atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems 1A2 and Comkey Telephones & Systems My 1A2 project

Bell System techs may recall that those cable clasps were manufactured by the M.M. Rhodes and Sons company of Taunton,Mass.for Western Electric.This company also made the inside wiring nails used with twisted pair,triple and quad gs station wire, B station wire nails used with jkt wire, and the small one hole cable clamps used with 6 and 25 pair inside wiring cables.Amazingly, this company is still in business [founded in 1870]. They manufacture bx and romex staples,and galvanized cable clamps.Their website has an interesting display of fastening devices they have manufactured over the years.

Thank you for the info! I find that to be quite interesting. I will go to their site and give it a look.

Now another question... what block position in the KSU would be 10 volts and ground? I want to hook an indicator lamp up to that to show that there is power to the unit.

Thanks again for the help!

Joe

In one of my recent posts, I included a link to a BSP for the 550 and 551 KSU.

The connection diagrams are in there.

Click and print, would be my suggestion.

click

Thank you Arthur! I have printed, and placed in my phone binder for reference.

This should help with wiring tomorrow!

Photos to follow.

Joe

For everyone who has been following this story, here is an update on my progress so far.

Tonight I installed the ring generator on the back board using a metal bracket. Who knew that Lowes sells a bracket for such a thing...I mean, a ready made bracket complete with pre-drilled holes for the ring generator! (not really, it is a bracket used in house framing to bring it up to "hurricane specifications", and it was by simple dumb luck that the holes matched up). I wired it with a bit of the quad that Ed sent me.



Next, I installed a "beehive lamp" on top of the back board to indicate power to the unit. I connected it to the KSU with another bit of quad, and hooked it to the 10 volt lamp B and lamp Ground (LB & LG). The BSP that Arthur pointed me to had all of the info that I needed.

I tried to take a photo of this with the unit plugged in and the beehive light on, but the flash all but made it impossible to see. I am really pumped as this is the first time that I have plugged this thing in, and there is no smoke or flames!



I am waiting for a T18 staple gun to arrive so that I can button up the quad properly onto the backboard. It is a bit sloppy now.

Tommorow (weather permitting) I will go to the communications supply dealer that I use and buy the first block for the telephones (with the amp connectors) and a straight punchdown block for the Melkor unit.

Feel free to comment or suggest!

Best to all,

Joe

P.S. I think that I read somewhere on this forum that the power wire to the unit is not to be attached to the backboard or ran parallel to any signal wires or cables. Is it acceptable for the wire to cross over the signal cable? Note that I did not attach the ring generator power cable to the backboard, and it is several inches from any cables, but it does for a few inches run somewhat parallel to the signal cables. Is that OK or should I try to change it somehow?

Thanks again!

Joe

I would hesitate to go out and buy a block with an Amp connector. That will only allow you to plug in one telephone, or plug in one cable that would need to be split further down stream. The accepted method is to use a 66M50 block for every two 25-pair cables going to phones. You cut down the stub ends of the cables on the blocks, and the amphenol connectors (female) go towards the phones, where they plug (male) in.

Hi Arthur,

I didn't see your post until after I got home today. I did get one punchdown block with dual AMP connectors, and two blocks without (one for the other two phones and one for the Melkor unit). I wanted one with the plugs so that I could immediately start using it before I move next month without having cables dangling from the punch blocks. Once I move, I will attach the backboard to the wall in the Utility room, and use the punchdown blocks for the phones.

On another note, my T18 staple gun arrived today, and works quite well with the quad cable.

Pictures to follow when I finish with the cross connects.

Joe

Hi all,

This evening, I wired the cross connects, double checked my work, plugged in my phone to the block, and plugged in the KSU. Power came on, no smoke.

Next, I unplugged the KSU from the power, attached the CO line to the KSU, plugged everything back in, again no smoke.

I was able to get a dial tone when the line button was pushed, the line button lights as it is supposed to, the hold works, the line button flashes when on hold.

I was able to dial out and talk on the phone as normal. I was able to use the hold as normal and then take the line off hold to resume speaking.

I can dial in, and receive a call.

The only problem is that the phone will not ring.

Did I "ding" the phone or the KSU? (Sorry for the really bad pun.) I am assuming that something is not connected correctly, most likely in the phone itself.

Any Ideas?

By the way, I am really pumped about getting this far, and have dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back! I could not have done this without all of the help and parts, both freely offered to a complet neophyte.

Thanks again!

Best to all,

Joe

More than lkely it is the wiring in the phone on the kts the yl/sl is used for the common bell pair and depends on the wiring may be made to ring the cb or as a line bell. research your bsps

What Jim said.

Look in your KSU. On the left side of the block, on the left, in the middle are a bunch of terminals marked B1, R1. There should be six of them. These are the ringing terminals for each line. Strap together all the lines you want to ring (B to B and R to R) and then cross connect the Yellow/Slate pair of the phone to the (strapped) B1R1 group.

Dial one of the lines in the group, the phone should now ring.

Sam