PART II 



FOREST PROTECTION TELEPHONE LINES 

 CHAPTER IV 



PLANNING THE TELEPHONE 'SYSTEM 



Section 23 Importance of Preliminary Plans 



Too much emphasis cannot be placed on the importance of makrng a carefully 

 drawn plan of the entire system before starting the construction of any part of it. 

 The longer the line and the greater the number of instruments attached to it, the 

 greater must be the electrical conductivity of the wire used and the higher the 

 resistance of the ringer coils in the instruments. An independent pole line 12 to 15 

 miles in length on which 6 to 8 instruments are to be placed may be constructed of No. 

 12 gauge galvanized-iron wire and 1,000-ohm ringers may be employed, while if the 

 same line is to form part of a 100-mile circuit No. 9 gauge wire would be necessary and 

 2,500-ohm ringers would give the best results. Very long lines might require No. 6 

 iron wire or it might be necessary to resort to copper which has approximately six 

 times the electrical conductivity of iron wire of the same gauge. This might radically 

 alter construction methods. It is of vital importance, therefore, that very careful 

 consideration be given to all probable future extensions of the telephone system, so 

 that no type of construction or equipment may be employed which will later prove? 

 unfitted to form part of a more extensive system than was at first contemplated. 



Section 24 Plans must be based on Definite Area 



In planning a system for fire-protection purposes, the basis of all plans must 

 necessarily be a certain area of timber-land of greater or less extent. This area we 

 will assume to be contiguous for, although it is sometimes necessary to include non- 

 contiguous areas in a single protection unit, the variations in condition that may arise 

 in considering non-contiguous areas are so wide that it is difficult to generalize with 

 regard to plans for telephone service for such tracts. Usually where government lands 

 are involved contiguity in adequately sized areas is readily secured. Where private 

 holdings are involved much success has resulted from the organization of co-ODerative 

 timber-protective associations to include the owners of contiguous areas of timber- 

 land in blocks of sufficient size to warrant the organization of a specialized fire-fighting 

 staff and the construction of a telephone system. Whatever the ownership conditions, 

 however, the basis of all fire-protection plans is necessarily a certain area of timber- 

 land and the more nearly contiguous are all portions of the area, the less per unit of 

 area is the expense incurred in equipping it with forest telephones. 



Section 25 Primary . Stations Requiring Service 



Within or adjacent to the area under protection will be found a greater or less 

 number of stations that must be joined together by the telephone system. The most 

 important of these is the headquarters of the supervisor or chief ranger having general 

 charge of the entire territory. Next come the headquarters of the district ranger and 

 of his principal administrative assistants. After these the primary lookout stations, 

 which in a normal season provide for the detection service over the whole tract, must 

 be connected. When this much of the system is completed the main framework has 



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