I have a digitrax system which I plan to expand with a DB150 booster.
I thought it would be simple to connect the command station to the booster
using the RJ12 phone/data cable specified for "loconet" connectons. Problem is I
can't buy them locally. Where can I get these RJ12 cables?
Any electronic supply store should have them and I don't mean radio shack. I've also picked them up at Home Depot. They should be in the same section as all the tools for doing phone/ethernet cables.
You're right about radio shack. No luck there. I'm surprised that Walthers dosen't carry them
in their Digitrax manufacturing product area. I'll check out Home Depot tomorrow.
Thanks.
The Home Depot Store SKU #: 1000449572
The connectors are Ideal Brand, #85-345 modular plugs, 25 pieces to a package.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
Don Z,
Thanks for the reply. Are these connecters "male" connecters and do they have cable attached?
Just connectors, no cable. You need to find a source for 6 conductor satin cable. Satin cable is the flat telephone line you find used from the wall plug to your old-style wired phones. I can't recall if Home Depot sells satin cable....since I work in the telecom world, I have access to all the 6 conductor wire I need.
Hi Split Red: I also could not find RJ 12 connectors. It appears that there is also some confusion in Tele-Com community. As to your problem, I would suggest you go to Lowes/Home depot and look for an RJ-11 6 contact modular plug. Note: An RJ-11 modular plug also comes with 4 contacts, (this is the one generally used for your phone line, not the one you want). The ones I use are Ideal #85-345. If you are making your own cables, purchase a good cutter/crimper. These have worked well with my Digi-Trax Radio Super Chief. Sorry, I was typing while the above posters were answering your question.
Hi Don Z; It appears the only difference in the last roll of 6 cond. cable I bought at Lowes/HD had the two middle wire colors reversed, ie, Digi-Trax were: White,Black,Red,Green,Yellow,Blue. The one from Lowes had the colors in this order:White,Black,Green,Red,Yellow,Blue. I didn't think that made any difference, or does it?
Color doesn't make any difference as long as they are in the same order at both ends. Odd that they were in a different order though, I thought that was a standard.
Make sure the plugs say 6p6c. They could be RJ11 or RJ12. The ones I get from Home Depot are RJ11.
Martin Myers
This comes up all the time. There IS no such thing as an RJ-12 plug, no matter what peopel would have you believe. The RJ-11 is what it is, only there are variations of the RJ-11. There are 4 position, 2 conductor ones used for most basic telephones (4P2C). There are 4P4C ones used for 2-line phones, there are 6P4C ones used for some kinds of phones, and 6P6C ones also used for phone systems - and Digitrax Loconet, among others. Somewhere along the line (there's a web site about all this) the 6P6C RJ-11 jack came to be colloquially called the RJ-12. Sometimes they are labeled as RJ-12, but most brands would actually label it RJ-11 and mention 6P6C. As you can see on this site with the actual USOC RJ codes, a 6P6C is really an RJ25, not RJ12.
[url]http://www.connectworld.net/global/usoc.htm[/url
Now, surprise of all surprises, Radio Shack indeed DOES have 6P6C plugs. They actually call them RJ25 which is technically correct. They also sell a METAL crimp tool (do NOT get a plastic one) which is quite good. As for wire - I picke dup a 50' cord at WalMart that had 6P6C plugs at both ends and chopped that up as needed - I figured it as buying 50' of wire and getting 2 free ends. I also saved a box full of 6 conductor cords from when we changed phone systems. They are 'flipped' not wired straight through (flipped is phone standard, data is straight through) like Digitrax uses, but like the long 50' wire I got from WalMart, I cna cut them to length and make two proper data cables from one phone cable.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I've done the same as Randy. Purchase 6 conductor cords and cut them up for my sizes.Crimp a new plug(s) on with my handy Radio Shack metal crimper. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=227148 Radio Shack (some) used to stock a 25 foot 6conductor cord as well but Wallmart's are cheaper.
Since then, I've used that crimper to work through a 1000 foot reel of cable and make up cables for my club's loconet plus some cables for layouts at two large conventions. It also comes in handy to replace the plug on throttles.
I bought a crimper from either HomeDepot or Lowes that will do both RJ-11 and RJ-45 (computer LAN cables) and it came with about 10 of each type of connector. The ability to make your own LAN cables might come in handy around the house.
If I were you, I would consider just getting the 8 conductor LAN cable (Cat 5). Just don't hook up 2 of the wires. Cat5 is commonly used for telecommunication applications. 1 cable can hook up 2 separate lines. It also helps the intstalled by just pulling the same type of cable throughout the building, then later use them as either LAN or phone.
Finding the Cat5 might be easier, plus it will provide you cable for LAN, if you have any desire to wire up your house for that.
Two problems with that. First, you lose a lot of the cable/connector integrity by pulling out the two unused wires. The rear of the connector is designed to crimp down ont he outer jacket to provide strain relief.
Second, the connectors are deisnged for flat wire, not round. In addition there actually are different connectors for stranded vs solid wire. The flat wire is stranded, round network cable coems in solid or stranded, solid for runs in the walls and so forth, and stranded for the patch cables conencting your computer to the jack.
And our third..ok, this is starting to sound like a Monty Python sketch now.. issue is it's much harder to get the wires from a round twisted pair cable into the right pins in the connector before crimping them.
The recommended flat wire is everywhere. It's easier to use. So just use the correct wire and save yourself some potential headaches.
Hi!
I've never made up an RJ12 connection (always bought them ready made), and have a question.
In using the crimper, does it strip the wire ends or just force a "blade" connector into the insulated wires or what?
Is there anything you have to do to prepare the wire other than I nice straight cut end?
Thank you!
Mobilman44
PS: It actually snowed here in Spring Tx for 1/2 hour today - first time in years!
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
rrinker Two problems with that. First, you lose a lot of the cable/connector integrity by pulling out the two unused wires. The rear of the connector is designed to crimp down ont he outer jacket to provide strain relief. Second, the connectors are deisnged for flat wire, not round. In addition there actually are different connectors for stranded vs solid wire. The flat wire is stranded, round network cable coems in solid or stranded, solid for runs in the walls and so forth, and stranded for the patch cables conencting your computer to the jack. And our third..ok, this is starting to sound like a Monty Python sketch now.. issue is it's much harder to get the wires from a round twisted pair cable into the right pins in the connector before crimping them. The recommended flat wire is everywhere. It's easier to use. So just use the correct wire and save yourself some potential headaches. --Randy
Randy, you also forgot the #1 objection. RJ-45 and RJ-11 plugs are NOT the same size. As anyone who's ever tried to lug a LAN cable into the modem port of their PC knows. So if the DCC equipment has built in RJ-11 size jacks, RJ-45 plugs are not going to work anyway.
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
Well he did say just the wire....
Mobileman: If you have the good crimpers, on the handle there should be two blades. One touches the opposite side whent he handle is closes, the other is some slight distance above touching. This is where you strip off the outer insulation - you strip that back a specified length, which again, if you have the good crimpers, is built in to the tool. The inner insulation around each conductor you do NOT strip off. You want a square end to the cut to each conductor sits an equal length into the plug shell before crimping. If you look closely at the plug shells, you can see there are little ridges inside to keep the individual wires seperated. If you cut and strip the wire perfectly, the individual wires will go right to the front tip of the shell, and the outer insulation will be right up against the part inside where the small slots begin.When you crimp it, the blad ends of the conductors pierce the wires, looking at the clip side of the connector after a successful crimp, you should see the ends of the blades protruding through the wire.
This may all sound crazy and complex - it's just hard to describe in words. I could show you this in 5 minutes and it's very easy.
ken_23434 If I were you, I would consider just getting the 8 conductor LAN cable (Cat 5). Just don't hook up 2 of the wires.
If I were you, I would consider just getting the 8 conductor LAN cable (Cat 5). Just don't hook up 2 of the wires.
Last June, several of us were advised by A. J. Ireland not to use twisted pair for loconet. That advice came while troubleshooting a command bus that was wired with Cat5 cable. He noted problems that can arise both by incorrect crimping and interference that can be caused because the wrong wires were "paired" e.g: loconet and rail sync.
The trouble was bad crimps and did get repaired but if the creator of loconet says don't use twisted pair, I'll follow his advice.
I use standard factory made 6 conductor telephone cables and have never had a problem.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
mfm37 ken_23434 If I were you, I would consider just getting the 8 conductor LAN cable (Cat 5). Just don't hook up 2 of the wires. Last June, several of us were advised by A. J. Ireland not to use twisted pair for loconet. That advice came while troubleshooting a command bus that was wired with Cat5 cable. He noted problems that can arise both by incorrect crimping and interference that can be caused because the wrong wires were "paired" e.g: loconet and rail sync. The trouble was bad crimps and did get repaired but if the creator of loconet says don't use twisted pair, I'll follow his advice. Martin Myers
I am not very familiar with DCC, so I don't know the odds and ends like that. I was pretty sure all the phone cables I had ever messed with were twisted pairs, though. All twisted pair means is that 2 wires are twisted around each other inside the outer jacket. For networking, this is done to minimize cross talk (interferance) between different communication streams. I cannot think of a reason that using twisted pair would cause a problem when used in place of just straight wire.
I agree, though. If the creator of Loconet says to NOT use twisted pair, then I would have to trust his advice.
I know have some research to do and find out what is special about Loconet.
Isn't "loco" Spanish for crazy?
The phone wire run behind the walls, and on the poles and so forth, is twisted pair. The phone wire that runs from the wall jack to your phone is not twisted. The common term for it is "flat satin" wire. It's not meant for long distances, and with higher frequency signals such as computer networking, it's a total no-no. It just plain won't work.
The difference with Locone tis that there are two of everything. There are two wires for ground, two wires that carry the actual data network signal, and then two that carry a low power version of the signal going to the track (the railsync lines in Loconet). If you use twisted pair wiring in either of the two common wiring schemes, you will end up with the wrong signals twisted together, which mor eliekly thwen not will cause interference. It's possible to wire it in a way that it will work, but why struggle putting twisted pairs into the proper slots on the plug before crimping when there's absolutely no reason to ever do so?
All the major systems (except CVP) use flat wire to interconnect their components. CVP uses coax for the throttle bus (I guess Keith likes overkill - none of the other brands has problems with interference on their flat phone wire links). The difference between Loconet and the others is that Loconet is a peer to peer network system. Devices transmit when they have something to say (like you pressed the horn button on your throttle). The others are generally polled, although usually in an intelligent manner so it isn;t as bad as it could be. The others still can;t handle the amount of traffic that Loconet can - with Loconet you have your command station and all boosters, your throttles, detection circuits, and signal system all commmunicating over the same set of wires, reliably and without delays. The other brands generally need some other additional cabling system to transmit detection and signal commands independent of the main bus - and often have yet another bus to connect the command station to any additional boosters. And maybe another port on the command station to plug the computer into.
stebbycentralrrinker Two problems with that. First, you lose a lot of the cable/connector integrity by pulling out the two unused wires. The rear of the connector is designed to crimp down ont he outer jacket to provide strain relief. Second, the connectors are deisnged for flat wire, not round. In addition there actually are different connectors for stranded vs solid wire. The flat wire is stranded, round network cable coems in solid or stranded, solid for runs in the walls and so forth, and stranded for the patch cables conencting your computer to the jack. And our third..ok, this is starting to sound like a Monty Python sketch now.. issue is it's much harder to get the wires from a round twisted pair cable into the right pins in the connector before crimping them. The recommended flat wire is everywhere. It's easier to use. So just use the correct wire and save yourself some potential headaches. --Randy Randy, you also forgot the #1 objection. RJ-45 and RJ-11 plugs are NOT the same size. As anyone who's ever tried to lug a LAN cable into the modem port of their PC knows. So if the DCC equipment has built in RJ-11 size jacks, RJ-45 plugs are not going to work anyway.
I think you missed the point there --
I think the idea was :
While the Cat5 (round) cable is admittedly a little difficult to get in the male ends, it does fit and will crimp relatively easily...
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
Nah, I didn't miss that point - that's why I didn't mention that as one of the issues. Still, it's not going to make as good a finished end as using the proper flat cable, and it's a lot more tedious trying to line up the twisted wires to slip into the proper pins. I've done plenty of ethernet wiring, it's far more difficult to line up the wires from the twisted pairs and get them in the right slots without having it untwisted too far back (I've seen poorly made cables were the outer insulation is stripped off for a foot back and the wires untwisted for 3-4 inches - and people wonder why the connections are flakey when they try to use such a cable for a gigabit ethernet port...). Even when you know exactly what you are doing, it will take longer to crimp ends on twisted pair then it will on flat wire.
agreed -- i've done voice/data network work myself... though it's not that much longer (for me) to use TP vs satin cable...
My earlier comment was in regards to stebby and not you randy; forgot to pull your comment out of it though (oops).
Split ReductionWhere can I get these RJ12 cables?
You can go here and get the cable in any length you need.