"Doit yourself was quite nice, wasn't it?

IT AINT NO MORE!!

Steven was semi-retired. He had graduated in Electrical / Electronic stuff many decades ago and built a wealth of 'hands-on' capability. What he did in electronics or electrical stuff was extremely safe and competent, before 'those people' discovered it and made $$$$$$ out of the discovery. 'That' was 'how' it was done before 'paper' Accreditation 'Proved' viability, competence and safety.

As an, 'Oldie,' younger people thought he did not understand computers, ADSL, iPods et alia.

They were quite incorrect. He had a part-time job at TAFE, instructing Telecomm Techs and Electricians in the 'Underpinning Theory' they required but could not, himself get, 'Validated' for 'OTJ' experience. The RTO validated his students but couldn't validate him, since he wasn't 'OTJ' facilitating, was he? There was no way he could 'prove' he had 600 hours of OTJ experience??

He could design 13MVA mains reticulation systems, RF telemetry systems and much, much more but wasn't allowed installation of such since he never had the required OTJ experience? Those having such Accreditation could install this stuff, yet had no idea of how to design it, without following Steven's textualised instruction!!

Those he taught could after 'Accreditation' get $80 per hour. He taught them for a measly $46 per hour, since he wasn't, 'Accredited.' Could not attain 600 hours of 'OTJ!'!!

Somewhat like getting voted-in to Government but having no idea of how to, 'Govern?' Since they had NO, "OTJ" validated Experience?

He decided, after playing 'Internet' for a decade and more to upgrade to ADSL2+. He researched and bought a modem he deemed suitable, only to find that when it synched at 13Mb/sec the Telstra POTS line had intermodulation noise on it due to the other POTS 'phones being in 'idle' mode. (Try getting an 'ACMA Accredited' type to thus diagnose?)

Ahh! I need a Central Splitter, he diagnosed, and bought one, Telsta Approved (a C10100E ADSL Filter-Splitter!!) Doing more research he discoverd, although he could install it without problems, he WAS NOT ALLOWED TO DO SO under ACMA Accreditation Ruling! Shucks! Oh, well, let's get a licenced cabler.

Ring-ring: "Hello, Tycho Electrics, can I help you?" "Yes, are you ACMA Accredited to Cable?" Pause. "What's that?" (Steven hung up.)

This was repeated many, many times.

Steven despairingly went to his local, in the small town he lived in. Budge, his mate, advised the bloke 'over there' was a 'Cabler.' "Allo, mate, are you an Accredited Data Cabler?" Asked Steven to the person pointed out by his friend. "Course," was the answer, "What can I do fer yer?" The bloke answered.

Steven explained the situation. "Nah, you don't need a Central Splitter, only Televisions have them. Look, what I can do is identify where you Telstar (You? ..Your? Telstar? Steven thought?) line comes in and get them to find out what the noise is. O-K mate?" "No, I explained the noise is due to the other 'phones, on-hook, shorting out their lowpass filters and inducing the noise." Steven stated. "A Central Splitter will eliminate this." The ACMA (possibly?) Accredited person looked puzzled. "I dunno what yore talkin' about?" "Are you ACMA Accredited?" Asked Steven. "Yes, 'course. I paid $150 for a TAFE Course to get it." Was the reply. "And they never told you what a lowpass filter was?" Asked Steven. "No need to, it's the stuff that comes out of yore arse, innit?" Retorted this Accredited Tradesman, giggling and slopping his beer down his shirt.

Steven walked away.

He tried another "Sparky" Accredited as an ACMA Cabler. This bloke sounded reasonable, lived near and offered to quote for connecting in the C10100E ADSL Filter-Splitter.

The Quote went like this: "I'll run the Telstra line down to the computer room sockets, connect it to your modem and use an inline filter to run back up to your two 'phones. Cost=$120. Them Telstra Approved C10100E ADSL Filter-Splitters are rubbish! They fail after 16 months!"

"Hold on, an inline filter is designed to service only one telephone. It'll mismatch the ADSL return-loss, degrade my ADSL synch and is not approved within Telstra's 'Alteration of Telstra Facilities Specification 012882?'" Steven stated. "I wanted you to quote to fit the C10 Filter-Splitter." "I can do that, but they're rubbish and cause more troubles than they're worth." The 'Accredited' Cabler replied. He never got the job.

That afternoon, after duly filling in a JSA (Job Safety Assessment,) Steven disconsolantly opened the entry to the roofspace of his house, climbed therein and saw the mess that the Telstra Tech had left some years ago when ISDN had been installed and removed, instigated by a Telstra "Cicero."

He wiped the grime off the little white box, paused, got his camera and photographed the mess. He wondered why he had no written "ACMA" Certification for this 'Mess?' But then, it happened before ACMA Certification was required, didn't it?

He identified the two analogue house POTS lines connected in Star, the ADSL house line (to be) and the incoming Telstra Yellow and White cables (the red and black ones had been just cut-back, (the leavings left on the roof bats!)) and found the Technician had decided to use line 2 (red & black) for some reason for the line into the previous ISDN socket. He wasn't sure where the NBP (Network Boundary Point) was, but guessed it the little white box. He amended the JSA, connected in the Central Splitter after cutting back the loose cabling in accordance with the revised JSA.

The noise on the house phones ceased. The ADSL synch connection went up to 15Mb/sec.

Carefully, having formally filled-in the JSA before attempting this work, he appended to it; "Telstra loose wiring in loops can cause tripping-up and bodily emission via the roof entry, in a downwards vertical direction, if not aware of this possible OH&S transgression."

Steven now lives in FEAR, that, someday a (possibly Accredited to ACMA) Telstra Tech will want to inspect the line and see the installation he was NOT ACCREDITED to do without the 'Piece of Paper,' "PROVING" competence! He will, possibly, get fined on a 12-point scale. Each point=$1032!!!!

iwishihad wonders where Our Politicians, who generate such Law, keep "THEIR" Accreditation bits of paper?

Perhaps within their loo??

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