sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Getting started as an installer

I'm a computer sys admin by trade (7 years), but recently I've been doing some inside wire work for the company I work for. I've done a fair amount of network wiring for computer networks, but am just getting started with telco related work.

I've done a lot of reading here and at a couple of other sites to try and pick up some best practices, but I've run into a few questions.

My boss just bought me over $500 in tools to use in maintaining our internal wiring. I bought:

* Harris butt-set
* Harris tone generator with probe
* Harris impact punch down tool with 66 an 110 blade
* Ideal Smart6 modular test adapter
* Ideal crimper
* Ideal network cable tester
* Greenlee steel fish tape

I already have a tool bag with a nice set of pliers, side cutters, and wire strippers. I do need to pick up a sheathing stripper though. Anything else I should get?

Now for the question. I’m going to omit the lead in story as to why I’m doing this work and just jump right into the question. If you’re interested in the lead in, let me know.

At our office, we use a Samsung Prostar 816 keyset with 5 stations. I just pulled Cat3 cable and terminated with 6 position Leviton RJ-11 jacks at each desk yesterday while taking the usual precautions not to strip too much sheathing and only untwisting less than 0.5” of wire. I used the color layout that was indicated on the block. The cable I used was new, so it was of the blue-white, blue, orange-white, orange, green-white, green variety.

The panel in our phone room uses two 66 blocks. The wiring from the individual jacks around the offices terminate at one 66 block. Another 66 block is used to terminate all the wiring coming from the KSU and feed tone in from Southern Bell. I use wire to bridge these two blocks, allowing me flexibility of station assignment without having to pull the individual lines or the lines running to the KSU.

I have taken great care to wire “tip over ring” as was suggested to me on another site. The problem I have is that in order for the individual stations to work correctly, I must reverse the polarity of both pairs at some point or they freak out (look at the pretty lights!) when I plug them into a jack. The behavior occurs on every jack, and I have checked one specific jack that I’m using for testing with an ohm meter and ground to ensure there are no shorts.

What am I missing? Sorry if my question is too long or not appropriate. I appreciate any help.

If I am not mistaken the reason you have to reverse the pairs is that the Prostar is an EKT system that requires a stright through cabling. If you look at a phone line cord (the one that goes to the wall) you will see the pairs are reversed on a phone cord. Even though you cabling is staright through USOC the phone cord for voice is typically reversed. In the opld days for old AS400 jobs you would see stright through cables that are "data" cables. Just a guese..been a long time.

That would make a lot of sense. That also explains why an installer that was here before had such a hard time figuring out why there were reversed pairs on the board. All of the phones have black standard phone cords with them that, as you stated, reverse the pairs. I observed this as well, but figured the handsets would expect this reversal. I guess this holds true for regular POTS handsets, but not the Prostar.

Thanks for that information. I have located and downloaded a manual for our system. I'm sure I'll find something in there as well.

Any recommendation on where I should make the pair switch? Right now I've done it on the 66 block where the station coords coming from the KSU terminate. This is the closest point to the KSU where I have a termination. I'm also going to place a placard on the phone board noting the reversal for future reference.

while taking the usual precautions not to strip too much sheathing and only untwisting less than 0.5” of wire.

LMAO. Looks like once a computer jockey always a computer jockey. You can strip and untwist voice wiring for a mile and it won't make any difference.

My boss just bought me over $500 in tools to use in maintaining our internal wiring.

Sure, certainly a lot cheaper for the cheap skate to do that than pay one of us. Sorry, no reflection on you but I get a bit annoyed at stuff like that.

The problem I have is that in order for the individual stations to work correctly, I must reverse the polarity of both pairs at some point

About all I can say is that with nearly all "good" systems polarity is a non-issue. They will work fine regardless. Reason being that there are many ways polarity can get reversed and manufacturers know that it's easy enough to eliminate this potential problem.

If what you have for some reason (read poor engineering) is polarity sensitive it's ridiculous to have to reverse the polarity of your wiring on top of it and I can't believe you are not doing something wrong.

You might try asking this question in the Samsung forum. They would know better than I.

-Hal







[This message has been edited by hbiss (edited May 01, 2005).]

I just use my electrician's scizzors to strip cable. Years of practice gives you the right touch.

Kerry

------------------

CommSmith \"Forging telephone and data solutions.\"

i will give ya 50 bucks for all those tools.........just tell your boss somebody stole them out of your service vehicle....worked for me.........

LMAO. Looks like once a computer jockey always a computer jockey. You can strip and untwist voice wiring for a mile and it won't make any difference.
Nice to know I'm pretty anal retentive about my wiring.

Sure, certainly a lot cheaper for the cheap skate to do that than pay one of us. Sorry, no reflection on you but I get a bit annoyed at stuff like that.
I can understand completely. I expected a kind of closed atmosphere, considering that I'm essentially asking someone to train them out of a job, so to speak. My employer is very good to me and he doesn't really need a full time tech (there's not that much work), so I try to save him money where I can. I'm also very interested in telcom work. I feel like it is important to be well rounded, and if I can build some skills in this area, I'm sure it will help me in the very competitive employment marketplace.

About all I can say is that with nearly all "good" systems polarity is a non-issue. They will work fine regardless. Reason being that there are many ways polarity can get reversed and manufacturers know that it's easy enough to eliminate this potential problem.

If what you have for some reason (read poor engineering) is polarity sensitive it's ridiculous to have to reverse the polarity of your wiring on top of it and I can't believe you are not doing something wrong.
It sets uneasy with me as well. It doesn't seem to make sense. There are only five stations, and I've traced the polarity all the way from the jack to the KSU, and everything is in order.

You might try asking this question in the Samsung forum. They would know better than I.
That's a great idea, I'm going to do that.

To answer your question as to the "best" place to make a polarity, my suggestion would be to ALWAYS do it when placing cross connects at the station blocks. That way, anything going on that's not industry-standard will be right there in the open where it's easy to see and follow the logic. Far too many times, we encounter situations where these reversals have been done "on the fly", sometimes at the jack, sometimes by changing the line cord, or at the cross-connect.

By all means, ALWAYS terminate the station cables at the jack and on the block using industry-standard color coding in proper order. It's really easy to correct a reversal if it's not required anymore, for example if the system is replaced, by simply correcting (or replacing) the jumper. Imagine if every station in your system was "corrected" differently; You could spend a ridiculous amount of time taking jacks apart, checking cords, etc. all because someone was not thinking about the future.

It's true, a lot of the older systems out there had unusual pinouts or reversal requirements. At our company, it was always considered suicide to compensate for this ANYWHERE but at the final jumper punch down. It's also true that most newer equipment isn't sensitive to polarity, but it doesn't sound like the boss is going with the system replacement route. I say keep it simple by keeping everything uniform. It can't hurt you in the future and will certainly simplify things for you now.

Keep your chin up. NONE of us posting here learned this stuff in a day. We have all been through the school of hard knocks!

------------------
Ed
---------
How come there's always enough time to go back and fix it a second time?

And don't be too concerned about asking for help, that's what this board is here for. If you're making a sincere effort to learn, we'll be happy to teach.

Amen! We would much rather assist an IT (or former IT) person in any way we can rather than be accused by them. So often, we are the "bad guys" because the IT people think we are the ones living in the stone age! Let us help you.....We will!

Oh, by the way, thank you for contacting this site instead of throwing rocks. You will receive more here than anywhere else and I've only been here a few months.

------------------
Ed
---------
How come there's always enough time to go back and fix it a second time?