[Elecraft] [KPOD] Re: Now that the K-Pod is shipping, (longer RJ12 cable)

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Hi Clay:

It is a simple straight through cable. I can't give you the color codes
because I don't have the specific cable being shipped. The cable I have is a
modified RJ12 (pin 1 disconnected at both ends so I don't care which one I
plug into the K3S). The factory was still making up cables when they sent a
field test K-Pod to me.

I would not hesitate to make up another by just mounting a pair of male 6P6C
connectors on the ends of ordinary 6-wire telephone cable, clipping off one
wire since pin 1 isn't used. 

The Project Engineer hasn't mentioned any concerns about twisting conductors
or pairing the wires in any particular order. What I have is a flat cable
w/o any twisted pairs. I doubt if it is possible to connect the wires to the
connectors in any order than they way they are molded in the cable. The only
'trick' is to be sure one connector is turned over so pin 2 at one end
connects to pin 2 at the other end, and so on. 

73, Ron AC7AC

-----Original Message-----
From: Clay Autery [mailto:cautery at montac.com] 
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2016 2:53 PM
To: Ron D'Eau Claire; elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [KPOD] Re: Now that the K-Pod is shipping, (longer
RJ12 cable)

No problem Ron...  So can someone tell me:

Is the Elecraft cable that comes with the K-Pod a simple straight through
cable?

What wire color or color/stripe conductor is on each pin?

I dug through the schematics, et al last night and figured out what each is
named...  Just wondering if any thought was given to which pins share paired
conductors, why, and if anyone considered the twist rate in choosing which
pair to use to carry a signal/voltage...

Since only 5 of 6 conductors are used, one conductor has no paired mate...

It's a thought experiment for now...

But the REASON is to see if the standard cable is optimized as is for using
an EXTENDED cable...  e.g. I want to figure out how long we can make the
cable before timing/sig degradation, etc becomes an issue...

Also, I think I have seen at least one report where the cable construction
MIGHT have been the issue...

"Roll your own" isn't as simple as one might think when the paired signals
are not differential "mates".


73,

______________________
Clay Autery, KY5G
MONTAC Enterprises
(318) 518-1389

On 7/16/2016 10:45 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> Clay. That's a typo. See appendix B of the manual. 
>
> Tnx for the head's up. That's an old reference that should be been
removed.
>
> 73, Ron AC7AC
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Clay Autery [mailto:cautery at montac.com]
> Sent: Friday, July 15, 2016 8:35 PM
> To: Ron D'Eau Claire; elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [KPOD] Re: Now that the K-Pod is shipping, 
> (longer
> RJ12 cable)
>
> RR...  I just cracked the K-pod manual and see that the cable is an
> RJ-25 cable...  different pinouts from the RJ-12.  (both 6P6C).
>
> I need the signals crossed with the pin numbers...  or colors...
>
> No schematics for the K3s...  I guess I'll try the K3 manual to see if 
> it is at all illuminating...
>
> ______________________
> Clay Autery, KY5G
> MONTAC Enterprises
> (318) 518-1389
>
> On 7/15/2016 9:36 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
>> Don is correct but, actually, the connector is a 6PC6 male. The "RJ" 
>> numbers refer to the wiring AND connector. So it is NOT an RJ12 cable 
>> since only 5 conductors are used.
>>
>> 73, Ron AC7AC
>>
>>
>> ---