Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!

Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!

Register Log in
  • Congratulations strongm on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

beanies

Status
Not open for further replies.
jeffmoss26

jeffmoss26

Technical User
May 7, 2002
334
US
Today I worked on a job and had to extend all the cables using beanies. When I connected the cables to the block and then to the phone line, I got no dialtone on any jacks. I then removed everything from the block, cut the beanies, and spliced right into the phone line coming in (just used cross connect and twisted the wires together). I then got dialtone on all the jacks I hooked up (only connected 3 out of a total of 8 in the house) Does anyone know of any potential problems with using beanies? I have used them many times before without a problem.

jeff moss
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
I've had almost zero failures with beans, however, there are a few things that I've seen mess them up. The older quad and 3 conductor IW wire sometimes had a thicker insulation on it, and did not allow the beans to crimp on well. I've also seen where 3 or 4 wires were stuck in the bean (or more) and one didn't make it all the way, thus avoiding the crimping part. Stranded wire has at times been a problem, I usually encounter it in alarm work. I've just made it a habit to strip the stranded wire and then stuff it in the bean.

The worst offender has been using the diagonal cutters to crimp the bean, over crimping causes can cut the wire. Only use something flat to crimp with, either the correct parallel jaw crimping tool, or even a regular pair of pliers.

Interesting though, they've been very very reliable for me.

Good Luck!

It is only my opinion, based on my experience and education...I am always willing to learn, educate me!
Daron J. Wilson, RCDD
daron.wilson@lhmorris.com
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks, Daron.
I used linesman pliers to crimp them. It's interesting that when I got home, I was trying to replicate the situation and troubleshoot, I used diagonal pliers and got dialtone fine on the jack. Also, I asked about this on another forum, and they said that I should always strip the wires first. When I tried this at home, I did not strip the wires and everything worked. Do you guys normally strip wires first before crimping the beanies?

jeff moss
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I have found that UR connectors work better than UY's Because the UR's have Two Crimping Bars Instead of ! like UY's,And it is always better to use the designated Splicing Pliers made for these connectors,If the wires are pushed past the crimping bars to the very top, I haven't ever had a problem,and a lot of times it is better to use your snips and recut the wires evenly before inserting them in the beans ,the individual sheathing on the conductors ,sometimes is longer than the copper.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B-connectors, or "beans" are IDC just like the scotchlock line of 3m's connectors (insulation displacing). You don't need to strip them in most cases; however, with stranded wire -- i could see that becoming a problem.

As far as you not getting dialtone... I would say that's because the teeth of the B connector didn't make it into the conductor. This may have been how you inserted the wire. What type of wire, and how many did you insert?

For straight pair connections, I almost always use 709-B connectors by Thomas and Betts. They're fast, and you can visually see what's going on.

But... when splicing in very old splice cases that don't have a lot of room, and that have to be filled with epoxy... I use B connectors as long as the pair count is below 100. The amount of space that B connectors use is far less than a 710 or 839 module might use. It's very easy to get pair grouping tied off and laid out in a splice case with B connectors, as they lay flat.

That's my two cents...

Next time, make sure you crimp firmly, and don't have wires stacked upon each other. You can safely get 3 or 4 in a B connector, depending on the guage.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I was just splicing a piece of cross connect to each station cable (2 24ga. wires in each beanie.) It's possible that I didn't insert the wires far enough in the beanies.
Jeff

jeff moss
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Make sure they're even length when you hold them in your hand. Insert them in until they won't go any further, and if you're worried about it, pull them out and hold it against the B to see if it looks like it went in all the way, and then crimp twice, I usually use needle nose pliers, with the big end... but 9's should work as well.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B connectors are designed to be pressed on an angle so that the small end is crushed flat and tapers to the opening. This was so the wire insulation wasflattened at the tip but back further the spikes just bit into it to provide strain relief. It's possible that using the nines you didn't press hard enough.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
a tip for crimping stranded cable I always strip the insaltion then fold the stripped section back down on the un stripped portion it helsp to assure that a good connection is made.


( I know you arent supposed to strip the insulation but it works )
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Those are good tips. I never heard that they shouyld be crimped on an angle. Also, I was using solid, not stranded wire.

jeff moss
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Something that I usually do Jeff when I use the little jelly filled connectors, is make sure they are in correct. Look at the back top of the connector and make sure both wires are passed the blades. I make sure they are butted up to the top and then make my crimp with the proper crimp tool. I have very few that do not work. I do not strip the cable back, unless it happens to be a 22 awg. wire.

Mike Jones
LSUHSC
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I've never heard or seen anything that says they should be crimped at an angle. I've bought tools that were parallel jaw crimpers, and always seen them crimped in the middle. Is there someplace I can look at this crimped on an angle recommendation?



It is only my opinion, based on my experience and education...I am always willing to learn, educate me!
Daron J. Wilson, RCDD
daron.wilson@lhmorris.com
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The B connector tool made by GMP and used by Pacific Bell California crimps on an angle by design. As to where it says this I'll see if I can find anything but we were told to use the tool and nothing else.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'll confirm Franklin's statement that Bell companys provided a designed crimper with tapered jaws for the B connector. They also included a 'self-check' function in the form of a slot in the side of the tool. You placed a short piece of solder in the tool crimped it and tried to slide it into the slot. If it fit, the tool was not undercrimping the connector. I still have one in my tool drawer. I also would use the back side of my linemans pliers if the toll wasn't handy.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
My experiences with the Bell companies never involved B connectors, only 710 or scotchlock/channel IDC connectors :) But I'll say, for the splicing I've done on army bases (two in total) it has been 100% B connectors, and I used klein multifunction needle nose pliers, worked fine... I did a 25 pair without a hitch, and a 600 pair without a hitch (tested both).

Guess it comes down to your method. I always double crimp and pull on it to make sure it got in there good enough.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor

Back
Top