NCE cable problem

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I use the NCE power cab with the SB5 5 amp booster. I also have a cab buss fascia panel. So while running my locomotives I am moving my Power cab from location to location which requires unplugging from one place and plugging in to another. This puts a lot of wear on the little plastic connector at the end of the cable. Now the connector has lost the platic part that keeps the connector in place.

Question 1: Can I replace the connector on the end of the cable for less than buying a new cable and what would I need to accomplish this?

Question 2: Can I just make my own cables, which would mean that I could have a longer cable and not have to keep moving from one connection point to another?

Question 3: If I bought another NCE 209 6 foot coil cord, is there a way to connect the two cords to get a 12 foot reach?

Question 4: Does anyone have any other ideas that would help me get arouond this problem (no I do not want to go radio controlled)?

I have always been able to rely on this forum for solutions and wish to thank you all in advance for your help.

wdcrvr

2

If it’s like my MRC Prodigy it uses standard RJ45 telephone connectors. They are available at Home Depot. They use a simple crimp tool to install them also available at Home Depot. You can buy RJ45 cables form 6’ to 50’ that are compatible. I even found some 25” coiled cables for my Prodigy.

Mel

My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

Bakersfield, California

I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

3

The NCE connectors are actually RJ12. You can purchase the cables w/RJ12 connectors in specific lengths directly from NCE. Some vendors will also fabricate cables to whatever length you want.

Sounds to me that the best way to go might be to fabricate your own cable. All you need is the RJ12 connector, 6-wire cable, and the proper crimper.

Tom

4

You can probably buy a couple of RJ12 (6P6C) cables for the price of the crimp tool and your set to go.

Mel

My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

Bakersfield, California

I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

5

i don’t think RJ connectors were designed for such frequent insertion

consider buying a crimp tool and a bag of connectors. This way you can fix the ends yourself

6

I had my coiled cords changed to the DIN plug and changed the panel as well. NCE doesn’t make it anymore, but I know they can be bought from some DCC dealers. They can be made as well if you’re handy.

Tonys Train Exchange has them https://tonystrains.com/product/nce-5240210-5-pin-din-cable/

The panels can be made as well.

Neal

7

OP here. Additional info. Because I have the 5 amp booster I am using my Power Cab as a Pro Cab and I connect it to either the booster or to a UTP Cab Bus. Thus the Power Cab is not providing power. This is because the coiled cable I am using has only 4 pins instead of the 6 pin cable normally used with a power cab which is providing the power for the layout. It is the 4 pin coiled cable that I need to replace the connector on.

I have just dug thru all the old phone/audio visual crap I have and found a cable that has 4 pins just like the coiled cable I bought from NCE. Is there any reason that I should not be able to use this cable instead of the one I bought from NCE?

I am afraid to try it without getting some sound advice beforehand. I don’t want to somehow damage my Power Cab conroller.

wdcrvr

8

wdcrvr,

You can’t use just any 4-connector cable because the wires on an RJ12 connector are reversed. It’s that way for both the 4-(coily) and 6-(straight) connector NCE cables.

Purchase either a replacement coily cord, or a crimper & RJ12 connector. How long has your current coily cord lasted?

Tom

9

I have probably had the coiled cord for about 3 years. But it didn’t get a lot of use since I am still spending most of my time building the layout rather than running on it.

I don’t understand what you mean by the connector being reversed. There are four pins at one end of the cable and four pins at the other end. Looking at the connector from either end of the cable, the 1st pin on the left at one end is going to be connected to the first pin on the right at the other end. And so forth across the connector. I cant see how that can be any different for either the cable from NCE or any other cable with a 4 pin connection that uses the center 4 pins of the 6 connections available? Can you please explain that to me? Are you telling me that when NCE makes their coiled cable they reverse the position of the connector on one end as compared to the other end?

Thanks

wdcrvr

10

I can’t find the coiled cable that came with my Power Cab. I don’t know for sure that they are or are not reversed.

I do know what reversed mean. Hold the cable so the ends are pointing in the same direction.

If it is not reversed, the colors, from left to right will be the same. If it is reversed, the colors in the first plug will be a mirror image in the second plug. If you have the crimping tool, you can duplicate whatever you have.

Edit

I stated that backwards. As you will see below. The left pin has to connect to the left pin. The only way it can do that is reversed.

You can also find, flat, reversed flat RJ12 cables on Amazon for cheap. Here is a reversed cable

https://www.amazon.com/Cmple-Phone-Cable-Reverse-Voice/dp/B00404OOX6

I have no idea why some cables are reversed and some are not. Maybe someone can enlighten us.

11

the wire pairs carry power.

12

Note in Greg’s picture, one end has the tab up, and one had the tab down. If in that orientation, and the wire color to the left is the same on each end, then you have a straight cable. If both ends have the tab up, and the colors are the same, that’s a crossed cable.

This of it this way. Here’s the jack on one end: [ Number the pins 1 to 6, starting at the top. The tab goes up. Now on the other end, you have the jack this way ]. If the tab is up, and the coolor at the top is the same as the color at the top on the first jacvk, then you have pin 1 going to pin 6. Think about it - if you have this [ and rotate it around, keeping the same side up, what was pin 1 is now on the bottom. If the cable connects the pins that way, then it is straight through.

–Randy

13

And that’s why half of us struggle with electricity.

The rest of us look at it like two 6 lane highways divided by a bridge. The cable is the bridge and the highways are the female part of the connection. Not once have we had go upside down to stay in the fast lane or the slow lane. [:D]

14

Yes but to someone standing on the east end of the bridge looking on to it, your car is on their left, to someone standing on the west side looking on to it, your car is on their right. Even though in booth cases you are traveling the same direction, in the same lane. The perspective is not from on the ‘bridge’, it’s looking out into the world where the bridge has to be installed. Roll a ball across the bridge, but the person on each side can only throw and catch with their right hands. The ball will have to cross the center line to go from the thrower’s right hand to the catcher’s right hand. And no, the catcher can’t just slide over some!

It really doesn;t matter for telephones, for the most part they aren;t polarity sensitive. It was just easier I guess to always put the connectors on the same way - many telephone type cables have a rib along one flat side. If both tabs on on the side with the rib, it’s a crossed cable, if one tab faces the rib and the other faces the other side, it’s a stright through data cable.

Or, how about this (simplified to a 2 wire cable, because formatting it hard and I’m lazy)

1--------------------1

2--------------------2

Looks like the wires are on the same side, so you’d thing straight, right? But lay the two coonnectors next to each other, both facing the same way, let’s say tab up. oops, now you have:

1-------(imagine this loops around)

2-------(imagine this loops around)

2-------

1-------

ah ha! Both ends are NOT wired the same. One has #1 on the top, the other has #1 on the bottom - that’s why it’s a crossed cable.

A common color for one of the wires in 6 wire telephone cable is white. So an easy way to make sure you make the cables the right way is if you always put the coonnector on, tab facing you, with white on the right. Holding the two connectors next to each other (NOT facing each other) and the col

15

Yes

Rich

16

i wouldn’t say it’s reversed. pin-1 of both connectors is the same wire and I believe this is standard for rj-45 ethernet cables.

you can buy coiled rj-11 phone cables at many stores. I don’t know if there is a standard: flipped or un-flipped – it doesn’t matter for most phones.

the image shows a cable where the pins are flipped. Notice the the red wire is 2nd from the right in on the left connector and 2nd from the left on the right connector. These would not work for NCE

17

The OP was asking if the connector is reversed, not the cable. The connector is reversed, or maybe better stated, flipped.

Rich

18

Same cables are used for Digitrax Loconet as well, 6p6c straight through.

A good source (not sure if they have coiled ones though) is Monoprice, they have every cable imaginable, and cheap. You just want Data, not Phone. They have the 4 pin ones used for the command bus if you add an additional boooster, and the 6 pin ones for the cab bus.

–Randy

19

I worked for Motorola C&E or in Motorola Two-Way Radio Service shops for almost 50 years and when it comes down to connectors and cabling it was the Big “M” Way or No Way, nothing done the excepted standard way. It was always the “Motorola Way” or the High Way. Ain’t electronics fun guys.

Mel

My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

Bakersfield, California

I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

20

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=940

From Monoprice - no coiled ones that I could find, but the price is right.

Don