Making a loconet cable

[IowaDCC]

Hi Everyone - 

I apologize if this thread is redundant but I need some help/advice on making a loconet cable.  I purchased some RJ12 connectors and 50 ft of 6 wire phone cord from my local hardware store.  The phone cord does have two male ends on it and I tested it on my Digitrax DCC system and it works great.  My plan is to cut it to the lengths that I need (I am borrowing a crimping tool from my brother-in-law).  Before I cut it, I tried plugging the RJ12 connectors into a loconet jack on my layout and they do not fit (e.g. they do not "snap" in).  Is this normal?  Do they need to be crimped before they fit?  I don't want to cut up my cord until I know for certain that these jacks work.

If anyone has made their own loconet cables before, please let me know what your suggestions are.  I searched YouTube for some how-to videos and I didn't find anything overly helpful.

Thank you!

[gmpullman]

I have made a bunch of Loconet cables and I'd say I have about a 95% success rate at crimping the connectors on. There is a plastic tab that acts as a strain relief that the tool pushes in along with the 6 brass contacts so if you try to push an uncrimped RJ-12 into a socket it will be stiff AND you might have a hard time getting it out of the socket!!!

Be sure you have RJ-12s with all six contacts. RJ-11s only have four but look nearly identical (there's even some with only 2 contacts) is your tool a good steel one like an Ideal? I once had a cheap plastic crimper that did not have enough leverage to push down the contacts all the way.

Sometimes I don't get a good "squeeze" on the connector so I just clip it off and do another. When the RJ-12s are new they are a little stiff to get plugged in but if you are doing your UP-5s or UR-90s etc. you only plug them in once unlike the throttles that get more frequent use.

Once you do a few you'll be like a pro. Use your Digitrax Loconet tester to make sure you have the orientation correct. (one tab up- one tab down)

See Here: http://www.digitrax.com/static/apps/products/loconet-testers/lnrj12p20/documents/LNRJ12P20.pdf

Hope this helps, Ed

[jrbernier]

  Standard phone cable will work for cab bus cables, but will not work for LocoNet devices like boosters.  What you really need are 'data' cables.  Phone cables have the retainer 'tip' on the RG12 ends both facing up.  Data cables have one up and one down.

  If your 'big box' cables do not lock into the UP5's - find something better.   Raw cable, end connectors and crimper can be found at a lot of places like RS, Menards,  or HD.

[retsignalmtr]

The usual way the cables plug in is with the locking tab facing up. If the cables fit into the cable tester they should fit everywhere. When you make new cables the male end crimps on opposite of the connector at the other end. Orienting the locking tab up I insert the cable end with the White wire to the right on both ends. Some people put the blue wire on the left on the ends. Either way is correct as long as the tab is up. The ends on your cable should be crimped properly from the factory but new cable ends may be tight for a little while. At allelectronics.com the cable is 50' for $4 and the connectors are 10 for $3.

[mfm37]

I've made up a ton of loconet cables but never tried an uncrimped jack until just now. In fact I tried several  and no they do not go in and lock until they are crimped to the cable.

Follow the advise on proper arrangement of the six wires in your plugs.  Look down on the crimped plug and cable. You will see the blue wire on one side, white on the other. You want the other end of the cable and plug in the same arrangement. This is Data style. It doesn't matter which side the blue wire is on as long as it is on the same side in each cable.

Martin Myers

 

[rrinker]

 Unused (that is, not crimped on to a cable) plugs likely will NOT fit in the jack. Uncrimped, the actually contacts protrude down below the plastic, and there is also a large piece of plastic that acts as a strain relief that on an uncrimped connector sticks down below the connector body.

 If they are the same width as the ends already installed on the cable you have, and if you turn them over and count 6 contacts and not just 4 or 2, then they are the correct ends that you will need.

                --Randy

[IowaDCC]

Thanks, Martin.  I appreciate your input, I just wanted confirmation that the plugs do not fit until they are crimped.  I am going to go ahead and give it a try and I will let you know how it works!

Jared