Flat Intercom myth?

[Iggifer]

To my mind, these systems should be wired in stranded cable like alarm cable. More forgiving under movement.

You'd think that wouldn't you? We wired a DE system towards the end of last year in alarm cable, my boss probably thinking the same as that. Nothing but trouble with the system. In the end we had to get an entirely different system and change all the handsets & door unit.

In testing, we wired up a temporary link from the keypad to a handset in BT and the afterwards Alarm, even in free air, over about 5 metres, there was noticeably more interference in the alarm than BT.

Perhaps more the fault of whoever bought the system to install, but both cable types have their pros/cons

 

[sparkymarka]

That's going to depend on if it's an AC or DC system , the BT type cable will be better on a AC system if you use one of the twisted pair for the speech path

 

[Iggifer]

I BELIEVE it was AC, but I can't really remember.

 

[Echo the husky]

Most alarm cable now is awful copper clad aluminium which is never good. Much of the cheaper phone cable is copper clad steel, just as awful!

 

[securespark]

Eeeh, meks me glad ah retired!

 

[SimonH2]

And t**ts are selling "network cable" that's CCA (copper covered aluminium) as well. Some real bottom dwellers are even calling it "Cat5e" which it can't be unless it's got copper conductors. You do have to keep your wits about you.
And then there's things like the house my Mother is looking at buying - the cheapskate sparky has saved perhaps £10/house by using aluminised foil coax instead of proper copper foil coax. But it's Ok for him, it should last until he can't be held responsible for it - and (like the rest of the 'lectrics) it cannot be changed without ripping the place to bits either as it's clipped (well clipped) to the block wall before being dot-n-dabbed over.