atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring 66 Block Backboard Color Code.

Earlier this evening, I was leafing through a three ring binder that I'm using to store printouts of pictures and documents related to telecommunications.

I came to some pages from a distributor of color coded backboards. The company offers the full range of colors in the expected sizes...1/4, 1/2 & full field.

Seeing those papers started me thinking....with the decline in the use of analog and digital phone sets/equipment...do installers still try to adhere to the Bellcore color code, or, just use whatever might already be present (most likely a blue colored backboard), install the needed 66 blocks, punch down all wires, label and be done with it?

Basically, we just use whatever is there and it's rarely the type of backboard you describe. Hopefully, it's plywood and if we're lucky, it's painted.

This is just for system replacements. If it's new construction, then everything is terminated on patch panels.

Around here the inspectors do not like painted plywood. It covers the tags that prove it is fire rated.

When done correctly you paint everything but the fire code brand.

Painters tape over the label, paint* the backboard, remove the tape...

I was scoping out a data room and was informed by an electrician the starting date was pushed out one week. The customer insisted the plywood in the data room be turned so the stamps wouldn't show. Inspector overrode the customers decision and all the 4x8's had to be replaced.

On new installs almost everything is on data racks and perhaps a 110 block for copper lines, except for location like apartment buildings which have IDF's staggered (2nd floor IDF for floors 1,2 and 3. 5th floor IDF for floors 4, 5 and 6). and the MDF is located as per specs. These environments never get setup in the standard layout.

For MAC's it's 'what you see is what you get'... with the medical philosophy of Do No Harm or don't make it worse.






*Better be able to prove it's fire retardant paint!

It sort of looks like that the chances of using color backboards, 66 blocks and CAT3 cabling for a new install of analog or digital phones is, pretty much, slim to none.

Better chances of finding a telephone system that runs on 25-pr cable.

Any AT&T/Lucent/Avaya Merlin telephone system.