atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Where and how would you splice this cable?

Okay, here we go. New member here. This site is great! Before I ask my first question, I'll tell you a little about my experience. I'm not a professional installer. I have a career completely unrelated to telephony, BUT telephony is my passion. I've always been interested and have learned through reading, watching installs, asking questions, and studying installations. I've even done a few installs, for which I've received compliments.

AS I've learned, I've always wanted to do it right, not just make it work. I believe the Bell practices built a great infrastructure and I've always tried to follow those practices, including using the same terminology, tools, fasteners, cable, etc.

I'm here now because I've learned a TON from reading all the threads. You folks are professionals who want to practice the right way, and I'm somewhat of a novice that wants to learn the proper practices.

Here we go:

I've offered to help my friend with a small, old commercial building. He has a suite upstairs that needs a few new stations. There is currently a 25 pair homerun from the only existing single station to the telephone closet. The station uses the first pair (w/b,b) and the remaining 24 pairs are neatly folded. In the phone closet, the 25-pair cable terminates on a 66 block and the first pair is cross-connected to the CO block.

The building has no attic but the first floor does have a suspended ceiling. I pulled a few tiles and can see that the 25-pair punches through the floor of the second story and then travels through the suspended ceiling to the telephone closet.

All seems good so far, but here comes the problem. I thought of simply pulling cables from the new stations punching through the floor and following the existing 25-pair back to the closet where I would terminate to a 66 block. The problem is that there is no longer access back to the closet because the area was rebuilt some time ago. The 25-pair cable enters an inaccessible area now and fishing new cables isn't an option. But even if I could, the existing businesses don't want us to open the ceiling in their offices (cable runs through various suspended ceilings).

I'm going to use the existing 25-pair cable for the new stations. I've toned the pairs and everything "appears" intact. Here's what I'm planning to do. Please do let me know what you think.

I'm going to install the new stations flush mount in the wall. I'm going to pull 4-pair cable from each new station back to the existing station where the 25-pair is terminated to the jack (all in same suite). To route the new cables, I'll go down through the floor, across the suspended ceiling, and then up through floor next to the existing 25-pair. At the existing station, there will now be the 25-pair and two or three 4-pair cables (from the new stations).

I'll then terminate and splice. I'll call this location "station 1" and reserved the first 4 pairs from the 25-pair. I'll then splice the first 4-pair cable to the next 4 pairs of the 25-pairs, the second 4-pair cable to the third set of 4 pairs, etc (using the proper pair sequence). I'll neatly cable tie all the cables together and neatly tape as needed. I'll use Scotchlock URs to splice. Back at the telephone closet, I'll then cross-connect on the 66-block as necessary.

The only downside I see is that to work on the cable in the future would be a hassle. I'll have to remove the jack from the wall, reach in, and pull out this large splice.

Of course, a "cleaner" option may be to mount a 66-block in the suspended ceiling (below the floor) and terminate everything on the block. Problem here is that to ever service the block, the tech would need to enter the downstairs business and open the ceiling. May be too much of an inconvenience to the business.

So, could you folks please give me your opinion? Good, bad? Better ways to do it? I appreciate all feedback because I do like to learn.

Thanks!

Brad

Exactly what I would do, sounds like a no-brainer. I probably wouldn't splice all four pairs from each jack though. I assume these are wall phones? Then it is unlikely anything will be added. Just splice one or two pairs as the phones require. As long as the splice is accessable changes can be made later, say if a bad pair or an addition.

-Hal

Hall-

Thank you! No, they're desk phones. Perhaps just terminate the first two pair to the jack or even just run 2-pair cat3 instead?

I really appreciate your feedback.

-Brad

Always use 4 pair in a business environment.

Good plan, and kudos for doing the research/homework to discuss intellegently.

I agree with Hal and Dave. Terminate a couple of pairs from a 4 pair station cable. If you had the luxury of having the 25 pair cable in a closet with good access, then you could terminate the 25 pr on a 66 block (or 110),and terminate all pairs of all station cables on another block. Then interconnect between blocks only the pairs needed with a 1 pr jumper. Easy to move/add/change later. But you have to work with what you've got.

Jim

three four pair =12 pair I would splice all 12 pair and not worry about having to go back into the jack again

when you splice use Scotchlocks



https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-T...03579185?keyword=scotchlock#.UcMIffm85mw

I also congratulate you on asking intelligent questions and using the correct terminology.

I would try to mount, on the surface, a small 66 type terminal in a box at the location of the end of the 25-pair cable.

I would consider THIS 66E3-25 terminal block.

C L I C K

It has an Amphenol connector, which in your case would not be required, but its small size and ease of mounting and access to the wires is its advantage. It can be mounted over, and fastened to, a standard single-gang "old work" electrical box, or a single-gang low-voltage ring, in the wall. The 25-pair cable can enter from the rear, and all the customer sees is the gray (or beige) cover, which is paintable.

You would cut down all 25 pairs, and then cut down the local 4-pair wires to whatever pairs you need. It would allow a slight advantage over Scotchlok connectors, and that is that future rearrangements and trouble-shooting would be easier to do.

OP, you sound like me! I am the same way in wanting to do it right the first time. I too am not a pro, but I ask questions, read, and watch how the pros do it. Cabling seems to be my passion too!

I plan to get on with an install company where I live, get more experience with the work, learn all I can, then hopefully in a few years, start my own company for residential and small business wiring of phone, networking, cable tv etc. The class 2 stuff.

Good luck with your endeavors!

Theres a wealth of info and videos on You Tube. Heres one, for example Just search for "network cable install"