Can anybody recommend a decent telephone Extension Kit

1) With an extension cable suitable for outdoor use (it's not practical
to run the cables internally)

2) Which does not have one of those adapters that you plug into the
face of your Master socket. I'd prefer to have the extension concealed
rather than a piggy back plug socket that goes straight back outside.

Should I get a kit which has it's own little crimping tools like
Screwfix 19843 - http://tinyurl.com/5srrm
(I'm not intending to do this job again and would like to save money)

Lastly am I correct in assuming that the piggy back adapter can be
stripped off, and the connection made inside the Master socket?

Thanks in advance.

Charlie wrote:
Can anybody recommend a decent telephone Extension Kit

1) With an extension cable suitable for outdoor use (it's not practical
to run the cables internally)

How long do you want this to last? If you're in a place for just a few
years (or can tell yourself you'll rewire internally in a few years
time), using the 'standard' indoor cable will be OK for that
precisely-stated length of time, especially if the run's not out in full
sunlight. Your internal cable's coming after a mile or two of BT copper,
so none of the signals will care if you route them an extra 10m to go up
behind a drainpipe, under an overhang, and down again, in order to stay
out of the sundandwindandrain.

If you want to do a longer-term job, you can buy cut lengths of external
cable at TLC - http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CAEXGPO5.html
refers, 42p/m, 31.50 the 100m reel. I'd still use some Internal cable
and a couple of junction boxes to make the transition from Internal to
External - this gel-filled stuff is gooey-gooey and I'd rather keep that
gooey out of my master socket.

2) Which does not have one of those adapters that you plug into the
face of your Master socket. I'd prefer to have the extension concealed
rather than a piggy back plug socket that goes straight back outside.

If you have a realio-trulio BT master socket (an NTE5), you'll find it's
really rather cunningly designed. The apparent faceplate is really a
socket on whose rear is a captive plug which goes into the 'real'
socket, along with some punchdown terminals where you attach extension
wiring. This both allows a neat routing for extension wiring, and allows
you to disconnect all your extensions at one place and plug in a
standard phone to the 'real' socket, allowing you to make sure that an
apparent fault is really on the BT line and not on your own extension
wiring (saving the 40? quid callout charge from BT should they find the
fault is in your premises wiring).

Should I get a kit which has it's own little crimping tools like
Screwfix 19843 - http://tinyurl.com/5srrm
(I'm not intending to do this job again and would like to save money)

The plastick tool in those kits may just last for one job, or may last
only 75% of the way into the one job. Sfix seem to have a metal-ended
cheapie - their prod 67571, 1.79quid - but you'll get more joy out of
something like their 17402 at 7.99. Your call.

Lastly am I correct in assuming that the piggy back adapter can be
stripped off, and the connection made inside the Master socket?

You may be lucky, but It Depends. If the extension kit's been wired with
solid-core, you're in luck, since it's only solid-core which makes a
reliable connection in the IDC blades in the back of a master socket.
(IDC = 'Insulation Displacement Connector', meaning pushfit for
horny-handed phone/data installers: gap between sides of the IDC blade
made just-right to cut through insulation of your wires, making a
gastight seal (so no long-term corrosion) while gripping and biting a
little way into the (softer-than-the-blades) copper core. This is why
pushing the wire in with a small screwdriver blade, or using wires of
the wrong guage, can cause unreliable connections - the gap between the
two sides is quite precisely specced, so spreading it with over-large
wires doesn't help the right-sized wires to connect well, while bending
them apart has similar oopsie effects). If, though, your Extension Kit
uses stranded wires, the IDC connections offered by the back of your
master socket won't be reliable.

As a cerfified wiring nut, I'd not rely on a kit, but buy a reel of
telcom cable or use Cat5 (both of which I have already, natch), and a
proper punchdown tool (ditto). All you need to know (and a little more)
about UK phone wiring you'll find at
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/
Since the S-fix kit you point to has an IDC tool, that kinda suggests
it's wired with solid-core cable, so you could try using that. TLC have
all the separate bits you're likely to need, as do many other
specifically telecom-oriented online suppliers, and your local
electrical trade counter.

HTH - Stefek

"Charlie" wrote
| Can anybody recommend a decent telephone Extension Kit
| 1) With an extension cable suitable for outdoor use (it's not practical
| to run the cables internally)

None of the extension kits are suitable for use externally and most have
very poor quality cable.

try www.comtec-comms.com for exterior grade cable.

| 2) Which does not have one of those adapters that you plug into the
| face of your Master socket. I'd prefer to have the extension concealed
| rather than a piggy back plug socket that goes straight back outside.
| Lastly am I correct in assuming that the piggy back adapter can be
| stripped off, and the connection made inside the Master socket?

You can only connect your extension to the customer side terminals on the
removable front plate of a Linebox. If you have a slightly older
installation with a master socket (NOT a Linebox) then you MUST use a
plug-in connector. User installed extension wiring must be disconnectable
from the phone line to allow for testing and fault finding. The Linebox
incorporates that function.

Owain

In article .com,
Charlie wrote:
Can anybody recommend a decent telephone Extension Kit

Not really, since it's easier to just by the individual bits.

1) With an extension cable suitable for outdoor use (it's not practical
to run the cables internally)

Assuming you can shield it from direct sun and mechanical damage, ordinary
telephone cable will have a pretty long life outdoors.

2) Which does not have one of those adapters that you plug into the
face of your Master socket. I'd prefer to have the extension concealed
rather than a piggy back plug socket that goes straight back outside.

And quite right too.

Should I get a kit which has it's own little crimping tools like
Screwfix 19843 - http://tinyurl.com/5srrm
(I'm not intending to do this job again and would like to save money)

Trouble is those plastic tools are at best marginal compared to the real
thing. I've found they sometimes don't push the cable in fully.

Lastly am I correct in assuming that the piggy back adapter can be
stripped off, and the connection made inside the Master socket?

It would depend on the cable. If it's proper single strand stuff of the
correct diameter, yes. But some is stranded and won't make a decent
connection.

--
*Microsoft broke Volkswagen's record: They only made 21.4 million bugs.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 8 Feb 2005 13:37:20 -0800, "Charlie"
strung together this:

Can anybody recommend a decent telephone Extension Kit

Go to your local electrical wholesalers and get 100m of 2 pair CW1308
and a surface secondary BT socket, maybe some clips and away you go.
You could buy a decent punchdown tool as well without spending more
than £20 on the lot.
--

SJW
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject

On Tue, 08 Feb 2005 22:39:53 +0000, Stefek Zaba wrote:

1) With an extension cable suitable for outdoor use (it's not
practical to run the cables internally)

How long do you want this to last?

Even CW1308 appears to last quite well outside. Us kids twisted the
parents arm into getting a phone when we left home 25+ years ago. BT
installed it with CW1308 around the front of the south facing bay
window. It's still there, it still works and AFAIK has never been
replaced.

Of course they made things better in the past... B-)

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

In article .com,
Charlie writes
Can anybody recommend a decent telephone Extension Kit

1) With an extension cable suitable for outdoor use (it's not practical
to run the cables internally)

2) Which does not have one of those adapters that you plug into the
face of your Master socket. I'd prefer to have the extension concealed
rather than a piggy back plug socket that goes straight back outside.

Should I get a kit which has it's own little crimping tools like
Screwfix 19843 - http://tinyurl.com/5srrm
(I'm not intending to do this job again and would like to save money)

Lastly am I correct in assuming that the piggy back adapter can be
stripped off, and the connection made inside the Master socket?

Thanks in advance.

What do you really need?

If it's a telephone extension - use cordless phones
If it's a data extension - you need to think of other ways of moving the
data. Wireless, CAT5a (external south side needs to be shielded from the
sun)


--
Zaax
http://www.ukgatsos.com

Stefek Zaba wrote:

little way into the (softer-than-the-blades) copper core. This is why
pushing the wire in with a small screwdriver blade, or using wires of
the wrong guage, can cause unreliable connections - the gap between the

There is a knack to bodging with a screwdriver (when separated from ones
trusty old krone), that seems to elude many...

As you say, if you stuff the blade of said implement into the gaping
mouth of the IDC, you will in all likelihood spread it/knacker it/blunt
it. However, if you place the blade of the screwdriver parallel to the
IDC contacts, and very close to them, you can push the wire without the
screwdriver hitting the blades of the contact at all. The only
difference between doing this and using the right tool, is you can only
push one side of the wire at a time and hence need to change sizes from
time to time to get the wire "home". (works best (i.e. at all) if you
select a screwdriver that is narrow enough to fit between to opposing
plastic buttresses that support the contact obviously!)

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

zaax wrote:
In article .com,
What do you really need?

If it's a telephone extension - use cordless phones
If it's a data extension - you need to think of other ways of moving
the
data. Wireless, CAT5a (external south side needs to be shielded from
the
sun)


--
Zaax
http://www.ukgatsos.com

Zaax,

It's my broadband connection so yes it's data that I'm interested.
Is CAT5a just a higher grade cable (specifically for only) which is
connected up the same way?

Charlie

On Wed, 09 Feb 2005 00:26:36 -0800, Charlie wrote:


It's my broadband connection so yes it's data that I'm interested. Is
CAT5a just a higher grade cable (specifically for only) which is connected
up the same way?

Charlie

Cat5e is Cat5 but tested to a higher level. It's wired in exactly the same
way as Cat5 and is good for phones, 100Mbit/s and 1gigabit/sec (and
everything in between) if installed within specifications.

Tim

Can anybody recommend a decent telephone Extension Kit

Go to your local electrical wholesalers and get 100m of 2 pair CW1308 and
a surface secondary BT socket, maybe some clips and away you go. You could
buy a decent punchdown tool as well without spending more than £20 on the
lot.

Err, should'nt we be telling him about the lightening strikes.....?

Dave

--
For what we are about to balls up may common sense prevent us doing it
again
in the future!!

On Wed, 09 Feb 2005 21:15:39 +0000, Dave Stanton
strung together this:

Go to your local electrical wholesalers and get 100m of 2 pair CW1308 and
a surface secondary BT socket, maybe some clips and away you go. You could
buy a decent punchdown tool as well without spending more than £20 on the
lot.

Err, should'nt we be telling him about the lightening strikes.....?

Ah, yes. Make sure you wrap it all back up in a lightening storm!
--

SJW
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject