atcomsystems.ca/forum
Posted By: 5years&counting 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 09:00 AM
Is anyone else experiencing trouble with the Premier 50-pair 66 blocks from Sprint North Supply? We have been having trouble lately where the wire breaks off above the pin. To answer the obvious question, yes, we are making sure out punch tool blade is on the bottom. I'm not sure if the 66 pin is too thick, or what's going on. We have had 4 different techs in our company report this same problem.
Posted By: upstateny Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 09:31 AM
i thought i was nuts - same thing happened to me last week.
Posted By: 5years&counting Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 09:56 AM
We are going to be reporting it to Sprint and switching to Graybar's blocks for now. I would suggest anyone currently having the same trouble also reporting to Sprint. Then maybe they will do something about it. I remember right before these bright white blocks came out, we got a batch of blocks from Sprint where the little tabs on the block were broken, and the front section slid up, allowing the pins to fall out the back. I guess they have quality control issues every now and then.
Posted By: fonetech36 Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 10:01 AM
I had that problem a while back. Took a while to figure it out because it appeared like it was secured. Never would have imagined it til i pulled on the pair. It was only a couple pins on the whole block.
Posted By: groundstart Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 10:56 AM
ive had tons of problems with Premier jacks....
many had shorted pins......

Your not alone......

I now use ICC products........
Posted By: junkman Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 01:46 PM
We've had 2 different batches like that, on both the pins were shiny, almost like chrome plated. I don't know where we got them, but they told the boss the pins were too tight. Have you ever seen a block fly to pieces when it's thrown on a cement floor? Not fun to clean up, but VERY satisfying.

As for jacks, I've been impressed with AllenTel products.


[This message has been edited by junkman (edited December 29, 2004).]
Posted By: jsaad Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 06:28 PM
Sheesh I thought I was the only one. Those Premier blocks ARE bad. I have had the pins fall out the back after the block slides apart. just lousy. it's like the pins are tinned and very hard to punch. I still like their keystone jacks and regular telephone jacks, no problems there.
Posted By: 5years&counting Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 06:45 PM
Yeah, the problem with the wires breaking above the pins was on the blocks exactly as described by others: very white block with very shiny pins. LOUSY!! We use lots of other Sprint products (jacks, faceplates, WAY TOO BIG patch panels, etc). No real problems with these other products. We did have some patch panels with bad pins before, but only once.

The last thing we gave up on that was Sprint were their Bridging Clips. Every dang bag we got had loose clips. It doesn't really pay to have to tighten brand new clips before putting them on. It's almost like they are trying to come up with reasons for repeat visits. I guess in some cases that would be okay, but not when we have to pay for it! They could at least be like Dell computers, where it stops working the day AFTER the warranty expires (sorry, had to get a Dell jab in....I like them otherwise). Anyway, we ended up switching to Graybar (AllenTel) bridging clips and have had no trouble since we switched.
Posted By: chrislebeck Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 07:25 PM
we've been using the same type blocks too........REAL shiny pins that are WAY too tight!

we switched to some other brand i can't remember off hand
Posted By: Coral Tech Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 07:26 PM
Siemens or nothing IMHO.
Posted By: 5years&counting Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/29/04 08:03 PM
Yeah, I've used Siemon blocks, brackets, and clips. All work well, no complaints. They are more expensive though, and I don't do the buying around here. The only Siemon product that we consistently use is the Lasting Hinged Covers, White. I put them on when I install a system. Makes the next guy along (our techs, hopefully) much more aware of what's what. I try and label things pretty well so there's less mystery in what I've done.
Posted By: Milestone Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/30/04 07:52 AM
Quote
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Coral Tech:
Siemens or nothing IMHO.</font>

Siemens rocks!



------------------
One stop Voice and Data Solutions VoIP
Posted By: BillFlippen Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/30/04 08:51 AM
I get the same thing, but I also find pins actually "hold on" to my blade.
Posted By: Coral Tech Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/30/04 09:55 AM
Well the extra couple bux you spend putting in a "good" 66 block more than pays for itself in the agrevation and time it saves. We generally stock a box of blocks and brackets all the time. Another thing is that I think the new 66 punch down tools absolutely suck. My old punch tool has all the other tech drool because it's so smooth. I am going to cry when this thing dies.
Posted By: kingtel Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/30/04 10:38 AM
I agree. Siemins or nothing when it comes to a 66 block. All of their products I have used over the years has been quality stuff.
Can't ever remember even one failure or problem. I've always loved the AT&T, Lucent, Avaya products. Spendy, but ya get what you pay for........most of the time.

Rich
Posted By: Toner Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/30/04 04:49 PM
Why on earth are you guys using 66 blocks? Doesn't BIX exist down there?
Posted By: KLD Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/30/04 07:53 PM
BIX??? I haven't heard that name since I got away from the Fed Gov't work. Displacement sounds good BUT not a long term answer. They really hurled in SOC boxez.

Ken.
Posted By: phoneguywayne Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/31/04 03:00 PM
Toner I don't think that Bix is used in the USA like it is up here.I wish I had a dollar for all the R-66 blocks I've thrown in the garbage.
Posted By: Toner Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/31/04 03:24 PM
Ya, those guys must be stuck in the dark ages. Same thing with Robertson screws, eh?
Posted By: 5years&counting Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/31/04 03:41 PM
The closest we come to getting away from 66 blocks is when we use 110 blocks. I almost never encounter BIX stuff. To show you how rare it is, we have 1 BIX blade to share between 5 techs.
Posted By: Voyager Re: 66 Block Blues - 12/31/04 03:53 PM
We have one too. Only used it once....in a lawyers house installation!
Posted By: gkar Re: 66 Block Blues - 01/01/05 12:49 PM
I switched to Krone a long time ago. No problems and you can double punch. If we run into BIX in the field we make the customer pay to replace them. Too many loose wire problems. Only seen them in Nortel installs in the USA.
Posted By: Milestone Re: 66 Block Blues - 01/01/05 02:01 PM
We stopped using Krone only because the nose pickers kept on to using 110 blades on them all the time, now it's almost exclusively 110 blocks on all our jobs.

------------------
One stop Voice and Data Solutions VoIP
Posted By: RATHER BE FISHING Re: 66 Block Blues - 01/09/05 11:34 AM
Imagine my surprise when I started mounting a system on a backboard to ship out of town and half the phones didn't pass the startup test. Half of the 25 pair conductors were broken above the pins. We have always used seimens 66 blocks... I take a closer look and our local supplier sent us Suttle blocks. Apparently they have the same issues. Beware.
Posted By: 5years&counting Re: 66 Block Blues - 01/09/05 12:15 PM
We made Sprint aware of the issue, and they sent the information down the proper channels. They have contacted us asking for one of the affected blocks, and also asked to talk to one of the techs who had the problem. If anyone else is having or has had this problem, I would suggest contacting Sprint to give your two cents on the problem.
Posted By: 5years&counting Re: 66 Block Blues - 04/07/05 07:21 AM
The recent post referring to this one reminded me that I never came back to update the status. To be fair to Sprint, I will.

Sprint looked into the issue and found that the problem was due to a manufacturing defect (parts manufacturered outside of their specifications) by an outsourced manufacturer. Sprint says that they have since brought that part of the production in-house, and the issue has been corrected. They acknowledged the defect, along with acknowledging one where some pins on the 66 blocks were installed backwards (pins facing the wrong way). Sprint had offered to buy back any of the defective blocks. In our case, they were already installed, and we were unable to go back in and replace the blocks.

It was nice to see the manufacturer/distributor actually identify, acknowledge, and correct the problem!

------------------
[Linked Image from sigcomsys.com]
| Signal Communication Systems - Fresno, CA |

| Telephone Systems, Voicemail Syste... & Data Cabling - Central Valley, CA
Posted By: KLD Re: 66 Block Blues - 04/07/05 07:02 PM
Thanx for the update as I am in the process of working a deal with Sprint products.
© Sundance Phone System Forums - VOIP & Cloud Phone Help