I recently purchased a PowerCab and the more I read about cables, the more confused I get. My manual doesn't say what type of cable to use to connect additional utp's around the layout. Does nce sell them in various lengths, are they regular telephone extention cords? If this has been discussed, kindly point me in that direction.
Thanks, Larry
Larry,
NCE does sell the cables in different lengths. Of course, none of their lengths matched what I needed, so I made my own. Being a telecom/network tech has its advantages....the cable in question is 6 conductor. You might find it at an electronic supply house if they carry telecom supplies.
The UTP mounting instructions also have instructions for making your own cables on the same paperwork.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
Thanks Don. That's the beauty of this hobby, I am now going to become a "cabler". I will purchase the panels and take it fom there.
Larry
Finding the RJ-12 6 conductor ends might be difficult unless you're near a larger city. Do yourself a favor and don't go cheap on the crimpers....buy a good pair!
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
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Don Z wrote-Do yourself a favor and don't go cheap on the crimpers....buy a good pair!
You might even want to find a phone or network installer and see if he can crimp the connectors on for you. Those crimpers ain't cheap!
Don Z wrote: Finding the RJ-12 6 conductor ends might be difficult unless you're near a larger city. Do yourself a favor and don't go cheap on the crimpers....buy a good pair!
I have found the 6 conductor cables and plugs at both Radio shacks and Loews home improvement stores.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
They should have the cable where you buy the panels and the extra length is not a big deal.
I also purchased a 10' coil cord for my Powercab and was glad I did.
John
The 6-connector cable only goes to the PCP panel (the one you plug your Power Cab in) because the extra two wires are used for powering the track. The UTP panels only need 4-connector cable.
FYI: Tim Smith @ Empire Northern Models has RJ-12 cable (4- and 6-connector) and connectors and can make them in any length you want. If I remember correctly it's $2.25 for the connectors and $0.25 per foot of cable. Tim doesn't have it listed on his new site, so you may need to e-mail or call him to get the current pricing.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Tom,
If you are extending the cab bus, as Larry explains, the NCE UTP paperwork calls for a 6 conductor cable. I'm pretty sure I tried to cheap my way out with 4 conductor and couldn't get it to work. Just my .
Don,
Not that I'm aware of. I have 4-connector flat cables daisy-chained to the backs of my two UTP panels and don't have any problems. It was my understanding that the 2 extra connector wires in the 6-connector cable were for track power. You can use the 6-connector cables on your UTP panels. However, you only need the 4-connector cables.
Don, where in the manual did you find the reference about using the 6-connector cable on the UTP panels? Thanks!
Pin #
I stand corrected....according to Tony's Train Exchange, the above chart shows the pin out for the UTP cables. The paperwork that comes with the UTP shows the 6 conductor wire on the top right of the inside page.
I'm going to go back and double check the 4 pin cables I made....maybe I didn't orientate the ends correctly!
That's okay, Don. I just wanted to make sure that I didn't miss something. Thanks for looking into that.
I'm glad somebody pointed out the "flipped" ends on nce cable. When I purchase a throttle to plug into the right side of the power panel or utp, will the ends be flipped as well? Also, how does a smart booster work as a true walk around?
You can also join for free, the NCE Yahoo group. There is a lot of good info in the Files and Photos section. Search through the past messages. I use NCE and so do a model railroad club members in a local club.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NCE-DCC/
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Thanks, I'll do that and much obliged for all the help here.
Grenada wrote:I'm glad somebody pointed out the "flipped" ends on nce cable. When I purchase a throttle to plug into the right side of the power panel or utp, will the ends be flipped as well? Also, how does a smart booster work as a true walk around? Larry
Yes, any NCE throttle you get will come with the correct cable. My CAB-04p came with the 4-connector coil cord.
Simply put, the Smart Booster (SB3) is basically a small command station for the Power Cab. It increases the total output of the Power Cab from 1.7VA to 3VA. Since the command station and booster on the Power Cab are bypassed when connected to the SB3, the Power Cab essentually becomes a ProCab throttle and you can unplug and plug it without shutting down the layout.
When used in conjuncion with the SB3, the Power Cab is attached to the UTP panel(s) instead of the left connector of the PCP panel. You will still need the PCP panel for programming your locomotives on the programming track.
Tom, thank you for the information. I like the idea of the SB3. I've hooked the Power Cab up temporarily to one section of my layout, bought a cheap Bachman engine and dropped a decoder in one of my own to see if I could do it (I could). After over 40 years of switching block toggles back and forth, the sheer joy of parking these 2 engines nose to nose was worth the money. I'm hoping for a cold Canadian winter, I've got lots of work to do in the basement.
Thanks again, Larry
tstage wrote: Grenada wrote: I'm glad somebody pointed out the "flipped" ends on nce cable. When I purchase a throttle to plug into the right side of the power panel or utp, will the ends be flipped as well? Also, how does a smart booster work as a true walk around? LarryLarry,Yes, any NCE throttle you get will come with the correct cable. My CAB-04p came with the 4-connector coil cord.Simply put, the Smart Booster (SB3) is basically a small command station for the Power Cab. It increases the total output of the Power Cab from 1.7VA to 3VA. Since the command station and booster on the Power Cab are bypassed when connected to the SB3, the Power Cab essentually becomes a ProCab throttle and you can unplug and plug it without shutting down the layout. When used in conjuncion with the SB3, the Power Cab is attached to the UTP panel(s) instead of the left connector of the PCP panel. You will still need the PCP panel for programming your locomotives on the programming track. Tom
Grenada wrote: I'm glad somebody pointed out the "flipped" ends on nce cable. When I purchase a throttle to plug into the right side of the power panel or utp, will the ends be flipped as well? Also, how does a smart booster work as a true walk around? Larry
Just to clarify, as we all went rounds on this for a while. You will need to hook up the PCP panel seperate from the SB3 and continue to use the original Powercab power supply. Tstage has a very good post , maybe he could chime in and list it here. So if you go with the SB3 you will need a seperate power supply and unless you mount the unit with the plugs where you can use them on the edge of the layout you will need the UTP panels.
I mounted my SB3 under the layout and added 3 UTP's. The PCP is mounted near a program track seperated with a toggle to roll locos on and off using the SB3. Sound a bit confusing but when you take some time to get to know the system you will be ok.
spidge wrote:Just to clarify, as we all went rounds on this for a while. You will need to hook up the PCP panel seperate from the SB3 and continue to use the original Powercab power supply. Tstage has a very good post , maybe he could chime in and list it here. So if you go with the SB3 you will need a seperate power supply and unless you mount the unit with the plugs where you can use them on the edge of the layout you will need the UTP panels.
Here's the page on my web site that has a lengthy review on the Smart Booster (SB3) that John is referring to. Hopefully that should answer any other questions you might have on it.
The review is excellent, thanks for pointing it out.