the telephone wiring in our house is loose 5 or 6 pair wire. would this have been stapled to the studs or would it be loose in the wall bays?
bobl Volo, non valeo
“But when you’re a kibbutzer and have no responsibility to decide the facts and apply the law, you can reach any conclusion you want because it doesn’t matter.” SHG
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If it was installed by the local telephone company, it more than likely is loose. I never saw a stapled install. Heck, the telco guys were not even allowed to use electric drills back then, it was all hand brace and bit drilling.
Flip a coin, then you'll know for sure.
;)
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sorry for being so flippant.
Most of that stuff from then I take out has been strung through retainer nails that is basicly a loop with about a 3/8" diam through which the cabling runs. it can be pushed and pulled through it and those might be anywhere from 24" to 10' apart.
But then I see staples added later, knots looped into the wire, and boa4rds nailed tight over it here and there.
So there really is no guarantee.
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5 or 6 pair? How many phone lines? You a bookie? That seems odd in the extreme...
PaulB
it's a spilled spagettie mess...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
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Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I don't understand why they put in that many lines, and all loose pairs.the walls haven't been opened so whatever they did is original.thanks for the replies.
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter WFR
"But when you're a kibbutzer and have no responsibility to decide the facts and apply the law, you can reach any conclusion you want because it doesn't matter." SHG
that is recycled wire....
use to get miles of it for what amounted to for pennies.....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I don't know about 1960 but I think installing extra pairs (for backups and expansion) is quite standard.
Related to circa 1960's phone wiring
I just bought a 60's house. It has a backbone of 8-12 wires with these punch down biscuit things. Can someone tell me :
What they are called?
where I can get more?
How do I find out what colors are white black red green?
whom do I call to get more modern telephone wiring?
Sounds like you are talking about "66" blocks, a tab about 1/4"wide with with a spilt in it that you punch trhe wire down between.
I never saw anything like that in single family but it was common in apartments. The pairs are standard blue/blue white, orange/orange white ... green... brown etc
SFD was always regular old 3 wire J/K until the Princess phone when they went to 4 wire.
For one line use a multi-meter and pay attention to the polarity. Use should see something close to 48VDC across a set of wires for each line. The plus side is the R/Ring/red, the ground or minus side is T/Tip/green.
The big box stores have some wiring connections for phones. Since it is not real important you can carefully strip the solid wires and use small wire nuts if you want.
In that time frame it was not uncommon to see minimum 4 wires with the spare used for another line or the small transformer that plugged into an outlet and supplied power for the light on a Princess phone.