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Old 04-08-2019, 02:47 PM
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Merlin66 (Ken)
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Merlin66 is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Junortoun Vic
Posts: 8,904
After 12 years the Cat5 cable gave up the ghost!

Well I suppose I can't really complain....
I bought a 20mtr Cat5 cable to run between the telescope mount and the internal office, I think it cost about $8.
As I moved around the world it went with me and would be draped across the ground/ behind sheds/ over pathways etc etc - generally abused!
I've replaced the end connectors a couple of times when they rusted/ broke/ filled with water...but like many things in life the cable has reached the end of it's life, no longer functional. The covering has deteriorated badly (UV embrittlement) and the individual wires look "tired".
I've decided to put it out it's misery....

The replacement CAT 6 cable cost me $12, so at a running cost of about $1 per year it's ended up much cheaper than some of the other stuff I've bought in astronomy.
(Yes, yes I know the cable should be protected and run in conduit, but moving around that wasn't a real option....)
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