Garmin marine network ethernet coupler - connecting two cut cables

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NFCN

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Having connected up a Garmin GMR 18 HD radar a couple of years ago (and with which I have been very pleased) the one bit I got wrong was re-connecting the Ethernet cable having been obliged to cut it during installation.

Originally I twisted the same wires together and connected them (below decks) using a standard marine electrical connector. It hasn't worked - the wires have come apart a couple of times - and so I am now advised to use a proper Garmin Ethernet coupler:

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/sho...rk/marine-network-cable-coupler/prod1191.html

Has anyone had any practical experience of connecting one of these up? Difficult to see how the small wires connect up from the photo. Any special tools required?

Many thanks

Nick
 
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NFCN said:
Has anyone had any practical experience of connecting one of these up? Difficult to see how the small wires connect up from the photo. Any special tools required?
Click to expand...

I think the coupler you linked to merely joins two ethernet plugs. You'd need to buy these separately, and will probably need a special tool to crimp them. See http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/Marine_Ethernet.pdf for more details.

However, I can't see why your original joining method shouldn't work. Why did the wires "come apart"? As long as the connection is secure and protected from water, what's the problem?
 
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In addition you will need 1 off Garmin part 010 10603 00 two pack of Garmin RJ45 plugs and an RJ45 crimp tool, I know because I have had to do it a few times and it is a PITA in an enclosed space, The multi strand conductors used (as they should be) make crimping on the plugs more difficult than solid conductors but it is the right way to do it as demounting afterwards is simple and it will last, all the ones I have done were for radar cables for mast removal.
 
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Ethernet is very sensitive to any disruption to the cable, particularly any amount of untwisting of the twisted pairs. Ideally you'd replace the cable... you could just buy a suitable length of the appropriate wire and crimp either cheap IT industry plugs or more expensive (but better in a marine environment) Garmin ones that David linked to on either end (though unless you can re-use the waterproof cover at the radar end much better to use the Garmin ones!).

If you don't want to do that, the only other good option I can think of is to put a plug on each end of the cut cable, again either cheap IT ones or more expensive Garmin ones, then use a joiner... with the same choice again.... but without a practiced hand this could lead to dropped frames from time to time which might cause some glitches.

In a professional IT environment you'd expect the cable to be replaced every time... but then they're cheap in that setting... In the old days we used to buy rolls of cable and custom make each cable to length, but in the last few years it's been cheaper and easier to just buy ready made in small quantities.

Cheap option...... tightly clip the two ends together with a cable tie to take any strain, then solder the cores to each other, wrap each individual core in tape then wrap the whole thing in self amalgamating... no idea how well it will work for ethernet but it's worked well for me for other cables.
 
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I used the garmin connectors when installing my radar a couple of months ago, there were a couple with the radar I bought, they worked very easily indeed if one followed the instructions! I was pleasantly surprised. I did b#gger it up by putting it on before I Had put it through the hole I had cut the thing to get it through, though. So had to take it off and have a trip to Maplins to get the normal plugs, that was a LOT harder!
 
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