can you cut and rejoin an ethernet cable?

Birdseye

Birdseye

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Middle of installing a simrad 3g radar and I need to make a join inside the boat just beow the mast. Question is - can I cut and join an ethernet cable with the usual choccy blocks just as I did successfully with the previous two non ethernet radars? Yes I know its not good practise - simrad have told me so. Question is, is it a dcent bodge that will work?
 
birdseye said:
Middle of installing a simrad 3g radar and I need to make a join inside the boat just beow the mast. Question is - can I cut and join an ethernet cable with the usual choccy blocks just as I did successfully with the previous two non ethernet radars? Yes I know its not good practise - simrad have told me so. Question is, is it a dcent bodge that will work?
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If done well it should work, but could be slow.

However if possible I'd cut the cable and terminate with proper RJ45 connecters and then use a RJ45/Cat 5 coupler.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RJ45-LAN-...e-Joiner-/120650771870?_trksid=p2054897.l4275
 
ethernet cables can be cut and plugs crimped on - that's perfectly normal practice - lots of advice on youtube. Then all you need is an ethernet connector like this

http://www.amazon.com/QVS-CC936-RJ45-Female-Coupler/dp/B00007E86X

mind you as an accomplished bodger I can see no reason at all why a chocolate block would not work. After all you're getting perfect electrical connectivity. When you are joining ethernet cable I'd like to know what Simrad call 'good practice'. Maybe what they are saying is that it's better not to break an ethernet cable - but then you have no choice.
 
I wouldn't use a choc block if I were you. I would cut it then twist/solder and insulate with heatshrink. Or terminate it properly as suggested.
 
should not be a problem with bodging with a choc block, the critical thing is the "twisted" in twisted pair so try not to un-twist the pairs too far.
 
Problem here is that simrad ethernet cables have unusual terminals ( round 5 pin) which mean that a simrad cable costs the punter £45 for something that would be £2 off ebay. So Im faced with cutting their short cable in the middle and grafting a piece in with one join being permanent and the other at the bottom of the mast. Unless there is a source of their end connectors of course.
 
birdseye said:
Problem here is that simrad ethernet cables have unusual terminals ( round 5 pin) which mean that a simrad cable costs the punter £45 for something that would be £2 off ebay. So Im faced with cutting their short cable in the middle and grafting a piece in with one join being permanent and the other at the bottom of the mast. Unless there is a source of their end connectors of course.
Click to expand...

I had to do something similar. The connectors at the radar and plotter are Raymarine proprietary waterproof connectors. So I cut the cable just below the mast, stuck an ethernet plug on it, then ran regular ethernet cable up to just before the plotter, where I had another couple of plugs back onto a Raymarine cable with a fancy connector into the plotter.
 
I took a look at the specs - said high speed ethernet - I presume 100 megabit - so you could solder and shrinktube, bear in mind the twist is important for interference to the radar itself, and the rest of electronic equipment. I agree the best way is to install RJ45 connectors and a coupler, because you can test the connections.

Harold
 
Cardo said:
I had to do something similar. The connectors at the radar and plotter are Raymarine proprietary waterproof connectors. So I cut the cable just below the mast, stuck an ethernet plug on it, then ran regular ethernet cable up to just before the plotter, where I had another couple of plugs back onto a Raymarine cable with a fancy connector into the plotter.
Click to expand...

They may not be genuinely proprietary - you may be able to source the connectors from RS / CPC or the like
 
birdseye said:
Problem here is that simrad ethernet cables have unusual terminals ( round 5 pin) which mean that a simrad cable costs the punter £45 for something that would be £2 off ebay. So Im faced with cutting their short cable in the middle and grafting a piece in with one join being permanent and the other at the bottom of the mast. Unless there is a source of their end connectors of course.
Click to expand...

Waterproof connectors are quite expensive. Their £45 might not be that outlandish!
 
The only problem that I can see with RJ45 connectors and a coupler, is that they are just light pressure, touch connection's. Yes, they look professional but I like something with a bit more pressure like bullet, spade or chocolate block.
 
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