atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems 1A2 and Comkey Telephones & Systems My 1A2 project

Ahh yes, the collar fold-back. Me too. I always did that in exposed terminals where the end of the sheath was visible.

I also slid a piece of empty sheath over the unused pairs in a terminal or KSU rather than twisting them all up. That way, all of the pairs stayed straight and in order. You could fish out the pair you needed and still keep the place neat.

Good housekeeping was the order of those days.

I saw a new closet being cabled today at school...300 pair cable going in. 100 pairs were taped up going to 1 set of blocks and 200 were taped up going to another set. It looked terrible!

We installed equipment not with ourselves in mind but with regard to the next installer/repairman that had to come out to the customer. You didn't want him or her spending hours trying to figure out your wiring or have them have to spend time listening to an irrate customer complain about the sloppy work and mess you left behind.

I was cleaning out my stash and in addition to the roll of tape I found four medium clasps, clamps, or as we called them "butterflies", and a small assortment of small medium and large "Hook" type clamps you are welcome to. I got bridge clips if you need them.

Hi all,

I have one more question pertaining to my 1A2 project.

I am mounting the ring generator external to the lunch box KSU, as I do not have a clamp for mounting it inside. I will thus have to run a connection into the KSU to hook it up, and was wondering if it would have been acceptable in the days of the Bell System to run the connecting wire through the top mouse hole or would it have been proper to only run it through the bottom mouse hole? I know that this is a rather trivial point, but I am trying to keep this as close to WECO standards as possible as I wish to use this as a working display of what things used to be like.

Thank you much,

Joe

Joe, that KSU was never designed to have the ring generator mounted inside, unlike the 551C. The most professional way to run the ring generator input is to use a piece of quad wire and bring it into the bottom hole of the cabinet. Don't bring it through the hole with the power cord though. There is supposed to be a plastic grommet for the power cord to pass through that effectively prevents any other wiring through.

Those are as hard to find as the ring generator mounting bracket, also made from 'unobtainium'.

Ed, the 118A was available with a sheet metal bracket that allowed installation in the earlier shoeboxes.

See page 5 of THIS BSP.

Using the photo as a guide, it wouldn't be difficult to fabricate a home-brew bracket that could be pop-riveted to the door.

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PS: the nick-name for the 551 series KSU is "shoe box."

The nick-name "lunch box" refers to the 331A tel set. (local battery, magneto, portable telephone)

The nick-name "cigar box" refers to the 105-type apparatus mounting box.

Woah, that's right Arthur. I completely forgot about those brackets, mainly because I never saw them in these parts.

Thankyou for the info you two!

I will run the wire through the bottom mouse hole. I have a bit of quad coming my way, (and I also bought a T-18 staple gun as well to mount it), and will get it hooked up soon as it arrives.

Thank you again!

Joe

Joe,
The parts are bagged and tagged and I will take them to the post office tomorrow.

Jo