Need Tips for on Moving a Phone Line

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 But I wouldn't buy a unique thing for this. Just buy a simple cordless DECT phone that supports extensions, plug the base unit in where your jack is, and plug a charger/extension in at your desk. Amazon.com: VTech CS6419-2 DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone, Silver/Black, 2 Handsets: Electronics Amazon.com: AT&T Dual Handset Cordless Telephone DECT 6.0 - 2 Handsets AT3211-2: Electronics That provides two cordless handsets in the home, and you can add/replace handsets as needed (you set them in the base, and press a button, then remove, to 'register' them to your system). These cordless units also can be used as walkie-talkies (they both need to be within range of the base unit - they communicate through the base, not directly to each other) , I have used them for that when doing some project when I need to communicate with DW and I'm in the basement/attic/outside/roof. You could even just buy a base unit with handset, and return the single handset to the charger when it needs a charge, ad keep it at your desk other times. Our AT&T DECT goes a long time (several days, probably weeks?) w/o a recharge. -ERD50

Yes, that would be ideal if it has an RJ11 jack on the extension. I don't think it does. IOW, it looks just like what I have, and there is no way to plug a phone cable into the extension. If there's somewhere to plug in a modem, tell me, and I'll buy it.

[I realized you didn't see my post in which I explained I needed this for a modem.]

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl Yes, that would be ideal if it has an RJ11 jack on the extension. I don't think it does. IOW, it looks just like what I have, and there is no way to plug a phone cable into the extension. If there's somewhere to plug in a modem, tell me, and I'll buy it. [I realized you didn't see my post in which I explained I needed this for a modem.]

You lost me. Modem?

I guess this has something to do with your tele-marketing calls, but wouldn't you plug whatever t is in by the base, which has an RJ11?

[edit/add] I either missed it again, or you edited that between me quoting and submitting. OK, but IMO this has gone far beyond the KISS principle. How many telemarketing calls do you get? We get a few ( 1 or 2 a week? I dunno, more political ones in season), they are annoying, but not worth this kind of effort for me.

-ERD50

[TromboneAl]

Telemarketing calls suddenly jumped to several per day, and it's worth the effort for me to avoid these. The computer sits at the desk most of the time, so I want a jack there.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl Telemarketing calls suddenly jumped to several per day, and it's worth the effort for me to avoid these. The computer sits at the desk most of the time, so I want a jack there.

OK, I didn't put all those pieces together, I thought the main issue was the continuous power you mention in the OP.

Maybe this should go in the other thread, but I wonder why you get so many calls. I watch caller ID, and generally don't pick up if I don't recognize the number. If it repeats, I pick up and ask them specifically to put me on their DNC list. A lot of them don't answer (probably the robo-call issue where one person monitors a bunch of dialers, and they miss me picking up). Our number has been unpublished (not unlisted) forever, but I doubt that has anything to do with it.

-ERD50

[tryan]

I wouldn't drill UP ... angle the drill and go DOWN at the exact location using an 18" drill bit extension. Then use a surface mount jack or snake the line up into the wall and repair the wallboard/plaster hole.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tryan I wouldn't drill UP ... angle the drill and go DOWN at the exact location using an 18" drill bit extension. Then use a surface mount jack or snake the line up into the wall and repair the wallboard/plaster hole.

Actually, that would be my inclination. I have a wall plate like this



so I wouldn't have to do any repairing of the wall board.

Like this:

Drilling.jpg

What would be the downsides of that approach?


As for the actual splicing, I guess I'll use a junction box like this:

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl Actually, that would be my inclination. I have a wall plate like this so I wouldn't have to do any repairing of the wall board. Like this: Attachment 14117 What would be the downsides of that approach? As for the actual splicing, I guess I'll use a junction box like this:

The wall plate link didn't show up, I'm assuming it hides all the way to the floor?

Forget the splice box, just put the wires together and use small wires nuts. There will be enough of the colored part of the wire sticking out so you can see the colors are matched properly.

-ERD50

[TromboneAl]

The wall plate would be big enough to cover a pretty big hole:

AC249W.jpg

And it would be installed just above the molding.

Would wire nuts be as secure as the screw on junctions? I really don't want a failure here. I'll even take my soldering iron down there if necessary.

[TromboneAl]

How to do proper telephone wire splicing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqqdIFqK9uE

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl The wall plate would be big enough to cover a pretty big hole: Attachment 14122 And it would be installed just above the molding. Would wire nuts be as secure as the screw on junctions? I really don't want a failure here. I'll even take my soldering iron down there if necessary.

OK, that looks like a pretty standard wall plate, but if you mount it low enough it would cover all.

Wire nuts will be fine. If you are worried, practice on a few scrap pieces of wire. It should be fairly tough to pull the wires out. And if you untwist the nut, you should see that the wires twisted together firmly. With the moisture in your house, the wire nuts might be better, there is more surface area squished together. As I understand it, the tightness actually keeps air and moisture out of the area where the two surfaces meet. You could fill the nut with white grease when you're done, that would also keep moisture out.

-ERD50

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl How to do proper telephone wire splicing

Those look perfect. Insulation displacement and gel filled. No stripping. Perfect (well, if they were free, and put themselves on).

-ERD50

[ducky911]

I have drilled through tile. It is not to bad. Buy a special masonary bit to drill then change to the long bit.

[bld999]

Drill, baby drill. Hardware stores may still carry "bell hanger" bits, which are ~18" long and have a small hole in the end to attach a wire. You drill the bit through, go in the crawl and attach the wire to it, tape it up smooth, go back up in the room and carefully withdraw the bit with the wire on the end. Radio shack or the like may also carry what phone techs call "beans" which are an insert and punchdown arrangement that uses pliers for the connection closure.

Lots of ways to go, and actually drywall patches are not difficult. Cut out a piece big enough to help the task, going too small doesn't help the repair effort anyway. [ I noticed that keyhole saw in the picture] Some times cutting a hole is the way to go in the end. If you botch the repair, it's under the desk anyway, right?

In the old days, the correct wire pair was red and green, [christmas] now I think it's blue + white with blue tracer.

[tryan]

Electricians have fancy drill bits with holes in the tip to allow a lead to be placed on the tip after the hole is drilled ... I just snake a coat hanger back tru the hole and tape the phone line to the tip. Now your time the crawl space is very limited.

[TromboneAl]

I did a few reconnaissance trips to the crawlspace, and measured to figure out where the hole would come. There's a nice clear space there, so that should be no problem.

However, I haven't located the existing telephone cable. Where would this run? I have a feeling it's not in the crawlspace at all. The only two phone installations are the wall phone in the kitchen, and the alarm on a high shelf in the closet.

Where would the cables for telephone be likely to run? Through the studs as with electrical? In the ceiling? Or could it be in the crawlspace, and it's under the insulation so I need to search more?

Thanks.

[Ronstar]

Can you find where it comes into the house? Sometimes there is a junction box near ground outside, and the phone wire would go through the outside wall near the box. If so, you could trace it around the crawl space from where it enters the house. Or if you have an overhead feed, then it may enter the house in the attic.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronstar Can you find where it comes into the house? Sometimes there is a junction box near ground outside, and the phone wire would go through the outside wall near the box. If so, you could trace it around the crawl space from where it enters the house. Or if you have an overhead feed, then it may enter the house in the attic.

I can, but it doesn't help. The line disappears into the wall by the garage, where there is no crawlspace.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl I can, but it doesn't help. The line disappears into the wall by the garage, where there is no crawlspace.

Probably runs up to the attic then. Ours also comes in at the garage where there is no crawl, so it goes up and over.

-ERD50

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl However, I haven't located the existing telephone cable. Where would this run? I have a feeling it's not in the crawlspace at all. The only two phone installations are the wall phone in the kitchen, and the alarm on a high shelf in the closet. Where would the cables for telephone be likely to run? Through the studs as with electrical? In the ceiling? Or could it be in the crawlspace, and it's under the insulation so I need to search more?

If you can see the telephone junction box then you don't have to care where the existing phone cable runs. Just buy enough cable to add those wires to the connection terminals in the junction box.

This eliminates the problem of having too little slack in the cable to make it with just one splice.

If you're soldering in the crawl space then you want to have enough slack for your exposed flesh to be above the solder location... not below.

I don't know about your presbyopian condition, but if I was soldering those tiny little 22-gauge wires down there then I'd also want a magnifying lens and two spare hands.

[bld999]

"Just buy enough cable to add those wires to the connection terminals in the junction box."

Nords is thinking there.

The easy and best way is to get some lan cable i.e. "category 5" ethernet cable and run the new cable outside to the appropriate location to penetrate into the crawl. Home depot or any hardware usu sells it by the foot or something that will work.
The newer plastic phone junction boxes usually need to be broken into as they are made tamper-proof. Get enough cable length and the solder job goes away. Lan cable has 4 pairs inside, choose the color combination pair you prefer.