mnickasch

We're currently looking for a new phone system for our small insurance agency - 4 incoming CO lines, 8 phones. As the IT guy for the agency, I'd like to take on the task of installing the Partner ACS myself (the local teclo charges nearly $700, and only installs Nortel equip). Our office already is wired with rj-11 terminations at the desks. Does the Partner use rj-45 or 11 to connect the sets to the KSU? Our voice drops wire down to a Siemon patch block, then to Amphernol connectors to the old Vodavi. Should I have the telco keep the existing 2-pair wiring in place & take off the amphernol connectors and put on rj-11s from the extensions to connect to the new Parter? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Matthew

mforrence

Matthew,

Partner phones use two cable pairs (technically an RJ14 - just like RJ11 but with 2 pairs of wires instead of 1 pair as specified in RJ11) to operate (probably like the old vodavi - assuming it is truly old). The big difference is that the Partner control unit is fully modular, whereas the Vodavi used amphenol type pigtails. The easiest solution is to use your data cable plant and just patch away as if it were a PC. Next easiest is to pull off the pigtails and crimp modular plugs onto pieces of 2-pair cross connect and punch down on 66-block. Next is to remove pigtails and extend each house cable to an 8-pin modular jack (even though you only need four pins or two pairs, using an 8-pin jack allows you to use standard patch cables). Just make sure they are brought out using the standard voice wiring (USOC) or 568A (not 568B as the pairs won't match the station end).

Hope this helps. Partner is a good little phone system - I have one in my house and it's great for small organizations.

PBXtech.info

 

mnickasch

Thanks for the insight. Some of our current voice cabling is having some problems. Some jacks are bad, etc. Can standard telephone cable (eg. http://www.national-tech.com/specs/8101-64250.htm) be used to connect the set DIRECTLY to the Partner? Is there a limit on the length of the cable? Thanks again.

- Matthew

mforrence

Matthew,

Yes, you can connect this cable between a partner telephone and the control unit. This cable is "crossover" (as opposed to a patch cable that is "straight thru"). I don't remember the distance limitation, but I'd guess it is 500' or more. Also be mindful to only have one "crossover" cable in the circuit, as joining two together will produce a "straight thru" (crossover + crossover = straight). A regular telephone line cord - the type that come with a typical telephone - are crossover. This is why it works OK with data cable plant, using the regular telephone cable at the telephone end and a patch cord at the control end.

Good luck
Mike

early

Matthew,
You will need the first and third pairs out of the RJ45 of the station pack. That converts to the w/bl and w/gn pairs of the four pair. If you use RJ11s at the station, you will connect the w/bl and w/gn pairs. The w/bl pair is the 48vdc and the w/gn pair provides the data pair.

mforrence

Actually, it is wh/bl and wh/gn if data jacks are wired using the 568B standard. If data jacks are wired using the 568A standard, you would utilize the wh/bl and wh/or.

Mike

PBXtech.info

 

mnickasch

As I was looking at our current connections to the Vodavi 616 Flex today, I was wondering if I could use our existing 2 pair cable and amphenol connectors to wire the new Partner system. Since the Partner is completely modular, I was wondering if I could connect one of these "Hydra" adapters into the existing Amphenol and plug the tails of the Hydra into the ACS. Here's the link for the Hydra: http://www.phonegeeks.com/hydra.html. However, the Vodavi has 2 amphenol connectors for the stations. They only support 8 stations per connector, and the Hydra says that each 2-pair amphenol will break out into 12 modular plugs. Will the remaining 4 plugs go unused in each amphenol. After looking at the wiring task, I would really like to use that 2 pair voice wiring thats already in place. I do realize that I may need a gender changer between each exisitng Amphenol to "Hyrda" connection. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

- Matthew

mforrence

Matthew,

Yes, you could use the hydra things - they often come in both male and female amphenol connectors so that you wouldn't necessarily need a gender changer. Yes, 4 plugs would go unused. You may or may not require crossover line cords to make it all work (remember that a standard telephone line cord is crossover). Just don't get so deep into this that troubleshooting becomes a challenge...

Mike