4 pin connector and cable on SSC

[RJ]

Since I keep seeing people recommending using this connection instead of the cat5 for waterproofing has anyone tested this at longer runs to see what kind of data integerity issues there are or are we just telling people this without knowing the potential issues?

If it works at longer lengths I would like to know as I might change the hubs to use it if the cables are not too expensive for everyone to get. I know when I looked at it I was concerned about the max lenght with out the twisted pair but the cost was more than the equipment at least at that time to buy them so it did not make sense.

I'm wanting to know if this has changed.

Also people that are having issues with the Cat5 connector are you water proofing them and still having issues? I never ran into this on my shows with them. Are we sure that those having issues are not running more than the current limits I posted? Cause the connectors if waterproof should have no issues with the max load I have posted.

I would like to hear real objective talk on this not "I did not like it so I did it this way" but more I did it like it is shown and here is what actually happened so I then did this and this is what I see know.

I would like to hear what others are seeing.
RJ

[twooly]

I myself actually like the cat5, easy to use/store/setup.  I've only ran mine for one season so far and I didn't have an issue and I didn't do a thing for waterproofing and they were out in the elements.  I had rain/drizzle/snow.

[zwiller]

I had a few issues with the cat5 but they were dues to running show when wet.  I wanted to see how it held up and they did well for the most part.  I went outside and used a paper towel to dry up the connections I could get to and it went away.  Running the show a few minutes took care of the others I couldn't reach.  My original concern was the shorts would blow a hub fuse and happy to report it never happened!  No waterproofing last year but I plan to try a bit this year on the cat5 area.  Overall, I am not concerned enough to swap connectors and hope a squirt of corrosion x does the trick for the few times I need it. 

I never read of using 4 conductors and assume these carry an additional 12V + line as I thought the 3 pins were suffice. 

RJ, maybe you can use the connectors on a new mega tree board and make everyone happy...    

[Steve Gase]

I do not have any experimental data to prove for test runs of cable for dropout, etc.

Prior to knowing about corrosion-x I experienced shorts (10 blown fuses) when the connectors and ssc were placed on the ground.  There was no overload as I used 85 pixels per string.

Instead of tossing the damaged cat5 cable, I cut off the damaged rj45 plug and spliced on a female 4- core connector.  The pigtail was also damaged and I replaced it with the male side.

I continue to run with twisted pair for the length of the run to the ssc, so little changes.  Cat5 is still needed for the smart hub connections.

I wasn't concerned about wire gauge because the 4-core uses the same wire used by the 3-code going to the strings.

I still haven't tried a show with corrosion-x, partly because I haven't gotten a warm feeling from folks that it doesn't interfere in situations where you reconnect cables

[JoeFromOzarks]

Here's what we did and we've been 100% trouble free:  (4-pin IN and 3-pin OUT)

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Using CAT5e spliced to the 4-pin, the longest run is 70 feet.   I have one 100 ft run but used the fat Carol cable (part number listed in a previous message) and again, no problems.   

My biggest weather problem is fog from the lake.  Fog creeps into everything.


joe

[Steve Gase]

Here's our fix!     (The 4-Wire connector to the SSC.  Works under water!!)

joe

Are you going back to twisted pair after the connection?

RJ

In my case, yes.  I use the original twisted pair for my run.

One thing that also works well is the use of 4-core for input to the ssc and 3-core for output.  No danger of mixing them up!

[JoeFromOzarks]

I'm sorry, I missed RJ's original question "Are you going back to twisted pair after the connection?"

RJ45 on hub  -->  RJ45+4-wire adapter   -->  4-pin+cable+4-pin --> SSC --> 3-pin+node string

On the tree base is a CG1500 with the power supply and hacked-up distribution buss bars inside.   I can take a picture once it warms up a bit outside.

joe

[dpitts]

Two seasons and I have never had any problems with RJ-45 connectors. I would be bummed to see RJ-45 connectors gone on hubs. I buy my Cat5e cables from Monoprice because I do not like putting the ends on. The current connectors make it real easy.

[chrisatpsu]

at the length of run for the cables, i don't think anyone is running 4core cabling from hub to ssc. it would just be too expensive.

It looks like it's cat5 all the way to the end with a 4 core connector added instead of the cat5 connecters just outside the pvc.

[Steve Gase]

at the length of run for the cables, i don't think anyone is running 4core cabling from hub to ssc. it would just be too expensive.

It looks like it's cat5 all the way to the end with a 4 core connector added instead of the cat5 connecters just outside the pvc.

I interpreted Joe's response as not cat5...

RJ45 on hub  -->  RJ45+4-wire adapter   -->  4-pin+cable+4-pin --> SSC --> 3-pin+node string

[JoeFromOzarks]

We're using both, CAT5 and Carol wire.  Short runs = CAT5 and long runs use Carol.  Pictures to follow.

joe

at the length of run for the cables, i don't think anyone is running 4core cabling from hub to ssc. it would just be too expensive.

It looks like it's cat5 all the way to the end with a 4 core connector added instead of the cat5 connecters just outside the pvc.

I interpreted Joe's response as not cat5...

RJ45 on hub  -->  RJ45+4-wire adapter   -->  4-pin+cable+4-pin --> SSC --> 3-pin+node string

[rdebolt]

I am using Cat5 with Corrosion X. This year my display was almost always wet via rain or snow and the days that had no precipitation we had sub 0 degrees F. I did have 3 connections that I had to replace that were on the ground (grass) under my mega tree. On my roof I have 3 30'+ Cat 5 runs with no issues.

My long runs are as follows SS Active Hub>Cat 5 long run>SSC>Cat 5 under 3' to SSs.

[JoeFromOzarks]

Here ye go!   (I hope! I post and get a "page not found error")


The picture with the nodes and the extension cable, the extension is using CAT5e cable.   I use the Carol wire for long cable runs, it's 22 AWG stranded four conductor and works perfectly.

I'm too crippled today to take pictures.   Yell if anyone has questions.

joe

[smeighan]

I am using Cat5 with Corrosion X. This year my display was almost always wet via rain or snow and the days that had no precipitation we had sub 0 degrees F. I did have 3 connections that I had to replace that were on the ground (grass) under my mega tree. On my roof I have 3 30'+ Cat 5 runs with no issues.

My long runs are as follows SS Active Hub>Cat 5 long run>SSC>Cat 5 under 3' to SSs.

My megatree was 16' tall. i had a 3/4" metal emt pipe that i bent into a half circle and suspended it 2' off the ground. I attached my SSC's to that via a bungee cord. I had no issues. I did not use Corrosion X any place.

I made sure that my cat5 connections were facing down. If water came it would not pool in the connector. Or at least i thought i did. I did have one failure with melting snow that filled a cat5 connector on my roofline. It blew a fuse. try to make the cat 5 connections face down.

You also asked the cost, the 3 pin connectors were $0.50 each.

i like the cat5 connector. i soldered 3 pin connector to the ends of all my strings and flex strips. i soldered some between my arches. I have shrink tubing on the wirews and then shrink tubing over the entire thinbg, like 3 to 4" of it. i had zero issues with the 3 pin waterproof connectors. my only issues was it gets to be time to solder snd shrink sleeve the connections.

I had 20x120 flex strips, 16x128 strings. I kept the ssc's off the ground and tried to point the cat 5 facing down.

my vote would be to keep the cat5.

thanks

[chrisatpsu]

what is carol wire?  just 4 conductor stranded wire?