Hi everyone -

I took control of a Norstart MICS phone system at our complex, and while I'm quite competent on the programming to keep things running smoothly, I'm totally at a loss when it comes to the wiring. I'm a programmer, not a wirerer, though I have done Cat5 installations, and understand that pretty well. I'm just having a hard time grasping all of these d*** wires, and help from web sites has not been very helpful.

This is what I understand (I think):

-Norstar systems are 2-pair wired systems.

-Out of the station module comes a (25-pair?) amphenol cable, and the wires from this cable are punched down on a 66-block. I also know that there is a certain color scheme that you follow.

-Then, a cross-connect cable goes from the 66-block to a BIG block a little further down the wall. This, I'm assuming, is where all the rest of the phone wiring comes in from different parts of the complex.

This is what I DON'T really get yet:

1. I don't understand where you punch down the cross connect cables. On the connection blocks, I see a total of four "slots" where you stick wires in, running across in a signel line. Do 2 pairs go into two slots of the block, and the cross-connect cable go on the other two?

2. It looks to me that the wiring coming into the basement from other places here in the complex are either 25-pair, 50-pair or 100-pair cables. Then, they're punched down on some kind of block (66, 110, I don't know which one). Where does the other end of the cable go? Does it go to another punch-down block in the actual building, and then other cables come into there?

3. I understand how to wire a phone jack, and that certain colors are needed to complete the wiring, but where does the wiring in the wall go?

The biggest thing I'm not understanding are how these amphenol cables work, and where the wiring from the jacks goes. What I'm thinking is that the phone wire in the wall goes to a punch-down block whereever the other end of the amphenol cable is that comes from the KSU in the basement, which has its own punch-down block. The incoming set of wires from the jack is punched down on the left, and the wires running to the KSU are punched down on the right? Is that even close to being right? Phone jacks don't go directly to the KSU, do they?

As you can see, I'm a real mess here! If anyone could shed some light on this subject, that would be great. Any diagrams that you might have would also be awesome - I think if I can see this visually, I would understand a lot better.

Thanks in advance for instructing the ignorant!

Take care,
Michael

__________________
+AMDG+
2005 W203
Running as fast as I can to stay behind!!