Pulling cable to or from the closet 1

[phreak23]

Which way do you guys pull the cable? Do you start at the closet and pull to each drop. or do you start at the drop and pull to the closet?

I generally pull to the closet from each drop, but one of my guys asked me today if it wouldn't be easier to do it the other way. I thought about it, but old habits are hard to break; it would throw off my whole routine.

 

[LkEErie]

Geeze, 30 some years of pulling cable and I just take them the way they lie on whichever end.

The different things I do to my cable is roll the sheath to line up the pairs on a patch panel and I start with one of the middle pairs. I don't care how the lie at the jack end, because I use Leviton.

I'll humor you though, Bighands. Cite an example from a major manufacturer and I'll believe it.

LkEErie

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Ever get a box of "left-hand" twisted cable? Where the pairs are twisted opposite the "normal" way, and unwinding them to terminate the jack is a pain in the neck?

Well, it's twisted the same way, no matter which end you grab!! There's no such thing as cable designed to pulled one direction only.

Now, if you're talking about pre-connectorized cables, like 25-pair Amphenols, then sure, you need to end up with the female end at the workstation.

 

[bighands2468]

The manufacturer in question is Commscope Systimax; formerly AT&T, Lucent, Avaya, etc. If anyone else is familiar with terminating their category 6 GS3 style patch panels or MGS400 series jacks, that is how they are designed. I will produce some lit on this later in the day.

 

[LkEErie]

Note carefully that the tome in question talks about cross coupling at data speeds betweeen 250 and 500 Mhz. It has to do with the lie of the cables, all right, but the direction you run them is not a factor. You could achieve the same bad result by cinching all the runs at the closet with a good cable tie or two.

Just keep wearing your tinfoil hat when you install cable and you'll be fine.

LkEErie

 

[skip555]

lets not even get into pulling cable in the southern hemisphere

 

[hawks]

not a bad read here

http://www.lanshack.com/cat5e-tutorial.aspx

 

[RikRodgers]

Hmm...

It seem that there are more urban legends out there than I'd have beleived. For one, the Earth's magentic field reverses at the poles, not the equator.

I've got to agree with Dewey, though (as I usually do).

This is definitely fun to read.

 

[oldtimerbob]

I have been reading this thread since the first and thought I'd put in my thoughts afterall.

I have found that it depends upon the site as to from what direction you pull the cables.
The first thing is to establish your cable route,as it will determine which end the pulls will be easier.

For instance 1:
The amount of cables per main run,where the laterials are located and how many drops per laterial in relation to the closet (MDF or IDF) that the cables are to land.
It is rare to have a closet with enough room for the boxes in any amount to match the multiple drops,so I normally put the boxes outside the room's wall that is closes to the racks/feed and run a length pull string to the inside from that point.
Then I can cut all the cabling at the boxes for the amount of runs to go in as groups to feed in at once.
Of course you will want to insure that at the location ends you have either landed them at the stations or left enough coiled to do so. (always overpull for cublicles)
For instance 2:
For smaller amounts (one twos) It again depends upon the location but in most cases I would pull from the location and follow the established cable pathways (more chance of finding the correct pull strings,if any were left).
On new installs these maybe the 'backbone'cabling and the longer pulls anyway (which you may always want to get out of the way first as they require more labor time)

Good Luck,

Has been in the cabling business for about twenty years and is now the Sr PM for a cabling company located in the Los Angeles area.

http://www.globusinc.net

Also a General Class Amatuer Radio Operator.