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Author Topic:   66 Punch Down block wires
norpcom
Member

Posts: 3
From: Columbus Indiana
Registered: Apr 2005

posted April 05, 2005 08:58     Click Here to See the Profile for norpcom   Click Here to Email norpcom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I am setting up a Nortel Phone switch. I have some 66 punch down blocks but need some of the stranded wire that goes between the different blocks. Does anyone know where I can get a bunch of that stuff? Also what is it actually called?

Thanks

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Adam W Clark

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yzark40
Installer

Posts: 141
From: Portland, OR, USA
Registered: Mar 2004

posted April 05, 2005 09:07     Click Here to See the Profile for yzark40   Click Here to Email yzark40     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I believe you mean cross-connect wire ? and it is solid not stranded wire, comes in different colors and pairs.stranded wire is not a good thing to use on 66 blocks you do not get a good connection. you can get at graybar

[This message has been edited by yzark40 (edited April 05, 2005).]

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norpcom
Member

Posts: 3
From: Columbus Indiana
Registered: Apr 2005

posted April 05, 2005 09:48     Click Here to See the Profile for norpcom   Click Here to Email norpcom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the help...

Also, I need those things that you run your cable around when you have multiple punch downs on a board. The are white and have a large fluted end. The middle is hollow and they screw to the wall.

Sorry, I don't know terminology very well at all.

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dtmf
Administrator

Posts: 5374
From: SLC, Utah
Registered: Mar 2001

posted April 05, 2005 10:35     Click Here to See the Profile for dtmf   Click Here to Email dtmf     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Tell them you need some mushrooms.

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XConnect
Moderator

Posts: 118
From: North Dakota
Registered: Apr 2004

posted April 05, 2005 13:29     Click Here to See the Profile for XConnect   Click Here to Email XConnect     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yikes.......

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norpcom
Member

Posts: 3
From: Columbus Indiana
Registered: Apr 2005

posted April 05, 2005 13:44     Click Here to See the Profile for norpcom   Click Here to Email norpcom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I know, they are called telephone distribution posts. Thanks for all your help!

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5years&counting
Moderator

Posts: 685
From: Visalia, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 2004

posted April 05, 2005 14:41     Click Here to See the Profile for 5years&counting   Click Here to Email 5years&counting     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by XConnect:
Yikes.......

Ditto that!

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| Signal Communication Systems - Fresno, CA |

| Telephone Systems, Voicemail Systems, Computer Systems, Voice & Data Cabling - Central Valley, CA

[This message has been edited by 5years&counting (edited April 05, 2005).]

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Gene
Installer

Posts: 109
From: Corpus Christi,Texas
Registered: Nov 2002

posted April 05, 2005 19:06     Click Here to See the Profile for Gene   Click Here to Email Gene     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Your supposed to mount the mushrooms! Not eat them.

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pacecomm
Installer

Posts: 45
From: Central New Jersey
Registered: Mar 2005

posted April 06, 2005 06:11     Click Here to See the Profile for pacecomm   Click Here to Email pacecomm     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
come on you knew that, the big gray ones hot off the grill with a little butter. yum-------

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codasco704
Installer

Posts: 271
From: St. Louis, MO USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted April 06, 2005 20:43     Click Here to See the Profile for codasco704   Click Here to Email codasco704     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Got a question (a realllyyy basic question) along the same line. What is the proper way to to terminate wires on a 66 block. I have really really bad luck with them. Right now on the system I have at home, stations get knocked off the system if a touch the block/wires or if I slightly move the block.

The way I do it now, I slightly wedge the (unstripped) wire between the teeth of a pin, line the hole of my 66 blade (on a Harris DB14, set to high) up with the top of the pin, and (with some force) push straight down 'til it pops. The wire seems to go all the way down and it requires some effort to remove the wire......but I never seem to get a connection. I'll even punch a wire that's already been punched, just to make sure it's seated well, but no luck at all......had to resort to a BIX connector and a butter knife which kind of works (can't seem to get more than 1 station to work becasue my wiring is so shoddy). Good thing this is only for home.

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justbill
Installer

Posts: 370
From: Western Nebraska
Registered: May 2002

posted April 06, 2005 21:12     Click Here to See the Profile for justbill   Click Here to Email justbill     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There is a difference in the quality of blocks. What are you using? The only time I've had problems is reusing blocks and the blades weren't cleaned correctly.

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codasco704
Installer

Posts: 271
From: St. Louis, MO USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted April 06, 2005 21:29     Click Here to See the Profile for codasco704   Click Here to Email codasco704     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm using a Leviton block, which I would think is an acceptable quality block. I'll try again and see what happens. I didn't have any bridging clips handy, so I made (used 1 long piece of wire, punched but didn't cut one one clip, then punched w/ cut on the next) jumper wires. Maybe they weren't punched too wel.

This doesn't seem like it should be rocket science. It Isn't, I;ve just gotta be doing something wrong.

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RedTail
Installer

Posts: 67
From: Moore,Oklahoma, USA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted April 06, 2005 21:42     Click Here to See the Profile for RedTail   Click Here to Email RedTail     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
codasco704, are you using 24AWG wire?

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codasco704
Installer

Posts: 271
From: St. Louis, MO USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted April 07, 2005 05:01     Click Here to See the Profile for codasco704   Click Here to Email codasco704     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, for everything but MOH.

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Touch Tone Tommy
Moderator

Posts: 494
From: Paso Robles, CA
Registered: Jul 2001

posted April 07, 2005 07:00     Click Here to See the Profile for Touch Tone Tommy   Click Here to Email Touch Tone Tommy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Set your punch tool to "low" for 24 gauge wire. Use "high" for 22 ga.

If you look up the post "66 block blues", there is a discussion of some bad blocks from North Supply.

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codasco704
Installer

Posts: 271
From: St. Louis, MO USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted April 07, 2005 07:49     Click Here to See the Profile for codasco704   Click Here to Email codasco704     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I can understand that if I'm using the low setting for 22 gauge, that it won't make contact. But if I uss the high setting for 24 gauge, I would think that it would work. I'd be using more "power" for a smaller wire, rahter than using too little "power" for a larger one.

Maybe it is a bad block. I'll just deal with it for know. I have harmonica adaptors on the way to use instead.

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5years&counting
Moderator

Posts: 685
From: Visalia, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 2004

posted April 07, 2005 08:06     Click Here to See the Profile for 5years&counting   Click Here to Email 5years&counting     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Make sure your 66 blade is cutting on the side where you pull off the excess wire, not on the side that's staying connected to the cable. Notice that your 66 blade probably has a flat side and a side with a blade.

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| Signal Communication Systems - Fresno, CA |

| Telephone Systems, Voicemail Systems, Computer Systems, Voice & Data Cabling - Central Valley, CA

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codasco704
Installer

Posts: 271
From: St. Louis, MO USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted April 07, 2005 11:27     Click Here to See the Profile for codasco704   Click Here to Email codasco704     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I am. The ends that should be terminated and making contact are very securely held by the pins.

When I lay a wire down to be punched, should I be just setting it down far enough so that it stays in place when I punch it, or should I be trying to pull it down as close to the back of the block as possible and then punching it?

Also, once punched, should the wire be ALL the way down to the back of the block, or is it OK for it to be slightly away from the back of the block?

Anybody have an illustration or a website that shows the right way to punch?

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1864
Installer

Posts: 30
From: Western Pennsylvania
Registered: Dec 2004

posted April 07, 2005 18:17     Click Here to See the Profile for 1864   Click Here to Email 1864     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wrap the wire around the small "hook" and hammer it home the whole way to the end.
Use a pair of pliers to squeeze the pins back together. It sounds like you probably spread them out too far with that butter knife. Just a thought?

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codasco704
Installer

Posts: 271
From: St. Louis, MO USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted April 07, 2005 18:29     Click Here to See the Profile for codasco704   Click Here to Email codasco704     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It was actually the bix block that i used a butter knife on.....but good suggestion anyway. I'll try it.

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justbill
Installer

Posts: 370
From: Western Nebraska
Registered: May 2002

posted April 07, 2005 20:53     Click Here to See the Profile for justbill   Click Here to Email justbill     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Tried to post earlier and couldn't, but want to coment on the last, if you have good blocks and a good punch on tool you don't need to squeeze the pins. Sounds to me like you have a difective or worn out blade. I've punch thousands of pairs, as I'm sure others have, with no problems to speak of. The punch on tool has a specific opening for the pins so they make correctly, I'd try a new blade first. As far as using high and low setting, the only time I use low is when I'm looping from one pin to another.

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JOHNYREB
Moderator

Posts: 686
From: PENSACOLA FLORIDA-U.S.
Registered: May 2003

posted April 07, 2005 21:02     Click Here to See the Profile for JOHNYREB   Click Here to Email JOHNYREB     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Also, I have found that the angle at which you hold the end that will be cutoff during the punch is important. Hold them at 6 oclock they tend to get caught in the pin below, 3 oclock and the blade will not cut. Between 4 and 5 works just right. I always use the low setting unless it 22awg cable. I'm so scrawny the high setting will sometimes push me back away from the board instead of terminating

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codasco704
Installer

Posts: 271
From: St. Louis, MO USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted April 08, 2005 08:36     Click Here to See the Profile for codasco704   Click Here to Email codasco704     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, I know my impact tool is good...so I guess it might be the blade. I don't want to wait to have a new one shipped to me, so can anyone reccomend a good place in St. Louis to buy one...or am I better off just buying a blade at Home Depot (probably easier, esp. since it's such a simple/small item).

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justbill
Installer

Posts: 370
From: Western Nebraska
Registered: May 2002

posted April 08, 2005 15:59     Click Here to See the Profile for justbill   Click Here to Email justbill     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Nothing wrong with Home Depot, same blade your going to get if ordering as far as name brands go.

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codasco704
Installer

Posts: 271
From: St. Louis, MO USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted April 08, 2005 16:18     Click Here to See the Profile for codasco704   Click Here to Email codasco704     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
hmmm...just tried it again with the same blade,...and it works. This time i went through with a tweezer and used the tip the push down on the wires on each side of the pin, just to make sure they were all the way in.

So, my CO lines are working very well now, just need to get the stations over to a 66....I'm getting some funky things happening because of my bad connections on the bix.

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