Ok.. I put in a new cold machine and a new plotter/radar. It seems a lot of mfgrs are liking these connectors. I can't see them lasting very long. Any experience? Any words of wisdom for preventive maintenance?
Overgrown phone connectors (RJ45 ethernet)
- Thread starter Mark Maulden
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Garmin uses RJ45s for their proprietary network devices. The connectors come with a weather proof cap and seem to work well. No problems with mine in the 1.5 years I have had them.
I like them as it allows me to route just the cable through bulkheads, etc and then I can crimp the end on very easily.
I like them as it allows me to route just the cable through bulkheads, etc and then I can crimp the end on very easily.
(what's a cold machine? A fridge?
)I know - the whole connection system seems too cheap to work. But alot of work went into engineering these connectors. The spec calls for hard gold plating over nickel plating on all contacts, and they seem to have solid connection pressure right where it's needed. There's a wiping action when the connectors are mated.
You find these connectors just about everywhere there's a wired network. Most problems show up right away and are due to assembly errors, improper crimping, etc. Contact-to-contact failure seems very uncommon. (Though there's apparently a problem with substandard connectors entering the market, at the low end)
For marine use, there's more chance of salt-laden moisture, and temperature extremes, of course. Anything you can do to prevent any contamination from reaching the contacts could help. An electrical enhancement/protection product like Stabilant 22 or DeOxit might add some protection from oxidation over the long term.
On-shore, we know the little suckers work. I don't have any specific long-term knowledge of their performance on water.
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