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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,876
E
e57 Offline OP
Member
Anyone know of a good method of testing cat-3/5/6 WITHOUT the final terminations?

Normaly I terminate one side (The blocks), then check open, then have someone go strip em, and short em, then check short. Current job is not going to have the blocks installed until final.


Mark Heller
"Well - I oughta....." -Jackie Gleason
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
You really aren't testing much until they are terminated in the keystones and buttoned up. You also need a data tester. Testing really goes beyond simple continuity.
You can cross a pair or screw up the twists and get continuity just fine. It would open the garage door, ring the doorbell or even work for the phone but it won't move much data.


[This message has been edited by gfretwell (edited 01-12-2006).]


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 886
H
Member
Really at this point all you ARE testing for is opens and shorts in the wire. I have never done this but I suppose if the wire runs will be buried with no easy way to replace it it can give some you peace of mind. And true, with data runs you can still have major problems that can't be found until the run is terminated and tested.

I also don't think there is any way to do this other than what you are doing. I would probably also check for shorts to ground. Never know when a run might be ripped on a metal stud.

Just out of curiosity how many bad runs have you actually found? Wonder if just being more careful would eliminate this testing which is pretty time consuming if there are a lot of runs.

-Hal

Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,876
E
e57 Offline OP
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In Commercial I usually don't worry at all> (Unless certification is required, at which point everything is terminated and fully tested. Bag the tombstones and stuff in the wall...) And often cielings are accessable...

In residential, I check, when there are doubts. Especially if other trades are late, like plumbers, framers, and if I have some green guy that just can't control his own strength, and cant seem to beat it into him that wire abuse is not nice. It seems I have all of the above on current project. With the above circumstances, over the years I have found some interesting things. Plumbers solder pipe next to cables, melting whole bundles. Framers make a few changes and go through cable with a sawsall... Once caught a new guy swinging from the rafters like Tarzan from a bundle of cable. Yeah, new job, GC, Subs and helper dude.


Mark Heller
"Well - I oughta....." -Jackie Gleason

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