Hub to 'phone cable length.

[Gandolf]

Since Virgin have totally screwed me up with this stupid new 'phone system and they are of absolutely no help, I'm going to have to sort things out myself.

So, how long can the 'phone cable be between the hub and the 'phone. I've searched the forum and haven't found a definitive answer. I can't waste more time.

I need 12 to 15 metres of cable. Will that length damage the hub? Back E.M.F. or induced volts?

I've got some spare Ethernet cable, so I'll probably use that. I'm ex G.P.O. (Dollis Hill Research Station) and have now retired after 30+ years with the B.B.C., so electronics is second nature to me!

[Optimist1]

I find that an old-fashioned phone extension cable between the adapter in the TEL1 port and the handset works fine for me.

[goslow]

There is a spec sheet for a similar base model to a Hub 3 below

https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/62348-tg2492s3.pdf

Don't imagine a cable length of 12 to 15m will be a problem. The usual issues that are mentioned on here when connecting phones to the VM hub are no ringing sound for phones requiring a ringing capacitor/bell wire connection and the limit of REN = 3 per line when trying to reconnect multiple phones. Poor quality manufactured telecoms leads and adapters are also mentioned for non-connection issues but not a problem if you are going to make your own connection.

This patching kit might suit if you are using structured cabling to patch the phone connection

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PCSL-Brand-Telephone-Structured-Cabling/dp/B007UGF3EU

[nodrogd]

I wanted to keep my master socket near the front door. My hub is upstairs directly above it. Fortunately I still had a disused cable telephone line going upstairs from dial-up internet days when you could get a second line for half price. Technician came & spliced the two lines together in the drop box, so the old socket now backfeeds the existing master socket through around 20 metres of wire. 

Only thing to watch is that the maximum REN of the hub line is 3, as opposed to 4 with the old copper pair.

[Gandolf]

Thank you all or the replies.

I've plenty of 'phone extensions, but they're only 3m and 5m. That means more connections, plugs and sockets are the biggest source of trouble, due to what Sony used to call "thermal creep". I've loads of Ethernet and star-quad cable, that's why I will probably use that.

I've tried two 5m and a 3m lengths joined together. Crackle, as I expected since the cables haven't been used for, probably, twenty years. Bit of "exercising" of the plug/sockets and seems O.K. I'll see how it goes, but prefer the single cable approach.

There is low-level buzz, routing the cable away from the consumer unit reduces it, but it's still there. It looks as if the 'phone outlet on the hub is not low enough impedance. Poor design again.