Doing a bit of telephone wiring, standard BT supply telephone bits and Cat5e solid core wire.
What's the max number of wires that can reliably be held to a single terminal? I'm using a proper krone metal punchdown tool to do this, not the plastic thing formed out of recycled tea stirrers.
Anyone know what the BT guidance is?
If you arrange your wiring so you don't cut the cables, and turn off the end-cutter on the inserter, you can get 1 in and 3 out on the same block using two cables wired through.
Owain
Generally two wires, and cat3 is smaller gauge than cat5, so if you have to mix them but the cat3 in first, BT tend to use 2 or 2 way jelly crimps for multiple wire joints.
Ideally two, usually three if using Cat5. Four is usually too much. It is fairly easy to test, push the wires in and using the IDC tool hook try to pull them straight up and out. The force needed should be the same for each wire as you add them. If one is markedly easier it is one too many.
Thanks all. I've made three to a terminal in a joint box, and it's looking stable enough.
Was wondering about making it a bit more permanent but I'll put the oxy-acetylene blow torch and brazing wire back in my tool kit and use that for something else. ;-)
In article , Adrian C scribeth thus
Dunno 'bout BT or openreach, but I don't reckon more then Two is healthy;!..
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