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cat5 cable trip up


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Posted

My son was helping me connect my lights when he tripped over the cat5 cable that connects the 1st and 2nd controller... bending the in and out cat5 on both controllers!! Is ther a way I can use phone line or some other way I can still conect the 2 controllers???

Posted

Each controller needs two of the three available ports. So.... if both of the RJ45 (cat 5) jacks are broken on a controller you're stuck. If only one is broken, you can use the RJ11 jack as an "in" (that's the phone jack on the left) and one of the working RJ45 jacks as an out. You can go "out" from RJ45 with phone cable, in to the RJ11. Does that make sense?

In my display, I have RJ45 cat5 running, then I get to the broken controllers - I use phone OUT from RJ45, IN to the next controller RJ11. I use phone OUT from that RJ45, IN to the next controller RJ11. When I get to my working controllers, I use OUT from RJ45 with cat5, IN to the next RJ45 with cat 5.

Good luck!!

Posted

medman2000 wrote:

Each controller needs two of the three available ports. So.... if both of the RJ45 (cat 5) jacks are broken on a controller you're stuck. If only one is broken, you can use the RJ11 jack as an "in" (that's the phone jack on the left) and one of the working RJ45 jacks as an out. You can go "out" from RJ45 with phone cable, in to the RJ11. Does that make sense?

In my display, I have RJ45 cat5 running, then I get to the broken controllers - I use phone OUT from RJ45, IN to the next controller RJ11. I use phone OUT from that RJ45, IN to the next controller RJ11. When I get to my working controllers, I use OUT from RJ45 with cat5, IN to the next RJ45 with cat 5.

Good luck!!


I have 1 cat5 on each controller not working.. So I still have 1 cat5 and the phone line in tact... So what ur saying is I can use phone line to connect the second controller? But Im guessing ill need some sort of adapter?
Posted

no, you should be good. The controller has RJ11 (phone) on the left, and two RJ45 (cat 5) on the right (correct?). So between the two, you just go OUT of the RJ45 on controller one with phone cable, IN to the RJ11 on the second controller.

Posted

I know that this might be a pain in the rear. But what some people do is trade lets say the #2 controller with the last controller. But you re-assign the controllers addresses. So, say your last unit is #9. Now make your #2 to #9 and #9 now is re-addressed as #2. Then physically move them.
Actually change #1 with last unit. And wire it like this. Cat5 to 1st, Phone line from 2nd RJ-45 jack to RJ-11 jack in #2. Cat5 in #2s good RJ-45 jack to #3 RJ-45 jack.
I think that this should work for the rest of this season.

Now I have some good advise. Make your Cat5 cable a bit longer than you actually need. Then tie your Cat5 to a good strong stake before going to the controller box. I had custom Stakes make of 2.5" angle iron with a 12x12" plate welded to the angle iron. The plate is about 1' above ground and I wrap my Cat5 cable around and do an overhand knot then up to the controller. Either the cable is going to snap, or the tripee is going to do a one point landing on their nose. But I do not think the cable going into the controller is going to budge.

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