atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring What's wrong with these plugs?

Hmm, those look to be NON solid core ends. If that is solid wire you need to find solid core ends.

They do handle solid wire just fine. Target Distributing carries them and the rest of their product line.

Using cable ends designed for stranded cable on solid cable will work for long enough that you might think it's OK. But at some point, perhaps long after you've forgotten what kind of cable ends you used, or perhaps long after you no longer have anything to do with the job where you used them, they'll crap out.

The cable ends in those photos look like they're for stranded cable.

They are universal plugs and support solid or stranded wire.

I'd believe that if I hadn't seen with my own eyes a package of plugs that claimed to be "universal" for solid or stranded wire when the plugs inside were designed only for stranded wire.

I get the impression that 99% of the people putting these connectors on have no clue about the difference.

That is very true. These plugs and the ones made by Siemon are the only ones that I have encountered that really are "universal". So many of them still have sharp tangs that are designed to pierce stranded wire which will ultimately end up cutting through solid wire. The "no-name universal" plugs are usually the bad ones and there are plenty of them out there.

I am one of the 99%. How can you actually tell, by looking at a plug, whether it is really for solid wire, for stranded wire, or both?

two prong or three prong

In general:

Look at the plug from a side-view, if there are sharp pointed prongs (similar to vampire fangs) on the bottom of the contacts, then they are made for use with stranded wire only. If the bottoms of the contacts appear to be flat, then they are either for solid wire only or combination plugs.

I have been thinking about trying those feed thru plugs do you think they are worth the extra $