Digitax loconet cables.

[Dansome]

Pardon my ignorance but are Digitrax loconet cables just regular phone cables?

[Jacktal]

Simple answer...NO... Digitrax Loconet cables are six carrier wires while phone cables have four.You can indeed have them with Digitrax but I have found some at a local electronic's store so they aren't Digitrax exclusive.However,I don't know what other purposes these are for.

[Phoebe Vet]

Yes and no.

Phone cables are  wired pin 1 to pin 6.  Digitrax cables are wired pin 1 to pin 1.  Loconet is symmetrical, so in most cases either cable will work, but there are some exceptions.  One of those exceptions is connecting two command station/boosters.

I use all telephone cables and have no problems.

If you make your own cables, use 6 conductor telephone wire and wire them pin 1 to pin 1.

If your layout is small and simple you can probably use 6 conductor cables from Radio Shack or Lowe's etc.

[retsignalmtr]

Yes the flat six wire cable is just telephone cable. It can be bought at electronics stores and radio shack. But the RJ connectors that are crimped on are not installed the way that digitrax recomends for their loconet. If you lay a six wire telephone cable flat you will find that the RJ connectors have the little clips facing up at both ends with the white wire on the left pin on one end and on the right at the other end. Digitrax recomends that the white wire be on the right at both ends, so one of the RJ connectors will have to be cut off and replaced with another. At allelectronics.com I bought the wire for $6 for 50', the RJ connectors and a crimper cheaper than radio shack and make my own cables for myself, friends and my club.

[mobilman44]

Hi!

While I'm typically a "build it yourself" guy, I ordered the two extra loconet cables I needed from Tony's Trains.  They were less than $4 each, and got here in 3 days.  Of course if you need extra long cables or need a lot of them, then I would "make them myself".

Mobilman44

[jrbernier]

YES & NO.  Phone cables will work on the cab bus(like your UP5 panels).  They will not work between boosters - the Railsync line is reversed and will cause problems.

Jim

[jamnest]

I have used the six wire telephone cables with my Digitrax Loconet for years without problems.  However, as stated above this can cause some problems in some loconet applications. 

I have recently purchased a modular telephone jack crimping tool.  I can cut one end of the cable off and replace the jack with one facing the correct direction so I can get wire 1 to wire 1 connections.  I buy the 50' and 25' six wire phone cables at the big box hardware stores and cut them into multiple loconet sections to fit my needs.