atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems 1A2 and Comkey Telephones & Systems Some new tools

A retired Bell tech gave me some old telecom tools today. He gave me a Harris TS-21 buttset, some BIX breakout adapters, an original Northern Electric 66 tool and the following items:


He told me he used to do alot of 1A2 work. The 25pair breakout box is kind of cool. The other two items are strippers of some sort. I just wonder about their use?

They are used for stripping wire before you wrap it.

Did he give you a manual or electric wire wrap gun?

Yes, he gave me a manual wrap tool. Did you have to do wire wrapping on these systems?

Yes

Mike, stop lying. There was no wire wrapping required on 1A2 (shhhhh....Mike isn't old enough to even know).

I am just kidding. Yes, wire wrapping was occasionally required to provide some "newer" options, like music on hold. Today, this is kind of like software upgrades. There were a few pins on the line card slots left vacant that allowed more advanced features, like MOH.

Wire wrap tools were used more for central office (and large commercial building) distribution frames. There are plenty of these frames still around, but 3M has connector (I think) that eliminates the need for wire wrapping on distribution frames.

This either saves time, or reduces the risk of technician error. Both important items to telcos.

They cut the wire to length and stripped at the same time. You'd try them a couple times, throw them away and break out the frame pliers. The purpose was to get the wire the exact length for the correct number of wraps, which I believe was 8.

Edit: I was in a Qwest CO just yesterday and they still wire wrap on the frame.

The curved tool was also made in a "combo" version, without the cutter. One slot would perfectly strip the jacket from quad, and the other slot came either 22 or 24 gauge, for the conductors. Really handy when wiring up 42-A blocks.

For a long time, Lucent provided Partner Connecting Cords, 10-foot double ended modular solid copper cables. Run from a station port on a control unit to a block, cut off one end and punch down. The quad stripper was great for that as well.

when I worked for WECO doing 1ESS installs the minimum bare wire length was 2 inches and you could strip 4pr at a time with practice . That amounted to at least 5 wraps with no overlays . The CO'S had rolling ladders with these metal ladder seats you could attach for working on the top bays. What a hemoroid causing devise those were if you did not pad them .

OBTW:

1ESS? As in the late 1960's / early 1970's? Didn't it go 1AESS in the mid 1970's?

And they said I was old!

I still have a wire wrap and a wire unwrapper tool in my tool bag . I also still carry a 51a lamp puller tool and I am ashamed to say a cord board lamp lens pulling tool .