[BC] wiring blocks

[Steve Ordinetz]

> From: richardbrianjohnson at verizon.net
> 
> Christmas trees were wonderful! I used to pre-wire patch panels (remember them) into Christmas trees. I can still smell the rosin core solder. It was exciting. The only time I every had any problem with them is when I was trouble-shooting some installation made by an idiot. I came across 120 V on one.
> It was routed all the way to the console microphone switch to turn on the ON-AIR light -- gawd!
>

That seems to have been standard engineering practice (at least at small-market stations) back in the day  :-P.   Using 8451 and not labelling was optional.

I guessed I missed the joy of christmas trees...only ever ran into one, and that was in a studio gut-and-rebuild.  Didn't know what it was called at the time, just remember thinking it was an odd-looking punch block.

> From: glaenzer at frontier.com
> 
> 
> I've used nothing but '66 blocks' since we first started begging them from 
> the phone guys back in the 70's, and unless you try to re-use an obviously 
> abused (clip 'spring' from multiple wires in one clip, bent clips, corroded, 
> etc) item, have never had a problem.

Clearly you've never tried to punch down stranded CAT5 on a 66 block.  Not recommended unless you like flakey connections.