sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Outside Plant OSP Construction Connecting Two Bldgs w/ 50 pair wire

Panamax/Towermax makes IROBs (In Range Out of Building)surge protectors specifically for the ATT/Lucent/Avaya product line. Those system sets need more protection then your gas tubes can provide.

PS I gotta agree with Hal here. Why does everbody think what we do is some darn easy - do it yourself until they do it and it doesn't work!

I'm just happy if my Graybar rep can find the part number I'm looking for.

Well, I might as well add my two-cents here. First of all, the 581 series of protectors are not true primary protection devices. The manufacturer claims they are, and I see hundreds of them out there as primary protectors, but they just plain and simply AREN'T. They are fine for secondary protection as is indicated by the way they are constructed.

They don't have a sealed splice chamber or compartment to contain the gel-filled cable. It is improper (and illegal) to punch down a gel-filled cable directly on a block. It must be contained within a UL listed enclosure. That requirement by itself rules out the legitimacy in using the 581's in your situation.

What needs to be installed is a TRUE building entrance terminal, one made by TII, Emerson Network Power or even Porta Systems. These need to be equipped with gas or solid-state protector modules. The entrance terminal must be grounded to the same exact point that the building's electrical service is grounded. This must be done using a #6 copper conductor minimum. Three ground rods, especially if they are not bonded together (and to the electrical service, water/gas piping and building frame) are plain and simply asking for problems.

Then, a reasonable distance of inside wiring (I prefer to provide a bit of separation, at least 25 feet) needs to be run from the primary protection in the building entrance terminal to the secondary protector, A.K.A. the Porta Systems 581 block. Once this block is equipped with 75 volt protector modules, you will have a truly protected underground cable installation.

If you do have a 50 pair gel-filled cable that is punched-down directly on 581 units, you do not have a professional installer. The original installer does not know what they are doing. It has already been mentioned here that this work isn't as simple as it seems. That is why we are here to assist.

I suggest that you contact a professional telephone/CATV cable contractor (there's a separate listing in the Yellow Pages for this). If you can't find one, try to see who your local phone company is using as a sub contractor for outside cable installation. The phone company won't tell you who it is; you will just need to keep an eye out for a truck with someone working on a pole that is not the local power, cable or telephone cable company. If all else fails, try to locate a local Henkels & McCoy office. They do this stuff nationwide for telephone companies and they seem to know what they are doing.

You really do seem to be losing a lot of money because of an unprofessionally-installed protection system. It will probably cost over a thousand dollars to do it right, but it seems to be adding up for your business already. Maybe it's time to finally get it done right.

I sure hope that you take this as guidance and not criticism. Lots of companies out there can install phone systems and make them work well, but when outside cable is involved, the whole playing field changes.

As usual Ed you've added something I didn't even think about and that's the proper closure for this set up. I was concentrating on the bonding only. Even if he doesn't have the proper entrance terminal for the cable, if everything is properly bonded and rated he shouldn't be having the trouble he is, at least in my opinion. He is getting a foreign voltage on the pairs that feed the phones and just from the description of what is happening it sounds to me like the grounds are not equal. I knew we could count on you to set us straight.

Gee, if words were money we'd all be broke if that was Ed's two cents worth.

Git back on the porch, Uncle Lonnie! Doesn't your court order restrict you from associating with other convicted felons?

OK, that was tacky, but hey, I had to change my avatar since you stole mine and I needed an identity.

Okay, girls, let's ply nice !

Since Ed used up two cents, leaving me only a red cent ($.001) here it is.

All the above PLUS make sure the cathatic protection and lightning grounding system have the same potiental. Depending on the situation the cathatic tied to red iron can go "high" and cause issues.

Just a thought.

KLD.

I have seen installs put both the outside cable and the inside cable on the same side of the block. They thinks it looks nice... But this unit has a in and out side to it so that the protector works properly. I would make sure that the unit is installed correctly...

Another good point. I assumed it was wired in correctly.

Try using IROB'S on both ends