Can I connect Merlin phones with 6 connector cable? 1

[larsulrich]

Hi Everyone,

Check out this dumb mistake: I wired my new building with 6 conductor cable for my pending phone system. Then I got the phone system, a Merlin, only to find out that it uses 8 conductor cables! Duh! Is there any way I can wire the 8 pin RJ45's with 6 of the wires and still get partially working phones? IE: Are all 8 wires used?

Only one room is wired this way so it won't bother me too much if the phones don't work completely in that room.

Thanks for reading.

Keith Sterling

 

[vaoldschl]

You should be able to eliminate conducters 7 & 8 at the far end and not lose any functionality.

If you're wiring the RJ45 at the KSU with the 3 pair just wire it exactly as you would a CAT5 patch only ignore the fact that you're missing the last pair and wire it straight through to the modular jack, make sure to use an 8 condition jack (I don't think the six would accept the line cord from the Merlin phone, anyway) and again ignore 7&8.

At&t/Lucent/Avaya/Exponets, whatever you want to call them this month, generally uses six wires for key/hybrid telephone sets. I have a customer with a 410 that is running completely off the above config.

Also, there is a Merlin forum under phone systems you might want to check out.

 

[larsulrich]

Thanks so much MAXG. Your reply gave me all the information I need to continue my installation.

best regards,

larsulrich

 

[ttech]

If you are using MLX sets they WILL work with 2 pair cords and wiring unless you are using an MLX20L, a dss or any mlx sets with MFM's installed which uses the brown pair for power. If the wires you ran were 3 pair (rare now-a-days) you could use RJ 45s and skip pins 1&2 assuning you are using mxl sets. MLX sets never use pins 1&2 (the orange pair using 568b wiring scheme.
If you are using ATL sets (the old merlin sets) you can skip the brown pair. the brown pair was used for intercom on the old merlin systems

Any other questions just ask