Prewiring: The tools
- Thread starter beelzerob
- Start date
Photon
Active Member
+1 for the Paladin Seal-Tite Pro 1555 compression tool. I used it for a couple bags of Snap N Seal connectors and some from the Home Depot shelves with not a single bad connection. It will work with a wide variety of fittings, even right-angle RCA connectors, although I haven't tried that yet.
http://technicalconnectionsinc.stores.yaho...seprococot.html
http://technicalconnectionsinc.stores.yaho...seprococot.html
felixrosbergen
Senior Member
What other tools do i need? I read something about a flaring tool? Will this Paladin tool cut and strip as well? Sorry..pretty new to this...
Photon
Active Member
The Paladin Seal-Tite just does the compression. I cut the coax with a common diagonal cutter. I use a tool from one of the big box home improvement stores for stripping; I think it had a Zenith package, but i've seen the same tool with other brand names. I've not used a flaring tool. I understand the purpose of the flaring tool is to pull the braid and foil from the central insulator to make it easier to insert the fitting. I haven't seen the need, especially with the SNS connectors. After compressing the fitting, I again use the diagonal cutter to chop off the center conductor about 1/8" past the fitting.
felixrosbergen
Senior Member
Is there actually a good 'how to' anywhere? I've never done a coax termination before...do you fold the braid/foil backwards before inserting the cable into the fitting??
beelzerob
Senior Member
Ok, it's almost time to get busy on this. I can terminate simple cat5 for now to get going, but I want to do my cat6 soon also. And then there's all the coax....
What sources do you guys recommend for lots of cat5e and especially cat6 terminations, both male and female (those female connectors seem especially hard to find, or when I did, they were like $4/apiece
)?
Also same with coax compression fittings. I've got the Paladin tool now, but I'm going to need a plethora of assorted connections....f conn, rca, BNC, etc.
I'm leaning towards telephone parts for the EZRJ45 crimper and male RJ45 connectors. But that still leaves the female connectors and F connectors.
What sources do you guys recommend for lots of cat5e and especially cat6 terminations, both male and female (those female connectors seem especially hard to find, or when I did, they were like $4/apiece
)?Also same with coax compression fittings. I've got the Paladin tool now, but I'm going to need a plethora of assorted connections....f conn, rca, BNC, etc.
I'm leaning towards telephone parts for the EZRJ45 crimper and male RJ45 connectors. But that still leaves the female connectors and F connectors.
Photon
Active Member
"What sources do you guys recommend for lots of cat5e and especially cat6 terminations, both male and female (those female connectors seem especially hard to find, or when I did, they were like $4/apiece )?"
I bought most of my jacks and wall plates from Technical Connections http://technicalconnectionsinc.stores.yahoo.net/fa.html
They are certainly not the only game in town, but they had what I needed at a good price. Excellent service, too. Cat5e keystone jacks are $1.50. I have no use for male plugs. I terminated each run with the female keystone jacks in the field and to a patch panel at the wiring closet. I use commercial patch cables at each end to get to the equipment. I'll have a few Cat5 runs for my new Elk system, and I'll terminate them to their own tiny patch panel, a 4-port surface mount box loaded with keystone jacks. Again I'll use patch cables to get to the Elk's data bus hub.
If you don't want to pay cat6 prices, just pull the cat6 cable and terminate with inexpensive cat5e jacks. If you eventually need full cat6 specs for something, then replace the jacks with cat6 jacks just on the circuits that need it.
I bought most of my jacks and wall plates from Technical Connections http://technicalconnectionsinc.stores.yahoo.net/fa.html
They are certainly not the only game in town, but they had what I needed at a good price. Excellent service, too. Cat5e keystone jacks are $1.50. I have no use for male plugs. I terminated each run with the female keystone jacks in the field and to a patch panel at the wiring closet. I use commercial patch cables at each end to get to the equipment. I'll have a few Cat5 runs for my new Elk system, and I'll terminate them to their own tiny patch panel, a 4-port surface mount box loaded with keystone jacks. Again I'll use patch cables to get to the Elk's data bus hub.
If you don't want to pay cat6 prices, just pull the cat6 cable and terminate with inexpensive cat5e jacks. If you eventually need full cat6 specs for something, then replace the jacks with cat6 jacks just on the circuits that need it.
beelzerob
Senior Member
Hmm...I'm considering just getting the RJ45's with the inserts that line up the wires. Does anyone have anything particularly bad to say about those? The advantage of those is I can use my standards RJ45 crimper on them, right? And that way won't have to spring for a new fancy ezrj45 crimper.
linesman pliers guarantee you can cut anything.
A good cat stripper is worth its weight in gold.
As far as the corded/cordless.. I have used a dewalt 14.4 hammer drill for 5 years. The batteries are finnally showing their age, but I have 2. I always put one in the charger while I am working. Swap when needed. I drill a section, pull, drill a section, pull.
Only time I thought a corded drill was nice was when we had to do fiber through cieling passes of a manufacturing plant and punch through 10 walls with 1' plus of concrete. The power and speed was just more convenient. However, for residential stuff, I love my little dewalt.
A good cat stripper is worth its weight in gold.
As far as the corded/cordless.. I have used a dewalt 14.4 hammer drill for 5 years. The batteries are finnally showing their age, but I have 2. I always put one in the charger while I am working. Swap when needed. I drill a section, pull, drill a section, pull.
Only time I thought a corded drill was nice was when we had to do fiber through cieling passes of a manufacturing plant and punch through 10 walls with 1' plus of concrete. The power and speed was just more convenient. However, for residential stuff, I love my little dewalt.
On the EZ45, the ends of the cable stick through the connector before you crimp it. It allows you to quickly verify that the wires are in the correct sequence before actually crimping. It should cut the errors down to about 0. It is very hard to verifiy the right wires are in the right pins before crimping a non-EZ connector.
What about the "Quick-Cat" product? (or similar)
They have a "load bar" that you place over the wires, keeping them in place. The bar crimps into the connector...
http://www.lanshack.com/make_cat_6_cable.aspx
They have a "load bar" that you place over the wires, keeping them in place. The bar crimps into the connector...
http://www.lanshack.com/make_cat_6_cable.aspx
beelzerob
Senior Member
I bought strain reliefs for my cat6 cables, same place I bought the ez terminators. I'm a little disappointed in them...I find that the crimping still doesn't grab it enough to ensure it stays attached to the connector. some of my strain reliefs have still separated. *shrug*