Stuart91 Posted January 10, 2019 Posted January 10, 2019 One of my projects for the (allegedly) quiet period in the New Year is remaking some of our multicores, to better reflect the requirements at a typical show. I'm looking to add a couple more CAT6 lines, which will invariably be extended with patch leads at each end. What I'm hoping to source is a connector which can be securely cable mounted, so that I've got a female RJ45 socket presented at each end of the multicore. I know that the obvious answer is to use couplers, but these are guaranteed to be missing in action at the most crucial moment. And whilst I could secure one onto each line (maybe heatshrinking around it) I'd be worried about the physical strain as the cable gets dragged around. I've had a good look around the usual sources, and can't find anything suitable. I was excited to find this at RS until I realised that it's just a cover to go around a standard plug (similar to an Ethercon shell). Something with that kind of form-factor, but a socket, would be perfect. Has anyone stumbled across anything suitable?
timsabre Posted January 10, 2019 Posted January 10, 2019 https://www.amazon.co.uk/RJ45-Gigabit-Ethernet-Extension-Socket/dp/B00JVV6PHQbut they look a bit clunky and if you're worried about the strain on a coupler that would be ten times worse.
timsabre Posted January 10, 2019 Posted January 10, 2019 Better than mine but still looks a bit snaggy. Personally I would fit ethercons and use an ethercon coupler, despite the difficulties of not losing the couplers, nothing else will have the mechanical resilience to survive in a multicore.
Stuart91 Posted January 10, 2019 Author Posted January 10, 2019 Hilary's suggestion is better than anything I've turned up so far, but I can't see any strain relief on the cable. The grommet will help but some sort of clamp would be preferable. I wonder if encasing the whole thing in 4:1 heatshrink would help? It'd stop the outer case from splitting but wouldn't be much good against the cable getting pulled when it snags.
Muller_Light Posted January 10, 2019 Posted January 10, 2019 What you want is this: 38999 RJ45 connector
Stuart91 Posted January 10, 2019 Author Posted January 10, 2019 They look great - perfect for the purpose and very robust. But £35 each? Ouch! I'm guessing from the paint job that they're aimed at military applications?
timsabre Posted January 10, 2019 Posted January 10, 2019 Hilary's suggestion is better than anything I've turned up so far, but I can't see any strain relief on the cable. The grommet will help but some sort of clamp would be preferable. It uses a cable tie through 2 holes in the PCB to secure the cable.
Stuart91 Posted January 10, 2019 Author Posted January 10, 2019 It uses a cable tie through 2 holes in the PCB to secure the cable. OK, that's useful. I'm be going onto Van Damme TourCat, which has a rubber jacket that should be held quite firmly that way.
cedd Posted January 10, 2019 Posted January 10, 2019 What about the neutrik enclosures designed for making adapters etc. with an ethercon in one end and a drilled blanking plate with a gland in it in the other?
pscandrett Posted January 10, 2019 Posted January 10, 2019 What about something like a small stage box at both ends of the multi, particularly if you're going to want more than one line? This sort of thing is expensive and custom: https://www.canford.co.uk/Products/2009575/49-880_CANFORD-CATKIT-ETHERCON-STAGE-PATCHBOX-4-way-4x-Ethercon-to-4x-Ethercon but I'm sure you can find a 'twin stage box' for panel mounted Neutrik connectors somewhere that might not be excessively priced. Sorry if someone else has suggested something similar or if I've missed something obvious...
musht Posted January 11, 2019 Posted January 11, 2019 Something with a dust cap? RJ sockets are a bit fragile. There`s a few variants on waterproof coupling shells https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Network-cable-connector-RJ45-m25-water-proof-shielded-socket-Rj45M25-F-F-with-in-out-waterproof/32733328235.html
Stuart91 Posted January 11, 2019 Author Posted January 11, 2019 Thanks, Andrew. We've thought about a stage box, and it might be an option for the stage end of the multi, whilst keeping tails on the desk end. Definitely a possibility (although you're right about the pricing) but building something equivalent wouldn't be hard to do for less. Something with a dust cap?https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Network-cable-connector-RJ45-m25-water-proof-shielded-socket-Rj45M25-F-F-with-in-out-waterproof/32733328235.html Those look very nice - and end up giving me pretty much the exact form factor that I had in mind. The only snag is the lead time on AliExpress, I know the 60 days is probably a worst case estimate but I'd like to have this complete and in service a good deal quicker than that. I wonder if there's anyone in the UK (or even Europe) holding stock of them? Edit to add: a bit of googling and I've found them on Amazon for only marginally more. Definitely the lead contender at this point.
Hilary Watts Posted January 11, 2019 Posted January 11, 2019 Edit to add: a bit of googling and I've found them on Amazon for only marginally more. Definitely the lead contender at this point. Very nice!
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.