Wiring question 3

[aussie88]

What is the best way to connect the building wiring to the control unit on a merlin. I know At&t used to have a jack field system that was very neat, but those are non existant now.

Thanks for help

 

[TouchToneTommy]

I use "connecting cords" from the jacks on the Legend, dressed underneath the control unit through a D-ring, then over the mushrooms to the station blocks. These connecting cords are factory made (by Hubbell) 10ft solid conductor modular cords. Cut them to length, strip them open and punch down the conductors.

Or have your station cables on patch panels instead, and just use jumper cords.

 

[aussie88]

What ever happened to the little cabinets that lucent used to make. The called them jack field or apperatus boxes. I personally like them.

 

[jlshelton]

Two schools of thought on this issue.

Traditional: Everything gets terminated on a punch-down block (PDB) (66-style or 110-style.) Equipment terminated on PDBs in one area; "house cables" (wires to your extensions) in another area. Equipment is connected to stations via cross-connect wire (typically 4-pair) which has no outer sheath. A good installation includes a spool of cross-connect wire mounted up high, so you can just spool it off.

Modern: Use pre-assembled cables (e.g., CAT-5 Ethernet cables) to connect jacks on the equipment to jacks for the extensions. Your house cable should be terminated on typical 8-pin jacks.

The modern approach leads to mess as you grow beyond about 10 cables. But it's easy to make changes. And you can buy different colored cords to make clear certain distinctions (such as red for MLX phones and green for ATL (analog multiline) phones.)

The traditional approach is industrial strength, and stays neat, even with 100s of cross-connects.

AT&T, when they designed the original Merlin systems did us a disservice by putting 8-pin jacks on the equipment instead of 50-pin Amphenol jacks which allow easy connection to a punch-down block. TouchToneTommy's approach is a good bridge into the traditional approach.

 

[aussie88]

Look in the at&t installation book for one of the classic merlins. You will notice that it mentions something called a jack field. This consists of apperatus boxes and modjack to modjack or cutdown to modjack adapters. One apperatus box can hold 6 adapters. These little jack boxes did not seem to be very popular.

 

[warm]

At&t made a connector designed to fit over 4 pairs on a 66MI50 (or MI25) with an 8p8c jack. Works great for most At&t/Lucent/Avaya, et al., applications, even Partner. Can't remember the part number or find one in the garage. It's simplicity at it's finest. Without intense prior planning, it gets a bit unruly, but wonderfully simplifies installation and mac.

 

[mrpeabody]

jlshelton has the right idea. Although I've seen the traditional method perverted. Instead of punching the 4 pairs from the system in their own permanent location, thay are used as the jumper wire. This poor method has been employed massively by Avaya. Here is an example of a Legend that is terminated poorly and my results after cleanup.

http://www.affordabletelephone.com/service/index.htm

(I know I've posted this link b4, but I'm so dang proud of it!)

 

[aussie88]

Well since I am installing this in my house, not an office with 50 billion cables, I am just going to terminate the station cables with modular plugs. I have 15 stations and 8 lines. I found some modular plugs that are made by greenlee textron, part # 45747 that are EXTREMELY simple to terminate. I have uaed the direct connect method before, and It stays pretty neat for a long time, the only issue is crimping on 100,000 plugs on 100,000 cords.

Thanks for the help!!

Austin

 

[jlshelton]

At home, I also use the &quot;easy&quot; way; most of the house wiring terminates on 8-pin jacks (house came that way), and I use standard ethernet CAT-5 patch cables to do cross connect. With < 20 phones at home, it's not too messy.

Caution: The CAT-5 cables are great for minimizing radio interference (we live < 1 mile from big AM tower), but they don't bend nicely; cannot put the cover on my Legend box, which makes it look messier.

 

[AvayaNovice]

Austin,

I might get two 12 port patch panels or a single 24 port, and terminate on that. If you're doing data wiring as well, you can use it for both your legend and your hub/switch. Cross connect from there. Believe me... it's a lot better than crimping ends.

If you want to do it cheaper than that, how about getting some patch cords, stripping them, and terminating them on a 66 or 110 block, one for station, and the other block for inside wire -- use jumper wire to cross connect from there?

ANYTHING but crimp ends man, ANYTHING

 

[mrpeabody]

AvayaNovice, you don't like crimping ends? I like it because I make custom-length cables all the time (for neatness purposes). I get good speed too. I do like your suggestion of using a patch panel. If it was my house I would terminate the system on the patch panel(s) too. I have to disagree with cutting Cat5 patch cords and punching them to 66 or 110 blocks, though, because they have stranded wire.

 

[AvayaNovice]

I think premanufactured ones are much more consistant, but yes crimping ends is an option -- I just think it takes longer and is less efficient.

Cat-3 patch cords, never cat 5 for punching on a voice block

 

[aussie88]

AvayaNovice

Crimping on regular plugs is a pain. I found some &quot;cheater&quot; plugs from greenlee textron that are actually very easy. You thread the wires through a cartrige, stick the cart. into the plug, crimp and your done! Oh, and what does anyone have to say about the voysys mail on an 820 plus merlin?

 

[rhislop]

Hi everyone,

TTT, you've mentioned the Hubbell cords before. Where can I get my hands on these?

I've used CAT5 cables on a small installation; they do work but jlshelton was absolutely right about the bulk and the size constraints. If you're worried about the wires being stranded rather than solid, don't be; there is plenty of solid conductor CAT5 cable available. Even Home Depot has it.

Roger

 

[AvayaNovice]

Roger,

TTT and I got our hubbell premise wire from Sprint North Supply. I know that several other places carry it, sandman, graybar, and I believe time motion and jensen also carry it.

Good luck.

The last shipment we received of hubbell premise wire was cat-3 2 pair though, it used to come as quad and was easier to work with.

 

[archerdog]

I do not use patch panels i put CAT 5 on each end that way the plug is there you just need to move the CAT 5 wire around to different jack or destination port. It saves a litle bit of time but cost double becaues you buy double the amount of jacks.

 

[aussie88]

archerdog,

Your method is most likely a little more cost effective. You buy double the jacks, but patch panels are not cheap!!

Thanks for the input!!

Austin

 

[Jd925]

I found from hubble a 66 type block with a 66 punch on one side and cat 5 on the other. I run one end to the cat 5 for the phone then terminate it at the panel so you dont have to cross connect just move the wire. I find them on EBAY for much less than the suppliers. And I did do cat 5 punch on both ends for a while. In larger instalations it worked out that the hubbles were more cost efective than the double cat 5. Also on most cat 5 jacks you can only punch in onece or twice with the panel you can punch and re punch without it breaking or becoming non-usable.

Jake