SOUND ON SOUND

[Sam Spoons]

And then, no doubt, notice the 12 boots sitting on the bench laughing at you :blush:

[shufflebeat]

And then, no doubt, notice the 12 boots sitting on the bench laughing at you :blush:

Ah, but only once!


...or twice.

[ef37a]

In the cables dept of the internet hardware factory I worked they had mainly ladies making RJ45 patch leads. The cables came as a bundle from the cut/stripping machine then one gal put on two boots, put them in a bin. The bin passed to another operative with fitted the plugs and crimped them...in another bin for an experienced person to inspect. Next into a test room for continuity and pin2 pin accuracy. Only THEN were the boots fitted. This factory worked to ISO 9001 specs. A sample of the whole day's output would be take upstairs where the boffins would check that they met Cat 5e spec on £40,000 analyser.

The boots were left until the last minute because if a cable failed a test the plug could be cut off and the cable re made. The wires were cut a few mm over length to account for this.

I would always look for another job if "cables" wanted folks for extra OT because it was just about THE most boring job in the factory! OK for the ladies because they kept up a constant stream of happy chat. About what I never discovered!

Dave.

[Sam Spoons]

RJ45 headers are my least favourite connectors to fit, I have the tools, I have the knowledge, I have the cable tester (two off), I have the connectors (in a bag of 100), but I don't seem to have the knack* :oops: :headbang:

* maybe it's because I don't have the conversation?

[ef37a]

RJ45 headers are my least favourite connectors to fit, I have the tools, I have the knowledge, I have the cable tester (two off), I have the connectors (in a bag of 100), but I don't seem to have the knack* :oops: :headbang:

* maybe it's because I don't have the conversation?

Oh? I did not mind doing them as a 'few off' for my own purpose. For production they don't strip much of the cable and it IS fiddly trying to lay 10mm lengths but where you are not bothered about economy, give your self a good 50mm and 'de kink' the wires, lay them tightly to the sheath and chop off the excess. A REALLY good pair of side cutters is needed, not those 'bent tin Woollies' jobs"!

Dave.

[Sam Spoons]

My crimping tool has a couple of sharp cutters for stripping the outer (with a stop to get the length right first time) and for trimming the ends square. I bought 100m of Cat5e off B&Q's clearance shelf for a very silly price a few years ago and wired several network lines through the house. My most recent attempt to install a temp connection to my wife's dance studio for zoom teaching was fraught for some reason, it took me about 8 attempts to get a working connection :headbang:

[ef37a]

Yes but Sam, if you strip the sheath to the dead length of the pairs you have quite a fiddle to get them parallel and with the 'crossover'. Much easier to to have 40-50 mm of wires, sort them out then cut to fit the plug.

Another tip:if you have a proper Krone punch down tool, take the scissors off. One day, sure as sausages, you will cut the wrong side of the block!

Dave.

[Sam Spoons]

Yes but Sam, if you strip the sheath to the dead length of the pairs you have quite a fiddle to get them parallel and with the 'crossover'. Much easier to to have 40-50 mm of wires, sort them out then cut to fit the plug.

Yup I do/did, will try your method next time

Another tip:if you have a proper Krone punch down tool, take the scissors off. One day, sure as sausages, you will cut the wrong side of the block!

Dave.

No, just the dodgy plastic ones. Definitely need a proper one though, does this look ok for occasional use https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-40417-Punch-Down-Tool/dp/B000Q5KLN0?

[MarkPAman]

Do I get a prize for this one?

[blinddrew]

There's quite a bit of 'oops' going on there! :D

[Arpangel]

Do I get a prize for this one?

It’s a good job I lived on the ground floor of my last place, this situation almost pushed me over the edge many times. The neighbours called the police a few times, they thought, from the shouting, that someone was being murdered, but it was only mostly, when I had to solder those "works of the devil" DIN plugs, and left the covers off.
Do yourself a favour, just buy ready made leads, it’s just not worth the time and effort.

[ef37a]

Yes but Sam, if you strip the sheath to the dead length of the pairs you have quite a fiddle to get them parallel and with the 'crossover'. Much easier to to have 40-50 mm of wires, sort them out then cut to fit the plug.

Yup I do/did, will try your method next time

Another tip:if you have a proper Krone punch down tool, take the scissors off. One day, sure as sausages, you will cut the wrong side of the block!

Dave.

No, just the dodgy plastic ones. Definitely need a proper one though, does this look ok for occasional use https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-40417-Punch-Down-Tool/dp/B000Q5KLN0?

Yes, that's the very chap I used for over ten years.

Dave.

[Sam Spoons]

Do I get a prize for this one?

That's at least as good as anything I've ever done :oops:

Yes but Sam, if you strip the sheath to the dead length of the pairs you have quite a fiddle to get them parallel and with the 'crossover'. Much easier to to have 40-50 mm of wires, sort them out then cut to fit the plug.

Yup I do/did, will try your method next time

Another tip:if you have a proper Krone punch down tool, take the scissors off. One day, sure as sausages, you will cut the wrong side of the block!

Dave.

No, just the dodgy plastic ones. Definitely need a proper one though, does this look ok for occasional use https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-40417-Punch-Down-Tool/dp/B000Q5KLN0?

Yes, that's the very chap I used for over ten years.

Dave.

Thanks Dave, 'tis in my Amazon shopping basket...

[Martin Walker]

Do I get a prize for this one?

Yep, that one definitely deserves a special award Mark !

Most of us would just forget the far end, but it takes a very special person to remember to put it on, but put it on in the wrong place :headbang:


Martin

[MarkPAman]

My usual method of putting the boots on before even turning the iron on works well most of the time! I just got a little muddled on that occasion :oops:

I said some rude words, took the photo because I realised I'd think it was funny later, then I realised I'd have to unsolder both ends to correct it so had to say some more rude words!

:headbang: