http://www.litchfieldstation.com/DCC-University/index.htm
Order some from the above link. They have many lengths to choose from.
You can even order a six wire coil cord for the Powercab. I have a 10 footer for my layout.
John
RJ11 6p6c are the right plugs. It's the 6pin 6 onductor part that is most important. The RJnumber is a particular wire/jack configuration so a 6Pin jack could be configured as several RJ types. For a 4 wire cable, use only the center 4 pins. I buy my 6p6c jacks in packs of 25 at Home Depot.
BTW, coiled cords for phone receivers use an RJ10 4p4c jack. It's also a square shape instead of the rectangular modular plug used to connect the phone set to a wall jack. RJ10 will fit in an RJ11 jack.
RJ11 won't fit in an RJ10 jack.
Martin Myers
Rich,
The coily cord is a RJ12, 4-connector cable. (Or, 6P4C - to use Randy's terminology.) It's included with the Power Cab to be used for an extra throttle. The Power Cab must use a 6-connector (6P6C) cable to work properly.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
rrinker WalMart has 6 wire cables. And for the OP, who uses an NCE system, unless it's for the cable from the PowerCab to the panel, it only needs 4 wires The plugs/jacks are the same size - and this is what causes confusion, "RJ12" is commonly used for the 6 pin plugs and jacks, but it's not an official industry term. 6P6C, for 6 Pin 6 Conductor or 6P4C for 6 Pin conectors with only 4 Conductor wire is most accurate, and highly descriptive. RJ11? RJ45? a phone or data person will know what you're talkign about, but most people would have no idea. --Randy
WalMart has 6 wire cables.
And for the OP, who uses an NCE system, unless it's for the cable from the PowerCab to the panel, it only needs 4 wires The plugs/jacks are the same size - and this is what causes confusion, "RJ12" is commonly used for the 6 pin plugs and jacks, but it's not an official industry term. 6P6C, for 6 Pin 6 Conductor or 6P4C for 6 Pin conectors with only 4 Conductor wire is most accurate, and highly descriptive. RJ11? RJ45? a phone or data person will know what you're talkign about, but most people would have no idea.
--Randy
I operate an NCE PH-Pro 5 amp system, and I recently broke the plastic clip at the end of the RJ12 connector on the coiled cord connecting the Power Cab to the UTP panel.
I searched the inventory at several stores and could not find RJ12 connectors, The closest thing I could find was an RJ11 6P4C or an RJ11 6P6C. I couldn't decide what to buy so I came home empty handed.
What is the correct connector for the coiled cord?
Rich
Alton Junction
yankee flyer OKAY Are we agreed that I need a six wire phone cord, and one end needs to be reversed 180 degrees? There fore If stretched flat on a table the lock on one end goes up and the other end goes down? Thanks Lee
OKAY Are we agreed that I need a six wire phone cord, and one end needs to be reversed 180 degrees? There fore If stretched flat on a table the lock on one end goes up and the other end goes down?
Thanks
Lee
That's exactly it, although if it's a long cable, the method of holding both ends in the same orientation and verifying that the colors are exactly the same order is probably easier than trying to get it all to lay flat. Most cable has a rib you can use also, for a proper data cable, the tab should be on the rib side at one end and on the smooth side at the other. Phone cords will have the tab at both ends facing the rib, or both facing the smooth side.
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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I see no one here has mentioned that you need a 6 conductor cable to make this work. So the answer is NO. Most phone cords are only 4 conductor. I just buy 6 conductor cable and crimp my own ends on, that way I can make 12' cables
That's pretty much what I do, the price difference between a 10 foot phoen cord and a 50 foot phone cord isn't that much, so I just buy a 50 footer and cut to length the pieces I need. I figure I get 50 feet of wire plus 2 free ends. I also have a box full of 10-20 foot ones from when we repalced the phone system at work, I can mae 2 short cables out of one, or if I need the longer length just clip one end off right at the plug and crimp a new one on. Crimping flat phone cords is super easy, just get a decent METAL tool and not one of those cheap plastic ones. The tool will ahve 2 blades, on that cuts the end off at a right angle, and one that strips exactly enough of the outer jacket to work with the plugs - it has a depth stop, insert end of wire, squeeze handles, pull wire.Slide the individual wires in the end of the new plug (check the other end to make sure you have it the same - depending on the wire colors used in a given cable, an easy thing to do is always put white on the right), click it in the crimp portion of the tool, and squeeze the handles. One new cable in less time than it took me to type this.
yankee flyerWell I suppose I will have to buy another cord. It was a thought, I have over a dozen telephone cords laying around. Lee
Well I suppose I will have to buy another cord. It was a thought, I have over a dozen telephone cords laying around.
Lee,
Don't buy another cord, buy a crimper and some plugs.
Cut the plug off one end of one of the phone cords you already have and crimp on a new plug, oriented properly of course.
Repeat the cut/crimp process as necessary whenever you need a new cord, or if a plug gives up the ghost from long use, etc. You'll save time, money, and aggravation in the long run.
Steve
richhotrainI was going to replace a broken NCE colied cord on my throttle with a spare telephone cord, but my wife pointed out that telephone cords are set up in "crossover" fashion so it won't work on the layout. I tried it anyway and my wife was right, as always. It won't work.
I was going to replace a broken NCE colied cord on my throttle with a spare telephone cord, but my wife pointed out that telephone cords are set up in "crossover" fashion so it won't work on the layout. I tried it anyway and my wife was right, as always. It won't work.
Thanks Guys
Well I suppose I will have to buy another cord. It was a thought, I have over a dozen telephone cords laying around. Yes I know what you mean, my tells me even when I'm right I'm still wrong.
Good day
You are absolutely right, NCE won't work with the internal cable wires reversed.
I think it would be wired backwards, you'd need a 'data' cable that doesn't flip the order of the wires. For the computer interface you actually only need the four innermost wires, the two outer ones are used by the PowerCab itself to send the track power out to the panel (which is why it only works in the one port on the panel - that's the only one that connects those extra two wires to the track connections). You can tell a data from a phone cord if you hold both plugs so the tab is facing you, adn the wires drop to the floor, a data cable will have the wire colors int he same order, whereas a phoen cord will reverse them. I don't think NCE likes the wires being reversed - Digitrax doesn't although in some cases it will still work ok - in other words, don't do it.
Hi Guys
Can anyone tell me if I can use a common telephone modular cord if I need another coilled cord to run my NCE computer port. I know I have to unplug my extra throttle but the cord is run through part of the layout and would be easer not to have to remove it.
Thanks in advance.