POTS Telephone Block

[J.B. Wood]

Hello, and my apologies for not a repair query but since this ng seems
well attended -

In the old days of copper-wire analog phone service, on Western-Electric
(Ma Bell) residential phone installations, the twisted-two wire outside
plant phone line first encountered a terminal block (usually in the
basement/laundry room or garage) inside the house. All the phone
extensions in the home were connected to that block which also provided
a third terminal with a wire that was earthed (run to a clamp on a
metallic water pipe). The yellow wires from the phone extensions were
connected to the earthed terminal. The black wires from the phone
extensions if not used were usually just clipped short or coiled around
the gray outer jacket of the 4-wire line. Does anyone know if this
terminal block provided an internal lightning arrestor of some sort?
Thanks for your time and comment. Sincerely,
--
J. B. Wood e-mail: arl_1...@hotmail.com

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 4/29/19 12:05 PM, J.B. Wood wrote:
> Does anyone know if this terminal block provided an internal lightning
> arrestor of some sort?

You're thinking of one of these:
<https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sssAAOSwkB5b9gwV/s-l1600.jpg>

And yes, the arresters are under the two hex caps.
A pair of carbon rectangles that would fail short and protect
the inside wiring.


--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

[John Robertson]

On 2019/04/29 10:18 a.m., Fox's Mercantile wrote:
> On 4/29/19 12:05 PM, J.B. Wood wrote:
>> Does anyone know if this terminal block provided an internal lightning
>> arrestor of some sort?
>
> You're thinking of one of these:
> <https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sssAAOSwkB5b9gwV/s-l1600.jpg>
>
> And yes, the arresters are under the two hex caps.
> A pair of carbon rectangles that would fail short and protect
> the inside wiring.
>
>

Or this (second picture down):

https://the-electric-orphanage.com/wp-protection-equipment-for-open-wire/

I saw something like that in my grandmother's house back in the 60s...

John ;-#)#

--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd.
MOVED to #7 - 3979 Marine Way, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J 5E3
(604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

[J.B. Wood]

On 4/29/19 1:18 PM, Fox's Mercantile wrote:
> On 4/29/19 12:05 PM, J.B. Wood wrote:
>> Does anyone know if this terminal block provided an internal lightning
>> arrestor of some sort?
>
> You're thinking of one of these:
> <https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sssAAOSwkB5b9gwV/s-l1600.jpg>
>
> And yes, the arresters are under the two hex caps.
> A pair of carbon rectangles that would fail short and protect
> the inside wiring.
>
>

ello, and thanks for the quick reply. Yep, that's precisely what I
remember. Sincerely,

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 4/29/19 12:38 PM, John Robertson wrote:
> Or this (second picture down):
>
> https://the-electric-orphanage.com/wp-protection-equipment-for-open-wire/
>
> I saw something like that in my grandmother's house back in the 60s...

*laughs* I have one of those at the shop, it was the original
protector. My shop was built in 1919.