Hello All,

I'm new here and could use some telephone wiring help. I've been in the IT industry for about 15 years, but I have not done much with the actual cabling (other than putting ends on CAT5/6 patch cables).

I have recently bought an old home. The telephone wiring is fairly modern, but it is a rats nest in the basement. In an effort to clean it up, I bought a 110 wiring block. However, after doing so, I am having difficulties finding documentation on how to use it.

Mainly what I need to learn is how to run the wires into and out of this device. Where might I find some documentation?

I've been to https://www.homephonewiring.com/blocks.html, but that site did not make a lot of sense to me, unless I am trying to make this more difficult than it really is.

Thanks for helping a newbie...

Inet

Ooh, Maumee, I know where that is :-)

If you're only doing one block, you be better off buying a 66 block. The tool that terminates a 110 block is very expensive, unless you happened to get a 110 bunching block from Leviton or one of those home wiring companies. You can use a hammer and block of pine, or punch very carefully in the center of a 110-C4 clip to seat it in the frame, but it ain't easy for the first timer.

All that said, if you don't have a clue what 110-C4 clips are, you probably got the bunching block and you just split the pairs according to the color guide, with the white part of the cable on the left and the colored part on the right, and punch them down with a 110 punch down tool. You split the pairs just enough to fit in the channel and fan all 8 wires in at a time, then punch with the cutting blade. You can get a non-impact blade for under $10 or even a free plastic one that's good for about 20 punches, if you're careful.

If you run into a huge bind, I'm about 7 miles from you and work for beer sometimes, and Jeff Moss is about 5 miles or so from you.

Carl

Yes, but I am home in Cleveland now
I won't be back until August.

The question you are asking is very much like asking "How do I drive a car?" Beyond telling you how to put the key in the ignition, where the pedals are, etc. there isn't much that we can tell you that's goint to make you a competant driver. That comes with practice, experience and seeing how other people do it. Same with wiring. If you have a grasp of the basic concepts then it won't matter what block or method you use. We can't give you that here, this medium is not at all suited for it.

I would suggest that you avail yourself of someone locally who can do this for you. Perhaps you will pick up some tips along the way.

-Hal

welcome to the forum

I agree 66 block is appropriate to you application , since your a IT guy go into the phone closet and study how they did it

I also agree paying somebody for a hour or so would be a good investment .

heres a tutorial on installing a a 66 block

Thanks to everyone for your tips.

I realize that I may have formed my question poorly as well. I very well may look into someone local to help! :-)

My question is the need of a (simple) wiring diagram to learn from. Where I am currently consulting, I do not have ready access to a wiring closet to study.

If someone knows of a place online which may offer such a diagram, that would be great.

Otherwise, I agree, It's time to hire someone.

Thanks!

I think the link you provided is as good as it gets. Once you understand the basic concept, that block will be one of many things you may choose to use to complete your task.

-Hal

From the link:

O.K., I'm game. Anyone else wanna try?

Paul

Its not hard at all on a 66 block , you just take the twisted pair in one slot and and untwist directly above the pins .

Should be 0.5 inch, not .05 inch.

skimming ,will get you every time :rolleyes:

AND, the pair enters the fanning strip BETWEEN the pins. One wire goes to the pin above and the other to the pin below the strip opening. This barely separates the pair twist at all.

Nothing personal INET, :rofl:

As far as your home, I agree with everyone above, a 66 block would be more feasible for your situation.

This conversation reminds of a new guy at BT years ago who was trying to be "helpful" in the termination of a multi-pair cable (not to a 66/110 block; if I recall correctly it was one of our old-style MDF/IDF terminal blocks).

"I've untwisted all the pairs ready," he says. And sure enough he had. Every pair was untwisted all the way down to the outer sheath leaving a neat fan of single wires.

To make things "interesting," it was one of the older cables which didn't use two colors on each wire but was just solid colors, i.e. white + blue for pair 1, white + orange for pair 2, etc.

That's funny Paul. Our outside plant cables are like that even now. Believe it or not, a big part of the reasoning for this is that it reduces the insulation thickness and overall cable diameter since Polyethylene is used on them instead of PVC.

I had a new helper working with me years ago who was preparing a cable for a 600 pair splice. Being new to the industry, I told him to just remove the cable sheath and separate the binders. After about two hours, I went to check on him. Oh, he separated the binders alright. He thought he would go the extra step and separate the pairs for me as well. There I was, facing 1,200 single wires, and only ten different colors. He did a nice job of trimming the binder tapes all the way back too!

Lesson learned.

Time for the 46C.

That the cable stretcher, Bill?

Woodpecker and the 105.

Nope and Ken can correct me if I have the numbers wrong 46C was the tone and 149A was the probe for toning out cable pairs, much better than the tracer tones we use today. I once opened up a 900 pair pic that had no binders, none.

Gotcha Aka the banana probe?

Turbocharged.

....or the 300 pair with two black/browns and no black/green in the white/brown binder.

And I believe you are correct on the numbers, Bill. We were told we wouldn't need them now that PIC was in the field.....hahaha.



Now that this thread has officially been hijacked, , learning to do the 66 block, all pairs displayed, allows for the correct connections to the correct faceplates. Treat it as if it were a commercial installation and you will forever be happy !!!!

:rolleyes:

OK, I'll bite & make myself look stupid, or at least lacking experience on a 66 block.

Being from Bell Canada territory where everything is BIX now & only rarely do I still see 66 blocks, I have to ask....

In the link that Skip provided, it shows that both conductors of the pair are connected from the top side of the pin.

The blocks that I've seen and had to work on are as Ed described, where the pair goes between the pins, but the tip is fed to the top pin from the bottom side, not the top as shown.

Is the pic the way the US does it, or is it a case of doing as you wish?

Dave

I do it the way in thats illustrated , I've tried eds way but find the illustrated way works best for me


I don't know that there is a "proper way ", I see it as personnel preference

From the top of the pins is the usual installation method. Taking the conductors between the pins and fanning tip up and ring down is the butterfly method. Pretty but time consuming as you have to flip the punch tool.

I think Ed was referring to terminating CAT-5E on a CAT-5E 66 block as the proper way for CAT-5E to be terminated.

Also they were showing CAT5 or 6 to maintain the twist. Completely different on CAT3 or punching down a 25 pair.

1864, brilliant minds think alike. :thumb:

eds quote

which is you look closely is what eh link is showing , its really not hard with a little practice

its not a "butterfly" the wires are both coming in from the top of the pin

I don't separate the pairs , I bring the twisted pair in the slot , hook the tip to the top , ring to the bottom and punch down as normal both conductors are entering the top of the pin no need to flip the tool

i do the same with cat 3 or 5

You got it Bill. :toast:

Geeze, I just got around to looking at the link, because of this thread. I have NEVER done that before in my life!!! And, yes, I turn the tool over.

The sole purpose of using a 66 block for Cat-5e cable isn't to maintain the twists for a Cat-5e connection, so I don't plan on running my Cat-3 jumper wire in the same manner, which leaves a lot of chance to knick the wire you just fanned through the same holes and looped around the pin to punch down with the cutting blade pointed down.

(wheh, my head is spinning...) Anyway, maybe I'll try this for fun on my next 5e to 66 project. If I ever have one.

Carl

MooreTel, the links show the CAT-way of doing things.

Now, "In the day" cable under on 66-blocks was the factory wiring. The over method is for field installation.

There you go,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I've never seen the butterfly method, but it makes sense for CAT5 type installations.
When I started to need eyeglasses to see the wire colors in the phone closet, I took that as a sign to
retire from punch-down activites