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Subject: Re: Replacement cables
From: Philip Hill
Reply To: mapug@shore.net
Date: Fri Mar 03 04:49:58 1995

> >> OK .. anyone know how, or where to buy, replacement DEC and
> >> Handcontroller cables ??
> >>
> >The hand controller uses what I understand to be standard US style
> >curly telephone handset cable with RJ-11 4/4 modular connectors.
> >You can also get couplers to join these together.
>
> I recommend that you take care when replacing those cables. Different
> wiring styles of cables are out there - ones that swap wires with
> different pins from one end of the cable to the other, and ones that
> don't. Remember that, at least in the case of the hand controller,
> you're not dealing with RS232 level signals that are forgiving if you
> happen to misconnect them. From what I've seen of the hand controller,
> having fixed one for a friend, the signals are TTL level which can be
> sensitive to how they're hooked up.
>
> I'd also be careful with the modular connectors. Those do tend to swap
> wires in my experience. I tried using a mating connector to extend the
> reach of my LX200 RS232 port and had problems. (Some of them may have
> been due to the cable I was using as well.)
>
We use one of these cables as an extension so that we can reach the handset from the computer. We had to adjust the cross-connections in the modular connector (they come apart easily) to get them right. With a second extension the handset didn't work properly. Telescope motion was OK but not data entry. (This is V2.5, 3.x may be different.)

Phil Hill (pwh@st-and.ac.uk)