[TowerTalk] CAT 5 for SteppIR Remote Driver?

K8RI K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net
Thu Jul 26 06:12:08 PDT 2012


On 7/25/2012 11:11 PM, Jim Lux wrote:
> On 7/25/12 6:34 PM, K8RI wrote:
>> On 7/25/2012 9:23 PM, Jim Brown wrote:
>>> On 7/25/2012 1:15 PM, Steve Jones wrote:
>>>> Do I need a separate CAT 5 cable for each antenna's Remote Driver, or can a
>>>> single CAT 5's four pairs handle two SteppIR antennas?
>>>
>>> CAT5 is great cable, and has great noise (and RF) immunity if you use a
>>> pair for each signalling (or control) circuit, BUT it's pretty small
>>> gauge,
>>
>> And solid so it's pretty fragile.
>>
>
> what you want to do is terminate it in a decent punchdown block or
> similar terminal block at each end that doesn't move.  Once you install
> the wire, you should never need to move it, so the fragility isn't a big
> deal.  Millions of miles of cat 5 are installed this way with very few
> problems.

Between the shop and the house with 5 computers I have roughly 600 feet 
of the stuff. (Part CAT-5 and part CAT-6) I use the RJ45 connectors. 
I've never had any fail, but as you say, it doesn't move once installed. 
When I see it used for the antenna control I think of being on the 
tower, out in the elements, and moving with antenna rotation.

73

Roger (K8RI)
>
> Use something else for a flexing connection.
>
>
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