    





    blow back the meter, connect the output of the vaeuum
    to the output (supply) side of the meter. To suck hack
    the meter, connect the input hose of the vacuum to the
    input of the meter. Tape up the connections with
    plastic tape and let 'er rip! Be sure you disconnect
    the meter from the pipes (Method 1) before connecting
    on the vacuum cleaner, stupid!
    
    REMOVIHG DIALS
    
    Some meters have a removeable d~al assembly tbat is
    simply re~oved ~y unscrowing the frame and pulling the
    whole thing off. Then plug ~p the hole wLere the rod
    comes through so that no gas leaks out. Any gas tbet
    you now use won't register on the dials, and you c~n
    even open up the assembly that you just removed and
    turn the dials back to a more equitable reading. When
    repositioning these dials it is extremely important to
    understard how the numbering syste~ on the dials works.
    Every time the "Cubic feet" dial rotates one full turn,
    the "Tens of cubic feet" dial moves one digit upwards.
    Thus, when the "Cubic feet't dial is on zero, the "Tenst'
    dial should be pointing right at a particalar nu~ber
    And when the "Cubic feet" dial is halfway around, the
    'tTens" dial must be halfway between two numbers. The
    same hol™s trne for all the diils7 when compared to the
    dial right next to them. Meter readers do nothing but
    read meters all day, and they will know if the dials
    are pointing in the wrong positions. Mark down the dial
    readings of your meter before playing with it. If- the
    dials aren't labeled with "Feet", "Tens", etc., then
    turn your gas on and see which dial moves fastest. This
    will be the "Cubic feet~ dial, usually the right-most
    dial.The "Tens" dial will be next to it, and so on. Be
    sure no one in your home lets the meter reader in with
    the dials off, the meter reversed, or anything else
    look ing f unny.
    
    SA FETY
    
    Natural gas is a ~ixture of 30% methane and smaller
    amounts of ethane, propane, butane, nitrogen and a few
    
    other gases. It is h-ighly explosive and very poisoreus
    The shotoff valve should be regarded as your ~Live-Die"
    switch. You MUST remP~ber to turn it off before working
    on gas lines. You cen faint before you realize it if
    you have a gas leak.
    
    Super-lmportant- Work with plenty of ventilation. If
    impossible to have ventilation, don 't work! Even after
    you shutoff the valve there is sti~ 1 enongh gas in the
    pipes to be dangeraus. With fresh ~-ir coming in you'll
    have no problems.
    
    Sparks or flame will ignite any gas in the air. Do
    not smoke. Electric mOtGrS, drills, sews or appliances
    ~ake sparks and must not be used while worRing on gas
    lines. .
    
    When you're done, check for leaks by cupping your
    hands around the pipe and pauring ~n some water. Watch
    for bubbles of gas escaping. This method is better than
    sniffing because your sense of smell t~ill deerease if
    you've been smelling gas for a [ew minutes, and either
    everything will smell like gas or nothing will. Do not
    try the old trick of lighting a match to f ind a leak'
    
    Do not work alone. With two poople you have protect-
    ion from feintir.g and not belng found ur.til it's too
    Jate. Both of ycu should know all safety rules and be
    aware of how you are feoling while working. 'dork slowly
    and caref~lly and -you should have complete success and
    safety.
    
    3efore starting, locate every single pilot light tbat
    works on gas in your ho~e. Ihey ~ust be relit after you
    finish or you'll be finished off. In one ~,ouse tt,ere
    was a gas heater, a ~as dryer, a gas water heater and
    a gas stove, each with its own pilot light. The stove
    itself had 7 pilot lights' Krow your appliances and it's
    a good idea to have the manuals for the~, so you can find
    the pi}ot lights before you begin to work. Some people
    hsve gas refrigerators. Many N.Y. pepple ooly have a
    gas stove with one or two pilots. Your pilot lights are
    also good for checking tbat the shutoff velve is working
    before you turn the nuts on the meter. If you smell gas
    in your hame after finishing, turn off the v~lve at once
    you'11 breathe ~r for it,
    
    :(:
    
    PIGHT
    
    Dear TAP,
    Black Box I}etectiorr `Ie~nds on the kind of switelring equi-
    pment you have irr your C. (}.: l~ler~tificatio~c Step t~y Stsp
    Dial your own nun~ber and 1isten afEcr cach digit. II it
    makes ~ distinct click or clicks nIter most of the digits
    yvu l~ve SXS. If you ~et `~o~i~`l c.~;eept .~ ~listir,< t E(lun}i
    E~unk sound after the l.ast di`3it ooly, before you havc
    busy you }~ve Crosobar,cither ~o. 1 (the {irGt ki~<l P:~ r~
    createdor no. i`, the i~provc~ vnrioty. If your 1~:s ~iq-
    nal sounds real music.~1 r:lChcr tIrar~ D~e nor~n.ll har~her
    busy you probably have '`o. 1 E~. [3lack l~oxes ~tre consid-
    ered s~fe only on no. '. or poss~L'ly r~o. 1 crossb:Zr. It ca'
    be used on SXS but Eor ú~ly very ~hort periods, u~lcss
    your C. O. swiLchrovn, is unattu~cl at the time you use
    the box or if the C. O. doesrl't ~vc CPlI al:lrms. ~I~he pur-
    pose of these is not to ~::ltch bo:;es (=l,thou~3h it worl~s for
    tbat) but to keep son~cor~e who c~allod you fro~n holdir~`J your
    line up in c~se Uley clon't h:my up. If the alarm comes in
    ance in ~ while tha swiLchma~ will just ~et up and knock
    down the connection (you'll be disconnected, and ~fLer a
    miaute or more)but he'll ~et VERY suspicious if it happens
    too often ~nd he may listen ir~. If hc hears ~ convers~ation
    and the alarm s~ys one perso'~ hun~l up, wellSome
    cheap ofiLces don't ~ve alarms, .'hey're safe for boxing.
    To find out, c~l} some business you can't stand in the same
    office (same prefix or first 3 digits) and after they hang up
    sit on the line. Make the dall just before they close for the
    day, or they'll call the phone co. and have the connection
    knocked down. Or try a friend who doesn't mind his line
    being held up ior ha~f a day. After that time, if you're still
    holding the line up, either the offi~e d~oesn't hsve alarrnsor
    it is unattended during that time. ESS is almost impossible
    to use any kind of box with; move to a different area. Or
    iind a friend who works in the switchroom to re-program
    ~e computer to give you the neat extra cost features lihe
    call forwarding ftee I

    





    
    Calilornia loop aronnd numbers vary widely a~ross the
    state, ~t ~n Southerr~ California the pattern is ):XX-1118
    and XXX-lllg or XXX-0118 and 0119. Most charge, some
    are free when called from the same area code but c~rge
    outside that area code.
    
    -CALIFORNIA-
    
    Dear TAP,
    
    FREE COPIES'!' The 3M "40~" Reader-Printer (mi~ro-
    film) so often found in schoo's and libraries will ~i`,e
    you all the free copies you want if you know how. When
    you put .n a dlme it gives you a copy of whatever you
    were looking at. The copy comes out of the top front,
    and you're supposed to tear it off...bot not if you're
    smart. The paper comes on a roll. When the copy comes
    out, find something else you want copied, and when it's
    focused on the screen, grip the paper firmly and pull
    straigh~ out.This will start the machinery ar,d a few
    seconds later you'll have two copies for tt~e price of
    one. Stay there a few hours, and you '1' hsve two hundred
    for the price of one.
    
    Space s~ooter discs,~small pieces of plastic made
    for the space shooter toy-l9½ per box at Woolworths)
    work as a dime in parking meters. Just make sure ~t's
    pushed all the way in, before turning, or meter wil3.
    3am. This has saved us about $50 so far-w~'d like to
    share it.
    
                  -NEW VORlC
    
    For the names and numbers of w~r company executives,
    send a stamp and 254 for the Stop the War Phone Book;
    c~o Thomas Paine, BQX 20605, Phila.,Pa. 19139...Another
    way to fir,d who belongs to a particolar phone number is
    to look in Polk's City Directory in your library. #'s
    are 'isted nUTerically followed by name and occupation.
    . . . A~ amusini; book '~The Poor Man 's James Bond'' is $5
    from Hillcrest Publications, Box }95, McOonald7 Ohio
    44437 and 1s a ~anual of hememade bombs, mace and zip
    ~uns. It's the ravised versior, of the "Militant's For-
    nnulary".Catalog is 25½, and they're rot cool so write
    a strai~ht-looking letter...Heath Company, Benton Har-
    bor, Mi. will lend you a frequency counter on a 30 day
    trial basis. You have to ha~e a business letterhead($5
    per 100 offset) and pay a $400 advance deposit. Write
    or stop by nearest dealer for details. They're real
    nice about it. Say you want to compare theirs with the
    Hewlett packard or some other brand.
    
    W R ON&
    
    