Loconet Cables

[alloboard]

I thank all of your help and info.

[farrellaa]

I use 6 wire cables that are wired 'straight through' for data applications. I get them from All Electronics and they come in 3 different lengths; 7', 15' and 25' and sell for $1.25 to $2.20 each. The catalog numbers are: MT-363, MT-366 and MT-369. This is the cheapest I have seen anywhere and they work great!.

www.allelectronics.com

   -Bob

[rrinker]

 Actually,t he phone wired cables WILL work, however if you ever add an extra booster or decide to add Transponding, you will have problems becuase fo them beign wired incorrectly. For throttles and wiring things like a PM42 intot he Loconet, they work fine.

BUT, it is best to avoid usign them, because later on when you DO add other things where it DOES matter, there will be problems, and you'll forget you used the phone cords and be very frustrated trying to figure out why things aren;t working until you finally realize that the loconet cables were phone cords and not data cables.

If you don;t want ot make your own cords, check out Monoprice. They have cabled for EVERYTHING, and are very inexpensive. I use them for all sorts of cables - network cables, phone cords, HDMI cables for my TV. The have RJ12 cables in both phone and data, it says very clearly ont he item description which is which. You cna get them in many different lengths.

Option 2 is to get a good METAL crimping tool (Ideal or Klein), and get some ends - the last pack I bought I found in Home Depot, you have to look closely to make sure they have SIX contact strips and not 4 to make sure you get the correct ones. You can buy 100 foot versions of those phone cords, and I basically then think of it as buying 100 foot of wire with 2 free ends. Measure from one end, cut the required length,a nd crimp on one new end in the correct orientation. FOr the secodn cable, go fromt he other pre-installed end, cut to length, and install an end on the now cut side. That's two cables and you'veonly had to crimp on 2 ends so far. Now you should be left with a hank of wire which you cna cut to whatever lengths are needed and put ends on.

                                          --Randy

 

[jrbernier]

  Phone cables are not Loconet cables.  A 6 conductor phone cable will work on the throttle bus as long as there are no boosters on the throttle bus.  If you lay out a phone cable flat, you will find that the 'ear' or clip on one end points up and the other end points down.  This will cause an issue with any Loconet device that is polarity sensitive.  A Loconet cable has both clips on the same side of the flat cable.  Also, most phone cables only have 4 wires in them(some only have 2).  There are several sources of custom cut Loconet cables and they are usually priced not too bad.  Tonys Trains for one has the service.

  You can buy 6 conductor cable and the ends at several places.  I have been able to get the cable at Home Depot, but they do not have the 6 conductor ends the last time I looked.  Radio Shack has the ends, but they did not have the cable!  Make sure the ends have 6 wires in the plastic end!  The expensive part is buying the 'tool' to cut/crimp the ends on the cable.  We have a large roll of cable and a box of ends at the club.  We also have a 'tool'.  Folks are always breaking the clips, and we are installing new ends on their throttles.  Takes about 5 minutes, and the only ill effect is that the plug-in end of their wireless throttles keeps getting shorter over time!

Jim

[cacole]

No -- those telephone cables are wired in crossover fashion and you need straight-through for loconet or any other LAN wiring.  The only way you could use these cables would be to cut the plug off one end and crimp a new one on that is turned 180 degrees.

[simon1966]

http://www.railwaybob.com/Modules/WiringRJ12s/RJ12s01.html

http://www.trainweb.org/nrmrc/dcc/loconetandloconetcables.pdf

 

Lots of information at these two links.  Is the cable you are looking at 6 wire?  Is the cable wired correctly for Digitrax or does it have the telephone cross over?

 

 

[alloboard]

Will any RJ12 cable work with Loconet devices like this cable? http://www.ebay.com/itm/10ft-RJ12-6P6C-Flat-Modular-Telephone-Cable-White-CablesOnline-T-6C10-/280861980103?pt=US_Phone_Cords_Jacks_Plugs&hash=item4164adb5c7