atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring rewiring in old homes

Jim I have a piece of cable marked superior essex adw 2x22 in front of me that looks like what your describing.

I had to have the aeriel drop to my house upgraded a few years ago to get "triple play" installed and the installer called it "barn cable" when he ran it from the new outside NID back inside to what was the old demark point.

It's been in the sun from -40 to +80 for over 5 years and looks like new still.

And for my fellow Canadian's I was surprised that Manitoba Telecom did not use something BIX to join this new cable to the existing ones where the old protector was.

Instead it's some sort of AMP snap in insulation displacement terminal block.

Essex ADW = Aerial Drop Wire, tight molded jacket over pairs with fiberglass strength member as fillers.
The telco here uses it for everything outdoor, including aerial drops and station cable strapped to siding. The manufacturer datasheet doesn't list a flame spread rating but being PVC and polyolefin it looks like it might just be suitable for extended runs inside a building but it is not designed or approved for indoor use.

I've been given a couple of those IDC terminal blocks you mentioned by a telco installer. I'm sure that's all they would ever use for a residential install. BIX is too time consuming for any residential job with tone on only one or two pairs. Normal practice around here for new work is to home run all station cables to the NID and twist them together under the ball point screw right in the interface. Or float one of those IDC(gel filled) blocks in the back of the NID enclosure. Rework jobs I do get one of those IDC blocks at the old protector location, or if I don't have one I'll use some Picabonds. The boss would have me use wirenuts, he's an oldschool sparkie. :bang:

Somewhere in my dreaded basement I have a block that the cable company uses for phone. I'm pretty sure it's this:
https://www.arrisistore.com/product.php?pid=719532

Verizon uses NIDs with those IDC rocker arms for connection. Heck of a lot better than the old ones with screws that are tough to work with.

-Hal

That's them. I didn't know they made them with enclosures.

Actually I was talking about inside wire, not drop wire. I thought it was JK or JKT, but after doing a search I found this thread which goes into detail about the various inside wire types used by the Bell System over the years. Apparently JK and/or JKT, in the 4-wire variety, does indeed have a loose outer jacket. The stuff I'm talking about did not, and I may be getting confused (happens a lot at my age). I have some out in the barn, and after we dig out of the permafrost and I feel brave enough to venture out there I'll try to post a picture (don't hold your breath).

Jim
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If you need me, I'll be down in the bunker with my 2500 set.