"Loops I've Known and Loved" No self-respecting Phone Phreak can go through life without knowing what a loop is, how to use one, and the types that are available. The loop is a great alternate communication medium that has many potential uses that haven't even been tapped yet. In order to explain what a loop is, it would be helpful if you would visualize two phone numbers (lines) just floating around in the Telco central office. Now, if you (and a friend perhaps) were to call these two numbers at the same time, POOOOFFFF!!!, you are now connected together. I hear what you're saying out there ..., "Big deal" or "Why should mother bell collect two MSU's (message units) for one lousy phone call!?" Well ... think again. Haven't you ever wanted someone to call you back, but were reluctant to give out your home phone number (like the last time you tried to get your friends' unlisted number from the business office)? Or how about a collect call to your frie.d waiting on a loop, who will gladly accept the charges? Or better yet, stumbling a loop that you discover has multi-user capability (for those late-night conference). Best of all is finding a non- supervised loop that doesn't charge any MSU's or tolls to one or both parties. Example: many moons ago, a loop affectionately known as 'The 332 Loop' was non-sup on one 'side'. I had my friend in California dial the free (non-sup) side, (212) 332 - 9906 and I dialed the side that charged, 332-9900. As you can see, I was charged one MSU, and my friend was charged zilch, for as long as we wished to talk!!! Ahhhh .... have I perked your intrest yet? If so, here is how to find a loop of your very own. First, do all of your loop searching at NIGHT! This is because the loops serve a genuine test function which Telco uses during the day. (We don't want to run into an irate lineman now, do we?) To find a loop, having two phone numbers is a definite plus. If not, get a friend to dial numbers at his location. Last resort, try dialing from two adjacent pay phones. Now, get your trusty white pages, and turn to the page where it lists Metro NY exchanges and the number of MSU's from your exchange. The idea is to get a loop that is only one MSU from your calling area so you don't go bankrupt trying to find a working one. So write down in a list all of these exchanges. The following are common loop endings (EXC stands for the exchange): Manhatten and The Bronx ---------- EXC - 9977 & EXC - 9979 Brooklyn and Queens -------------- EXC - 9900 & EXC - 9906 Armed with the preceding info, dial the tone side of a loop. This would be the 9906 or 9979 side. The best thing that could happen now is that you will be able to hear yourself, or friend through the loop connection. Eureka, you've found a loop!!! Unfortunately, this doesn't happen too often. Here are the more common possibilites: 1. You can hear through the loop (not muted) but there is a 1/2 second click every 10 seconds that interrupts the audio. Good for backup use, but the %&%$%%! click is super annoying. 2. One side of the loop is busy; try it again later. 3. The tone disappears, but you cannot hear through it (the loop is muted, try again in a month or so). 4. You get "The number you have reached" recording. No more loop in that exchange, go on to next. Most loops fall into catagory #3, but they do become unmuted from time to time. Once you have found a loop, its uses are only limited to your imagination. If you discover any novel uses for loop lines, I am always willing to learn, so leave them for me here on *MOM*. Happy Looping Official Phreddy Loop -------(212) 452 - 9900, 9906 Great for data! Info on the '1633' loops by special request only!!!!!!! ***************************************************************** The preceding article was duplicated from one posted on Modem Over Manhatten (MOM). MOM is no longer in operation, however was one of the first bulletin boards (after 8BBS) to support phreeking. The original author of this article was the one and only Phred Phreek. Note that the comments at the end of the article no longer apply, as this article was written in 1981, and Phred Phreek has not been heard of since MOM went down. HERE ARE SOME NEW LOOPS. ALL ARE IN THE 212 AREA. ON ANY GIVEN DAY OR NITE SEVERAL MAY BE BUSY,(MORE OFTEN CASUAL USERS THAN TELCO PERSONNEL.) AND ON ANY GIVEN DAY OR NITE SEVERAL MAY BE INOPERATIVE. IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHETHER TELCO MAINTENANCE PERSONELL REMEMBER TO 'THROW THE KEY' WHEN THEYRE DONE LINE TESTING. IF THEY REMEMBER TO TO TURN A LINE 'OFF', THEN IT'LL REMAIN OFF TILL THE NEXT MAINTENANCE TECH. FORGETS TO TURN IT OFF AFTER USING IT. DO NOT ASSUME THESE ARE FRREE CALLS. UNLESS THE #'S ARE IN YOUR PRIMARY CALLING AREA,YOU ARE BILLED EITHER MSU'S OR TOLL UNITS DEPENDING UPON DISTANCE. NEVERTHELESS LOOPS ARE LOTS OF FUN,AND YOU CAN OFTEN MEET NEW PEOPLE ON THEM. ESPECIALLY LATE ON WEEKEND NITES. ALSO, LATE ON WEEKEND NITES YOU WILL FIND SEVERAL OF THE LOOPS BEING USED BY AM, FM OR SHORTWAVE PIRATE RADIO STATIONS FOR CALL IN LINES. MOST OF THESE STATIONS ARE IN THE N.Y. AREA, BUT THE REMAINDER ARE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. 212 LOOPS REMAIN THE BEST KNOWN IN THE PIRATE RADIO WORLD,AND SO ARE USED BY PIRATES EVERYWHERE. NOW...HERE GOES WITH THE LOOPS: 212-529-9900/9906 212-283-9977/9979 212-352-9900-9906 212-220-9977/9979 212-365-9977/9979 212-562-9977/9979 212-982-9977/9979 212-986-9977/9979 THE LOWER NUMBER IS THE ONE WITH THE SQUEAL. IT SQUEALS (SINGING SWITCH) TILL SOMEONE DIALS THE OTHER NUMBER IN THE PAIR. THEN THE SQUEAL DIES AND YOURE CONNECTED. NOE THE HIGHER NUMBER NEVER DOES SQUEAL, EVEN IF THE OTHER PART OF THE PAIR IS UNUSED. SO YOU HAVE TO KINDA GUESS AT WHEN SOMEONE IS SWITCHED IN AFTER DIALING. LISTEN FOR THE CLICKS,THATLL TELL YOU. THE 982 AND 986 #'S ARE KINDA WIERD. NORMALLY IF YOU PARK ON A LOOP, YOU WILL HEAR WHOEVERCALLS THE OTHER HALF,AND WHEN THEYRE DONE,THE NEXT CALLER(IF ANY) WILL BE QUEUED IN, ONE AFTER THE OTHER. NOW ON THE 982 AND 986, YOU SOMETIMES CANT GET ANY MORE CALLERS AFTER THE FIRST. FURTHERMORE, IF YOU PARK ON THESE TWO LOOPS AND THE OTHER END REMAINS UNCALLED FOR 4 MINUTES, YOU MAY BE AUTOMATICALLY DISCONNECTED. YET THESE LOOPS ARE BETTER THAN NOTHING NG-ESP. ON WEEKENDS WHEN ALL OTHER LOOPS ARE BUSY....... IF ANY OF YOU HAVE LOOPS IN OTHER AREA CODES, PLEASE LEAVE THEM, EITHER IN BULL. OR LV. A MESSAGE FOR DARK PRIEST. THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE, AND ENJOY YOUR LOOPS. *******DARK PRIEST******* *******DARK FOREST******* ********DARK DAY*********