Finding the right unmarked wires at the block/panel that corresponds to the termination point.

[Canada EH]

I got a telephone punch down block above the panel. The cables are not marked.

There are 6 cables going out throughout the house from the block, and I have identified the incoming cable on the block that comes from the demarcation point.

 

QUESTION - What is an easy way to determine which cable goes where?

Basement - Office, Living Room and Bedroom

Main - Bedroom, Kitchen, Living Room

 

I tried this.......

I cut an old telephone cord that had 4 wires so I could plug it into each telephone outlet room by room.

I identified the 2 middle and the 2 outers of the cord.

I figured I'd use the unused orange colors at the block as all the blues were being used, orange being the second pair from the middle on the telephone cord. Blue being the first pair right dab in the middle.

However.......

I messed up, I twisted the orange pair together, thinking I could measure resistance.

I messed up again when I figured I'd connect up a 9V battery, thinking I could find it at the block. Only thing that happened was the alarm went off and the telephone line was off.

I learned perhaps the outter, 2nd pair, on the cut cord, may actually be installed with blue on the wall outlet. I will have to inspect an outlet to be sure.

Anyhow.......

Quick fix, now back to square 1.

 

Learned this.......

Ring is negative polarity, 70-120Vac at 20Hz (Ringing)

Tip is 48Vdc on hook, 10Vdc off hook (Which is what I measured)

 

I am thinking about connecting plugging in my cut telephone cord into the Office wall jack, hooking up long ass wires ~30' so it reaches the panel, then doing an ohm check.

I can find the basement rooms easily doing this method, but not the main floor as I do not have long enough wires. Thats why I wanted to do the 9V battery method, as a "signal" on the wall jack, so I could find it on the block.

 

[W-L]

2 hours ago, Canada EH said:

-SNIP-

The simplest solution would be something like this espically if you have a lot of wires to trace.

https://www.amazon.ca/Extech-TG20-Wire-Tracer-Generator/dp/B00APD16D2

 

-Moved to Networking- 

[Canada EH]

16 hours ago, W-L said:

The simplest solution would be something like this espically if you have a lot of wires to trace.

https://www.amazon.ca/Extech-TG20-Wire-Tracer-Generator/dp/B00APD16D2

 

-Moved to Networking- 

Yeah I knew those existed. I guess I could just go to Home Depot and buy one, use it then return it.

 

Or order a cheap punch down tool on ebay, disconnect the home runs and do my 9V battery trick.

Looks like they are $1 for the ultra-cheap ones out of China, $2 from N.A. then $5 for the more fancy dancy ones out of China, $6 N.A.

Or just buy some cheap wire. I must have some speaker wire somewhere.

 

Thanks

[W-L]

4 minutes ago, Canada EH said:

-SNIP-

Yeah using a 9V battery and doing a continuity test to find the room should work as long as the wires don't add too much resistance from a really long run. 

[Canada EH]

1 minute ago, W-L said:

Yeah using a 9V battery and doing a continuity test to find the room should work as long as the wires don't add too much resistance from a really long run. 

Thats what I was thinking, a very thin wire as it is, has a ton of resistance, then add the length. Hopefully the voltage doesnt drop too much.

 

[W-L]

8 minutes ago, Canada EH said:

Thats what I was thinking, a very thin wire as it is, has a ton of resistance, then add the length. Hopefully the voltage doesnt drop too much.

With higher voltages you might be able to get away with that, I'd give it a test on a line you know the location of to see if it works out or not. If worst comes to worst getting a cheapy tone generator would help simplify things. 

[Canada EH]

Well I do got 72V and ~10Ah of A123 LiFePO4 batteries.

I will be buying more soon.

 

[W-L]

10 hours ago, Canada EH said:

Well I do got 72V and ~10Ah of A123 LiFePO4 batteries.

I will be buying more soon.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of 24V current limited, wouldn't want to accidentally apply that much power to the wires if they were connected to a device or shorted.