they are bigger and heavier than you would want
to deal with anyway.

I might have a Teltone TLS-3 that I don't really need. The only
problem would be finding it hidden under other stuff...