Distant Extensions

[dunroven]

I have a Partner ACS 7.0 system with two 308ec's and a Partner Messaging 7.0 module. It looks like we're going to be taking on some additional space in the building and I'm wondering just how far an extension can be from the ACS system.

I'm looking at 3 floors distance - assuming that's too far, is there any kind of booster, fiber converter, etc. that could extend the run? Thanks in advance,

Dunc

 

[mforrence]

Distance for keyset is around 1000 cable feet. There are no low-cost extender solutions, other than heavier gauge feeder cables (22AWG instead of 24AWG will get you a bit greater distance).
Mike

 

[aarenot]

We seem to get better sound quality on longer cable runs using cat5 cable vs. cat3. Also, putting the ACS at or as close the the riser (floor to floor feeder) cables will shorten the runs VS. running cable from the ACS to the riser cable.

 

[dagwoodsystems]

The inter-floor distance varies (even within a single building) between twelve and fourteen feet. An exception is low-rent hotels, which are often as little as eleven feet.

The longest potential cable run would have to traverse a floor laterally, down three floors, then laterally to the opposite end of a floor again. Barring any greater floor variance than what I suggested, I doubt you will come close to the 1000 ft marker.

Even if you somehow do, doubling up pairs of CAT5e is an easy solution. CAT5e was suggested by aarenot because it's less impervious to noise. But because the length of copper in the CAT5e cable is longer than the run itself (think of a helix in space), doubling up the pairs effectively gives a higher gauge of wire, as mforrence suggests using.

Electrons travel on the surface of the wire, rather than the middle--if you will. A higher gauge wire on a short voice run like this will have the electrical characteristics you need to pull this off.