CONVE N TION
    
    We had a lot of fun at this year's convention. I~here was significantly less paranoi~
    tban at last year's Convention. At that time, two men from the District Atierney's
    olI:ce, two men from the telephone company, and some dude who looked like an FBI
    agent posing as a reporter were really giving the people in the Blue Box workshop
    the creeps. Everybody was afraid to ~ive out information u~ith these guys taking pic-
    t~res and maXing recordings at the workshop. A hastily organ~ed legal workshop
    .vi~ Abbie helped to put things in perspective, and we anneunced ~e presence of the
    ph ~ne company agents, who promp~ly got uptight and leIt. This year there were quite
    a few more people attending (several hundred) and ~t appears even less agents. Black
    ~r.asks were handed ~ut at the door for those who felt they didn't want to have pietures
    ~ken. Some people came already equipped with masks, sunglasses, and brain wigs.
    A ~ir o! secarity men from a Rochester Independent company adm~tted that they were
    cnly there on their own, bot to learn what we were up to lately. The people who atten-
    ded felt litUe animosity toward the few agent-types; in fact, a petition was circulating
    ur~ing tbat all agents be paid double overtune for attending the convention.
    
    Eight halI-hour videotapes on many phases oI phone phreaking, power heisting, and
    usin~ dlugs were shown on video monitors around ihe room These were alternated
    with workshops ~ four areas around ~e baHroom. One workshop (pic~red) dealt with
    ~r.stalling extra devices on your phone line, such as extensions, autorr~atic
    answering equiptment, hold buttons and the lilce. Cther workshops
    dealt with Con ~d, Boxes o! all colors, Credit Card Calis, and
    'treforming" the phone company.
    
    A number of display boxes were scattered over the area
    One demonstrated the busy tones and dial tones and how
    they are generated and timed to 60 and 120 interruptions
    per minute. Another played Interesting things you
    might hear should you be so fortunate to call around
    the world to different phone numbers, like Dial-a-
    Disc in France, weather in l~okyo, or Sex on Sunset
    Strip. There was ~ display that demonstrated the
    2600 cycle whistle and allowed you to practice it
    into a telephone handset, and probably the most
    popular was a Red Box, in which you could hear
    what esch of the m~in circuits did and how the
    ach~1 Coin Denomination Tones are prc~duced.
    Some people were even maldng cassette record-
    ings from the Red Box display unitl
    
    The press was there in force, filming znd
    in~rv~ew$ng anyone they could get to ta~k. The
    atmosphere seemed very light and peopie d~d
    ssem to be en~oy$ng t7ae afternoon. Back issues
    were being sold rapidly, and most people pas-
    sed up the organic carob cake and brownles
    in order to watch the video~pes or attend ~e
    workshops.
    
    A1 E~ell gave a short speech on how the phone
    company plans to raise the public phone rate to
    20½ and blame the increased cost on phone
    phreaks. A waL~cing pay phcne was making the
    rounds, soliclting 20½ contribuLions here and
    there. Some attendees were circulating credit
    card lists and back issues of Telechom.
    
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    CORR ECT10H
    
    The disp~y boxes were bullt espec~lly for ~e convention and we knew tbat people
    would want to know how they were constructed. The 2600 cycle whistle detector
    is actually a toll-fraud detector since it activates upon hearing 2600. We had some
    schemat~cs at the convention bot seelng as they were free, tbey were al1 gon6 by
    noon, Ifyou wo~d like schematic~ for the 2600 cycle detector' the dlsplayed red
    box, and the dual-tone osc~ator(which is not, by ~e way, a blue bwd, we hsve
    more of them ~n and we're as~lng 1F'½ ea~h(free if you can'ta~ord it). Ihey use
    trans~stors and IC's in each ofthem and each c~cult can be built for about $15.
    If you recelved a circult, be sure and note ~e correct~on on the Ped Box sheet.
    For the price of a SEI F-ADiJ}?ESSED ~TAMPED ENV2;I.OPE you can also get a
    copy of the ConvR~tion Schedule whlch inclnde~ Joe Engressia's and Captain Crunch's
    telephone numbers in case you want to rap '.-'i~h them We ~ave also complled a list
    
                                                            of typ~cal Dest~cto~ Assistance topics v~hich is free if you send the envelope as   ~ E
                                                            above.~ _'
                                                            If you attended the conventi:,n, give fe~dback. What didn't you like? What do you   ~ /
    
    wish there was bot wasn't? What, if a. ythirlg, did you lLke? Got any ideas on the
    next convention? Let us know I
    
    We 're working hard to get more Phone Phreak Convention T-shirts and o~ers
    We'll let you kn~r next~ue. Meanwhile, help recruit friends and lTelco employees
    as researche~s and contritutors to TAP. If you want to do research, tell us I
    
    f:1
    
    CHANGE 'rHIS:
    
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