Clearcom/Telex wire gauge/guide?

I'm wiring in some new communication ports, in the hopes of avoiding the rats nest of cables around the theater. Can I use regular light gauge wire from the hardware store? Does it need to be shielded (short runs, no nearby power...)? Is there a guide somewhere that might specify requirements for communications?

I've tried stripping some old audio XLR, but the ports are so worn the solder joints aren't doing well with the braided shield. I could order a roll of 3-wire audio cable, but I only need about 20 feet or so. Am I headed for disaster?

It is covered in the System Installation manual.

http://www.clearcom.com/userfiles/f...-Com_Encore_Partyline_Installation_Manual.pdf

Somewhat related question... I'm looking to add jacks for my Telex system at the Main Curtain, rather than run cable every time. Each of my other ports were run with homed lines. Am I wrong in thinking that I could simply daisy chain off the closest jack and run wire to the additional location? That's what a pack would do when you daisy chain, no?

Thanks!

Chris

that sound right to me ...that is how I wired a small theatre

urban79 said:

Somewhat related question... I'm looking to add jacks for my Telex system at the Main Curtain, rather than run cable every time. Each of my other ports were run with homed lines. Am I wrong in thinking that I could simply daisy chain off the closest jack and run wire to the additional location? That's what a pack would do when you daisy chain, no?

Thanks!

Chris

Click to expand...

Yes. You can daisy chain jacks. Pretty straight-forward if you have plates with screw-down terminals.

A few things if you have solder cups and aren't familiar with soldering. Unsolder the existing wires, trim them, and restrip. Make the wye termination by stripping the wires back, putting heatshrink over the ground conductor, twisting the positive, negative, and ground conductors together with their respective leads from the existing and new cables, tinning the leads with solder after they're twisted, and then dropping them into the already-filled solder cups.

Also, you should know it's much easier to solder by first prepping the solder cups with a dab of solder. Filling up the cups only after you've inserted the leads into the cups will give you a much less reliable connection.

In general, you want to use the iron to heat the wire or the cup, and touch the solder into contact with the heated surface. Melting the solder by touching it directly to the tip of the iron is bad form and layers the solder on top of the wire rather than embedding it within the wire strands.

Make sure your base station is powered down and disconnected from your distribution wiring before you begin. After you've made the wye connection, take an ohmmeter and check for continuity between the positive, negative, and shield conductors. Repeat for each of your intercom channels. If you find any shorts between conductors, look over your work a second time and make sure you haven't dripped a solder bridge between the cups.

Only reconnect your base station and power the system back up after you've confirmed no shorts between conductors for each of your intercom channels.

Lastly, the Telex WP-2 plates are garbage. If you want multiple channels at your new drop location, get a custom plate from Whirlwind or the like with an XLR3 connector for each channel.

Sayen said:

I'm wiring in some new communication ports, in the hopes of avoiding the rats nest of cables around the theater. Can I use regular light gauge wire from the hardware store? Does it need to be shielded (short runs, no nearby power...)? Is there a guide somewhere that might specify requirements for communications?

I've tried stripping some old audio XLR, but the ports are so worn the solder joints aren't doing well with the braided shield. I could order a roll of 3-wire audio cable, but I only need about 20 feet or so. Am I headed for disaster?

Click to expand...

Normally Belden 8760; shielded 18 gauge twisted pair, or equivalent, for a single channel system. Pin 1 is ground and should (Must) only be grounded at one point, normally within your power supply. Pin 1 is the low side of the unbalanced audio as well as the low side of the DC power.
A word about re-using / re-soldering audio connectors. To clean soldering cups, removing old solder and conductor strands, heat the soldering cup until the solder is liquid then, while holding the connector firmly with a pair of channel-locks, hit the channel locks against a large vice, or the edge of a solid bench, in a direction that the molten solder and debris will be flung out of the connector and into your waiting garbage pail. Add a very thin layer of fresh, rosin-core solder to the cup and you should be ready to proceed with a reliable connection. Reworking old solder, without flux, is not a recipe for a fun time.
I've gotten away using Belden 8451 shielded 22 gauge twisted pair in some situations where the available conduit is too small to accommodate multiple runs of 18 gauge but it's always best not to break too many rules on any one project.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

RonHebbard said:

Normally Belden 8760; shielded 18 gauge twisted pair, or equivalent, for a single channel system. Pin 1 is ground and should (Must) only be grounded at one point, normally within your power supply.

I've gotten away using Belden 8451 shielded 22 gauge twisted pair in some situations where the available conduit is too small to accommodate multiple runs of 18 gauge but it's always best not to break too many rules on any one project.

Click to expand...

This is the right answer for cable types.

A lot of installers assume that 8451 is OK and it probably is over short runs, but a system of any size should be 8760. Clear-Com is more complicated than analog audio.

Also, follow the system checkout instructions in the installation manual to the letter. A lot of people assume that buzz, hum, and crosstalk are normal in Clear-Com systems. They aren't - a lot of times it is a termination problem.