Jump to content
Light-O-Rama Forums

Another comm problem and solution


Recommended Posts

Posted

Well I suppose I can take some ribbing for dumb stuff. In the past 3 years I had a cat 5 cable hanging down from the sofit to my first controller near the middle of the front of the house. This was a bit un sightly and wanted to fix it up some. So, I mounted a surface mounted box and got a single hole face plate that you can put what some call a tomb stone jack for RJ-45. This is the kind of jack that you can get at home depot. Where you have the socket for RJ-45 on one side and you punch down the wires on the back. My mistake was all of my plugs I have made using the "B" scheme. Well wouldn't you know, I wired the socket up using the "A" scheme. This swaps the 1 & 2 wires over to the 3 & 6 position and the other way for the 3, 6 pair. What helps with the noise immunity is that there is a ground reference between each device, including the master transmitter at the USB adapter. Well cause 3 & 6 or 9vdc and ground and shifted onto pins 1 & 2, the ground reference was broken.

I rewired this socket and lo and behold no more random lights. Gave myself the old V8 slap to the forehead.

Posted

It's amazing - when we strip away all the user-related issues LOR units really are pretty darn reliable, arent they?

Posted

Ya, but it worked just fine for the past 3 yrs. I dont understand why it is not working right this year. ;) Well in my case, I added 4 controllers, about 6 new cat 6 cables (had to replace some shorter ones with longer ones). And a new junction box under the sofit. So, I never owned a Network cable tester before. Got one tonight and about 20 minutes to make a short test jumper cable and a few connections later I was looking at the new socket.

But I did try the swapping of few of my cables, not all of them first. Ya, when you do everything right George. RS-485 is a fairly robust form of communication.

Posted

MP, I have been thru the same situation. Sometimes it's the little things in life that matter. Cat5/6 cables and twinkies ;)

Posted

Well SH, I hope you find a new supplier of twinkies that do it right. I remember as a kid going on a school field trip to the Hostess bakery and seeing how they make treats and loafs of bread. Also did the AB brewery. Oh well both are gone now. Also Mac Air that built the F4 and F15 is now owned by Boeing. Seems nothing remains the same and it is a shame to see these icon industries go under or bought out and renamed.

Its those little ones that drives a person crazy trying to find them.

  • Like 1
Posted

Well SH, I hope you find a new supplier of twinkies that do it right. I remember as a kid going on a school field trip to the Hostess bakery and seeing how they make treats and loafs of bread. Also did the AB brewery. Oh well both are gone now. Also Mac Air that built the F4 and F15 is now owned by Boeing. Seems nothing remains the same and it is a shame to see these icon industries go under or bought out and renamed.

Its those little ones that drives a person crazy trying to find them.

+1 I miss the F4s and now the twinkies.

I bet the field trip was pretty cool.

Your right, seems nothing remains the same these days.

Posted

Sounds like a story behind the F4s, what is it?

Hope William does not find this thread. He'll squeal on me for derailing my own thread again. :D

Posted (edited)

Sounds like a story behind the F4s, what is it?

Hope William does not find this thread. He'll squeal on me for derailing my own thread again. :D

I was stationed in England when the F4s and F111s where still in action.

The loud low tone roar of those guys everytime gave me goose bumps (the good kind). it was my first station so I was just in awe over this.

Then came out of another hanger was the SR-71.

The grand slam to any fighter/aircraft lover.

This happened almost every day for two years while be stationed there.

If I could just hit a repeat button or something to get that back. Those were the days.

Edited by Santas Helper
Posted (edited)

S.H.

Where and when in England. I was at RAF Greenham Common 74-76.

Sounds like possibly Heyford or Alconbury. Good friend of mine was a WEPs officer on the switchbladed widowmakers (F111)

Edited by magish01
Posted

S.H.

Where and when in England. I was at RAF Greenham Common 74-76.

Sounds like possibly Heyford or Alconbury. Good friend of mine was a WEPs officer on the switchbladed widowmakers (F111)

I was stationed at RAF Mildenhall but was at RAF Lakenheath quite often which was about 7 miles away.

Posted

Ah yes, point of entry and point of exit onto the island for us Air Force types.

Posted

Now wait a minute. Its ok if I hijack my thread but you guys cant do it. LOL :D

  • Like 1
Posted

Now wait a minute. Its ok if I hijack my thread but you guys cant do it. LOL :D

LOL. Good point MP. Back to the serious stuff.

We was just figuring out this comm problem from a different level. :D

Now wait a minute. Its ok if I hijack my thread but you guys cant do it. LOL :D

I'm still LOLing. Sorry... :lol:

Posted

Hey no problem Tom. Just having a wee bit o fun. Besides you guys are just pikers. I went about 4 or 6 hours further to the east. Went to the "Lic" (Incirlik Turkey) 10/81 - 9/83, then 10/83 to 1/86 Kelly AFB San Antonio, TX.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...