atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information The Life of a Structured Wiring Panel

November, 2006- Proud sparkie delivers his baby to a spec home. Connects his CATV pre-wiring to the splitter/amplifier, connects his CAT5 (what else?) pre-wiring to the telephone distribution PC board 110 connectors.

January 10, 2007- House is sold. New owner calls cable and Verizon to install service.

January 15, 2007- Cable guy spends 5 minutes removing the four 1” long screws that secure the cover to the box. He then removes the splitter and the amplifier and throws them on the floor. He cuts off the connectors that the sparkie put on the cables, installs his own then connects his own splitter. Rather than spend another 5 minutes replacing the cover he leaves that on the floor with the cables hanging out of the box.

January 15, 2007- Verizon installs two lines in a NID outside and connects the w/bl and w/or pairs on the CAT5 sparkie left hanging outside to lines 1 and 2.

February 10, 2007- Hal arrives to connect the second line to a new jack in a bedroom to be used as an office. Alarm system RJ-31x also needs to be connected. Even though all pairs of all drops are punched down on the PC board as well as all four incoming pairs, line 2 does not feed through. Hal removes the panel and replaces it with a split 66M block. Drops and alarm RJ-31x cable are terminated down one side, CO lines on the other. Cross connected from one side to the other as necessary. CATV splitter is screwed to the board and cables neatly ty-rapped.

February 10, 2007, 2:00PM- Structured wiring panel and box is now on the floor and being used as a receptacle for the scrap and other garbage generated from stripping the CAT5s.

RIP

-Hal

The main problem I have with most of these panels is the original box is barely big enough for all the junk they want to put in. When I was asked to install these I always recommended the largest possible box.

And the screw face one? Those are the cheapo ones, I only used the hinged ones.

When done right from the get go they can work out fairly well.

Hal, any pics of this?

Well, yeah but I wasn't quick enough.



-Hal

:rofl: :rofl:
:thumb:

I love your story, Hal! Such junk being hyper-marketed by uneducated people. Buzz words mean more money since ignorant buyers (who won't consider hiring professionals) jump all over them. People who add $2,000.00 or more to their mortgage for this junk might have gotten more out of their investment by buring 2,000 one-dollar bills in their fireplace. At least there would be some heat value gained for a few minutes.

Junk, junk, junk. But then again, look who's selling it. Junk salesmen. Telcos won't touch them; telcos won't go near them and we go out of our way to bypass them. The way it should be.

HAHA! AMEN ED!

Me...I love them, the people who buy these have absolutely no idea on why or what for. Sparky is telling them, their golf buddy is telling them, their lawyer is telling them.
And they are calling us to fix them. I use to throw these in the trash as well, but no more, I give them to the wife and she sells them at her twice a year flea market, she usually sells them all and for ten bucks a piece what a deal!
Keep the cycle going as well as some cash flow.
"Stupid is as Stupid does"

People who add $2,000.00 or more to their mortgage for this junk...

I didn't ask but you are probably right on the money. The owner did mention that the builder wanted $500 for each additional jack location. He only provided three for the whole house.

-Hal

Great Post! :thumb: