Anyone ever make a longer (75’) aquabus cable

[Reefpro]

So I’m setting up frag tank in garage and it’s 75 feet away from DT. Has anyone ever made there own longer aquabus cable using ends from shorter cable?

I tried with cat5 cable and just got orange flashing light on Pm1. When I hooked up using 3’ cable it immediately connected

Cat5 has 4 pairs of wires. I stripped the ends and twisted. the corresponding colors together (IE: the pairs the were already twisted together) then soldered them to the ends I cut from shorter cable. I was very careful to be sure colors matched on both ends and that I had a good soldered joint.

Any idea why this would not work?

 

[SuncrestReef]

There's already a thread on this topic: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/d...les-from-ethernet-cat5-or-cat6-cables.356801/

Personally I'm more comfortable buying a professionally manufactured cable. This site sells them up to 125 feet, made specifically for Apex: https://www.usbfirewire.com/parts/rr-apex-xx.html

 

[Reefpro]

For ref here is a pic of the wires when you open cat5. I simply stripped ends and twisted each pair together then soldered you aqua bud end orange/white to red. Green/white to green blue/white to white and brown/white to black

 

[Snorkelsteve]

For ref here is a pic of the wires when you open cat5. I simply stripped ends and twisted each pair together then soldered you aqua bud end orange/white to red. Green/white to green blue/white to white and brown/white to black

Not sure I follow what you are doing but you will need two USB to screw terminals () and a CAT5 cable. You then need to use 5 of the 8 wires in the CAT5. Make sure you put the same wires to the same terminal spot on the USB connector.

 

[Reefpro]

So I just cut the ends off a short aqua bus cable which has four cable and soldered onto cat5

 

[Snorkelsteve]

So I just cut the ends off a short aqua bus cable which has four cable and soldered onto cat5

There is a shielding wire you are missing. There are 5 wires needed for a USB.

 

[Snorkelsteve]

There is a shielding wire you are missing. There are 5 wires needed for a USB.

Here is a picture I found online showing you the wires. The shielding is connected to the outer rectangle of the plug, you need that as well.

 

[Reefpro]

Here is a picture I found online showing you the wires. The shielding is connected to the outer rectangle of the plug, you need that as well.

Looks like if I wanna use cat5 cable best to get those plugs? Or how would you convert from USB to cat 5

 

[Snorkelsteve]

Looks like if I wanna use cat5 cable best to get those plugs? Or how would you convert from USB to cat 5

You can try to untwist the pairs in the Cat5 cable and solder 4 of them to the main wires and then solder the 5th to the shielding. The remaining 3 wires just cut off and don't use. I would assume this will work but I have not tried it.

 

[Reefpro]

You can try to untwist the pairs in the Cat5 cable and solder 4 of them to the main wires and then solder the 5th to the shielding. The remaining 3 wires just cut off and don't use. I would assume this will work but I have not tried it.

Is the shielding just the wire. Not the foil correct?

 

[Snorkelsteve]

Is the shielding just the wire. Not the foil correct?

Yes, there should be a small wire for the shielding, a lot of times wrapped around or in the foil part

 

[Reefpro]

Yes, there should be a small wire for the shielding, a lot of times wrapped around or in the foil part

Ok gonna give it’s RE-Do. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks

 

[Reefpro]

Yes, there should be a small wire for the shielding, a lot of times wrapped around or in the foil part

So this is a good sign!!

 

[Kyl]

As others have noted, you were missing the 5th connection (the shielded wire). It will work, many have used cat5 to do this, some even use a dark run from their patch panel (DO NOT CONNECT TO THE PANEL. Apex point to apex point only!).

There is nothing special about the Apex and USB cables other than it was an already readily available connector format that could be re-purposed for proprietary power and bus communications.

 

[Reefpro]

As others have noted, you were missing the 5th connection (the shielded wire). It will work, many have used cat5 to do this, some even use a dark run from their patch panel (DO NOT CONNECT TO THE PANEL. Apex point to apex point only!).

There is nothing special about the Apex and USB cables other than it was an already readily available connector format that could be re-purposed for proprietary power and bus communications.

Yes once that was said to be my issue I connected tge “shield” wire and appears to be functioning fine. I hooked up from PM1 module to EB32. What do you mean “patch” panel ?

 

[Kyl]

Some houses with ethernet to every room have a central panel that they all terminate at together. I know of one guy locally that used two of those runs to connect his apex to his RO/AWC storage EB4, connecting both end points together at site of the patch panel, but not connected through / via the patch panel. Never connect them to a normal usb / ethernet system or powered device.

 

[Reefpro]

Some houses with ethernet to every room have a central panel that they all terminate at together. I know of one guy locally that used two of those runs to connect his apex to his RO/AWC storage EB4, connecting both end points together at site of the patch panel, but not connected through / via the patch panel. Never connect them to a normal usb / ethernet system or powered device.

That makes sense. Thanks for clarifying! So what I did should be fine?

 

[Kyl]

Yep. As long as you're not connecting the apex to any type of home networking, it's fine. Apex <> Apex modules only.

 

[Reefpro]

Yep. As long as you're not connecting the apex to any type of home networking, it's fine. Apex <> Apex modules only.

Working good so far!!

 

[SuperDodge]

Some houses with ethernet to every room have a central panel that they all terminate at together. I know of one guy locally that used two of those runs to connect his apex to his RO/AWC storage EB4, connecting both end points together at site of the patch panel, but not connected through / via the patch panel. Never connect them to a normal usb / ethernet system or powered device.

That's slick as heck.