Connecting between controllers

[imawlkr2]

This is my first year with more than one controller. Can you use phone cord to connect between controllers? What is the benifits of using CAT5 instead?

[-klb-]

You can use phone cord. Each phone cord must connect to 1 RJ-11, and one RJ-45.

When you are using phone cord, you have to plug one of the ends into the RJ-45, so you have to get it correctly centered when you install it. The cat5 cables always self center, since they are RJ-45 into RJ-45. Cat5 is a physically more robust cable, and will resist electrical noise better. There are some pretty solid shows running on just phone cord, and it has been tested to thousands of feet.

One of the reasons I use cat5, that may not apply to everyone, is I have better tools for RJ-45 connections than RJ-11...

[WhitePlainsNY]

I prefer Cat5 becuase of the snagless end option on ready-made cables. Like -klb-, I have tools for making both types but its just as easy to purchase short, ready-made cables for linking the controllers together. The cable from my show computer to the first controller ias about 80 feet so I made that cable myself.

Goodluck on whichever you choose!

[imawlkr2]

Well, I have 50' phone cords laying around the house bu no Cat5 long enough to go from Controller 1 to 2 to 3. I think I will try and use the phone cord. If the centering is an issue in the RJ-45 port, then I will get some Cat5 cables...they aren't that expensive. Thanks for the info guys.

[jbitzer]

imawlkr2 wrote:

This is my first year with more than one controller. Can you use phone cord to connect between controllers? What is the benifits of using CAT5 instead?

For me personally I like using standard 4 wire RJ-11 type for connecting to to the controllers for several reasons:

easier to lay around (more flexible, smaller cable)
easier to stick a jack on the RJ-45
Lastly because I'm cheap! You can pick up 1000' of 4 wire for about $25 and I haven't seen the same length in Cat5 for less than $80.

I'm not an engineer, but I can't imagine that you need Cat5 cable to send the various on/off/dimming commands to an LOR board.

For me its a matter of personal preference and cost.

Jeff

[Dave Boros]

imawlkr2 wrote:

Well, I have 50' phone cords laying around the house bu no Cat5 long enough to go from Controller 1 to 2 to 3. I think I will try and use the phone cord. If the centering is an issue in the RJ-45 port, then I will get some Cat5 cables...they aren't that expensive. Thanks for the info guys.

You can also get cat 5 pretty cheap at monoprice.com. i just bought two 50's and a 75' "headphone" cable (3.5 mm jack cable) for $30 with shipping.

[cawebco]

On the Typical Setups - Easy Setups page  - the Basic Layout for Showtime Central,  step 5 shows

 

ShowTime Central is powered from the nearest LOR controller..........and that will then power the ShowTime Central. If you have multiple controllers (6 and 7 in the above diagram) then a special data cable is needed between the first and second controller. This special cable only passes the data and not the power from other controllers. 

 

Is this still correct ? Doesn't seem to be a requirement in any other configuration. And a special cable doesn't seem to be available from LOR.

And if it is required, is it only between controllers 1 and 2 or also between controllers 2 and 3 ?

And where does one get such a cable ?

 

Thanks

 

 

[EmmienLightFan]

That is so that you can turn the first controller on to start the show.

I think that you can get cat5e and disconnect certain cables

[Mega Arch]

On the Typical Setups - Easy Setups page  - the Basic Layout for Showtime Central,  step 5 shows

 

ShowTime Central is powered from the nearest LOR controller..........and that will then power the ShowTime Central. If you have multiple controllers (6 and 7 in the above diagram) then a special data cable is needed between the first and second controller. This special cable only passes the data and not the power from other controllers. 

 

Is this still correct ? Doesn't seem to be a requirement in any other configuration. And a special cable doesn't seem to be available from LOR.

And if it is required, is it only between controllers 1 and 2 or also between controllers 2 and 3 ?

And where does one get such a cable ?

 

Thanks

 

 

Whoa - Here's that entire setup note:

5. ShowTime Central is powered from the nearest Light-O-Rama controller. Put that controller on an external timer if you want your shows to start/stop at a fixed time. When the timer turns on it will power the light controller and that will then power the ShowTime Central. If you have multiple controllers (6 and 7 in the above diagram) then a special data cable is needed between the first and second controller. This special cable only passes the data and not the power from other controllers. For the DIY: the special cable only uses the center wire pair (pins 4-5).

So, ONLY if you are using a timer to one controller would you need this SPECIAL cable. So as pointed out above, you would need to make this cable yourself without pins 4 & 5 being used. Or strip the jacket back a little and snip those two wires.

IMO - better way is to use standard cables for all controllers and then you have less chance of grabbing the wrong one next year. To use all standards, have your timer turn off power to everything. The SPECIAL cables are just needed if power is continuously applied to everything. Then the timer mentioned breaks that circuit.

Edited September 27, 2015 by Mega Arch

[jstorms]

CAT5 is twisted which helps cancel noise and can be used for longer distances.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_5_cable