5 FAH-2 H-530
CIRCUIT MAINTENANCE
(CT:TEL-32; 06-25-2012)
(Office of Origin: IRM/BMP/GRP/GP)
(Updated only to revise Office of Origin and some formatting)
5 FAH-2 H-531 GENERAL
(TL:TEL-2; 05-23-2002)
(Uniform all agencies)
Maintaining telegraphic circuitry means establishing a
reliable connection to the relay station and preserving all processing and
transmission equipment in good repair so the circuit is continuously available
to transmit and receive telegrams. The following information is intended as
guidelines. Procedures should be adapted to the unique needs and circumstances
of each post.
5 FAH-2 H-532 CONTINGENCY GUIDELINES
(TL:TEL-2; 05-23-2002)
(Uniform all agencies)
IPC personnel are responsible for the reliability,
availability, and restoration of all circuits and networks that terminate or
transit through IPC. The IPC telegraphic circuit that is terminated at the
TERP, provides a ready sample of the network and is assigned the highest
restoration priority. IPC personnel should constantly observe circuit
conditions so that problems can be detected and circuits restored as quickly as
possible. Listed below are some circumstances that will indicate poor signal
quality, transmission equipment problems or circuit outage:
(1) An unusual number of transmission garbles that
appear on distribution copies or cause telegrams to spill to error queues in
telegraphic processors;
(2) Frequent or numerous missing CSNs;
(3) The TERP V systems events window displays errors
and problems within the processor itself;
(4) A lack of activity in the processor may indicate
the circuit has dropped out; and
(5) Synchronization indicators on peripheral devices
carrying the signal indicate whether the circuit is in sync or not.
5 FAH-2 H-533 TROUBLESHOOTING
GUIDELINES
(TL:TEL-2; 05-23-2002)
(Uniform all agencies)
a. At the first sign of aggregate or customer circuit
impairment or outage, notify the NMC at (703) 302-7899. If the NMC is unavailable,
notify the appropriate NOC [RRF Beltsville (301) 985-8100 or RRF Brandy (540)
829-4551 or (540) 829-4550 (and request to be connected to black FACON)].
After, or concurrently if possible, you have notified the NMC or appropriate
NOC, contact RRF Beltsville's Primary Tech Control at (301) 985-8122 to request
a QRT of your telegraphic circuit.
b. The first step in troubleshooting is to check the
circuit at the post. Follow documented post procedures to test signal loops up
to and including the local carrier, or the last element of transmission
equipment that can be looped on the post side of the circuit. If the signal
passes through an intermediate station before the relay, test signal loops with
that station.
c. If the fault cannot be traced to the post or an
intermediate station, ask tech control to continue circuit tests at the
Beltsville/Brandy end until the fault can be identified, remedial action taken
and the circuit restored.
d. Once the circuit is restored, send a service to
RUEHCK advising the reason for outage and the restoration of the circuit. Send
a second QRV service to RUEHZZ to have STARS begin transmitting again.
e. Send a DTS CHANNEL telegram to DTS-PO, the Network
Control Centers, the Area Telecommunications Office Headquarters, the RIMC and
regional ATO, as described in 5 FAH-2 H-516.
5 FAH-2 H-534 DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES
(TL:TEL-2; 05-23-2002)
(Uniform all agencies)
In the event of equipment failure or circuit outages, the
expertise of the IPC staff is crucial in solving the problem. The best tool at
their disposal is comprehensive documentation that includes procedures to trace
problems in the telegraphic circuitry. This documentation should contain
detailed documentation for the following:
(1) Signal flow diagrams for the primary route;
(2) Signal flow diagrams for the alternate route;
(3) Diagrams of where to place patches for the
alternate route;
(4) Business hours and after hours telephone numbers
for the RIMC and any other office with regional technical control
responsibility; and
(5) To provide for fault isolation, diagrams and
instructions for looping the signal at various points.
5 FAH-2 H-535 ALTERNATE ROUTES
(TL:TEL-2; 05-23-2002)
(Uniform all agencies)
Each post must establish an alternative route for the
telegraphic signal and test it on a regular basis to ensure it will be operable
should the primary route be out of service. Each IPC staff member must be
fully trained and capable of establishing the altroute. Include altroute
procedures and detailed documentation in the SOP. This documentation should
also list those circuits which are restored on the alternative route, as well
as list those circuits which will not be available until the primary path has
been restored.
5 FAH-2 H-536 THROUGH H-539 UNASSIGNED