sundance-communications.com/forum Forums TDM Business Telephone Systems Mitel Telephones & Systems SX 200

I looked at a prospective customer today with an SX200. They asked me to look at changing them to a new system.

I know 0 about Mitel. I'm guessing the SX200 is an old system? Looks like 4 conductor connections to the phones?

Thanks.
Jim

The SX200 has been through many generations. The original SX200 from the late 80s was in a waist-high cabinet with two card shelves inside. The SX200 Digital was in a cabinet about half that height and the cards were only about 6" tall. The most recent is a rack-mounted chassis, similar to most other rack equipment.

I don't know of any that ever used more than one pair for stations. The first SX family used a 25 pair cable for the console. The second used standard modular cords (I believe six conductor).

Thanks Ed. This one is rack mounted. As far as the cabling, I only took a quick look today, and wasn't sure what I was getting into. I think they were doing some funky wiring with phone and data on the same cable. So that will be a big part of this project.

Jim

One pair for both digital and analog (sl) phones. Is this a hotel/motel? If there are two pairs going to the rooms, this would indicate that they have (or might have had) phones that had a separate data port. This was when people had modems in their laptops.ite with

Are the cabints white with a glass front door---looking like a micro wave oven? Then it may be an ML/EL.

Do they have a console? Do they have a VM ? Why do they want another system? Mitels are made to last many, many years.

(Why do they want another system? Mitels are made to last many, many years.) That's the problem with them (from a technician's standpoint). Except for the old floppy drives, they are pretty much bulletproof!
I remember when Holiday Inn Express required 2 separate extensions for each room. Maybe that's what's up with the cable.

Yes, it is a hotel. That probably explains the modem pair.

Apparently they aren't getting much support from their out of town vendor. The IT folks there want to include wireless access in each room, so re-terminating the cat 5 correctly would allow an IP phone in the room without more wiring.

But, as I said, I don't know anything about Mitel, so I would be looking at proposing a different system. (Although, I don't know anything about hotel/motel software either!). Since I'm on the NEC SV9100 boat, that is what I'd go with, if I pursue this. I'll ask in the NEC forum about their hotel/motel package.

Thank you.
Jim

The wiring could also be jacks back to back like white blue white orange room 101 white green white brown room 102. Be careful in hotels the wiring could be split a whole lot of ways.

Good point John. Thanks.

What you describe is a Mitel ML/EL that is really well designed for long, reliable service. We have them installed in many coal mines and, aside from surface lightning strikes which take out entire cabinets, the systems work extremely well. I don't know of any other PBX systems that are as reliable.

That said. BE CAREFUL. If you are not familiar with this site, do an extensive examination of every terminal and wiring closet. Some people treat telephone wiring as the solution to every goofy idea that comes along and they really don't care to document their hair brained schemes.

The Mitel is EXTREMELY simple. A pair of wires to every terminal device. If there's anything else on the cable, then it's something added that may or may not be used.

Every time we are asked to take over a motel, after doing an extensive survey of every terminal, we strip off everything but the dial tone pair and start from there. I REFUSE to screw around with other people's goofy addons that they abandon because they couldn't make them work and, in the process, compromise the reliability of the Mitel.

Find a set of SX200 Digital books (There are four volumes) and study them. With a few exceptions, the older Generics (G1000-G1005) work very similar to the later SX200 LW releases. The later LW releases (e.g. LW19) have a lot of extra features and nice additions that make the systems very versatile.

Rcaman