atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Need some ideas on this soon.

I used to have a real hard on about putting voice onto patch panels, but I've gotten over it. Being able to use any jack for voice or data certainly has its advantages. "Sorry, can't plug a plug a phone in there, that's a data jack" is a thing of the past.

Patch panels. It's 2014 my friend.

Patch panels are pretty much all we use now.

I agree...patch panels are becoming more common and useful if the drop needs to be eventually used for data/IP phones. However, if you ever need to split apart pairs in the drop for different lines or devices, patch panels become a nightmare.

a) That alone is why I don't use patch panels. Far too often I need to add a jack at an existing location for some other device.

b) Without a P/Panel, it looks a little more intimidating to the untrained to "play" with the wiring

c) P/Panel add to the cost of the job, limiting prospects on bids as clients are wanting "cheap", not "neat"

That being said, we're drifting off topic, so let's get back to Ed's post...

I think that some responders are forgetting that this is a situation where we will be placing cross connects from a 100 pair building entrance terminal to voice station cables for single-line sets. To those of you who suggest using patch panels, may I ask how you would propose to complete the cross connecting process? Putting plugs on the ends of single-pair cross connect wire? I'm curious since I just don't see a professional way to cross connect to a patch panel.

I'm leaning toward going the 110 way, despite the fact that 100% of the rest of the facility has identical 66 type BETs.

If you have the room for 66 blocks, that is what I would use. They have less parts to them and it's always a problem replacing a 110 wafer. If you do not have the room, then 110 blocks fit in tighter quarters. In your application patch panels are not an option unless they are thinking VoIP down the road. You should try to discuss their long term plans to make the proper decision.

If all you're worried about is cross connects from the feeder cable to patch panels that hold the station cabling, you just need another patch panel with 25 pair punched down 1 pair per port with a block matching your entrance cable at the other end (be it 66 or 110 or bix or krone). Then of course you cross connect between the blocks and patch between the panels.

What Tommy said.
A customer of mine did the very same thing when replacing a Definity with an IP Office and keeping their digital sets. 25 pair cables run from the existing 66 blocks to a new rack with patch panels and the IP Office chassis.

I must have missed something. We pick up extremely inexpensive 8-pin patch panels and cable 1 pair per port to a 110 block and cross connect them to our 66/110/BET pairs 1:1. Then pair 1 is PP1 or whatever we need. We then get to buy 1' 1.5' 2' or 3' patch cords to do the patching.

Cable management keeps it neat.

Carl