Ivan James Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I'm trying this for the first time and I'm not getting signal. I have a 50ft IR extender that I clipped off about 8 feet from one end. I have the short end spliced into a clipped off Ethernet cable that is plugged into my switch. The long end is spliced into a cat5e cable upstairs. I have used Dolphin connectors, and I have made sure that the wires on each end of the cut IR extender are hooked to the same color wires on the Cat5e. I have an IR emitter plugged into the jack end of the IR extender. I have verified that the IR emitter does work. Any help would be greatly appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21st century Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I'm not 100% sure on your description and I'm making some assumptions here The 50ft IR extender is a 50ft jack cable? If it is then all you need to do is cut the cable in two as you have done by the sound of it and connect them to the same colours of the Cat5e at both ends, where it sounds wrong you say you are plugged into the switch, is that the network switch? The transmitter end should be plugged into the IR output jack of whatever you are sending IR from and the other end of that leg either plugged into a patch frame or spliced straight to the Cat5e going to the upstairs room. Hope that makes sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan James Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Thanks. I found what was supposed to be the Cat5e cable running to that room, but it still isn't working. I have redone the Dolphin connections and still nothing. Is is possible that the emitter and jack cable are not compatible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMHarman Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I have the short end spliced into a clipped off Ethernet cable that is plugged into my switch.This is where you are going wrong. Infra Red is a point to point protocol and cannot go through an Ethernet switch. Unless you are getting patch panel ans switch mixed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan James Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Thanks. After 21st's post, I spliced the IR cable straight into a cat5e cable that was labeled to be the one that ran upstairs by the TV. It could be that it was labeled wrong though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMHarman Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Thanks. After 21st's post, I spliced the IR cable straight into a cat5e cable that was labeled to be the one that ran upstairs by the TV. It could be that it was labeled wrong though.Twist the orange pair together at one end and test tone / light bulb / continuity check at the other end. Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21st century Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Twist the orange pair together at one end and test tone / light bulb / continuity check at the other end.Sent from my LT26i using TapatalkOther colours are available but SMHarman is bang tracing the two ends of the cat5 is the place to start. Equally twisting the two half’s back together temporally to remove the cat5 element and prove the IR extender and emitter work as one might help. A good tool to have is one of these cable finders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan James Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 Thanks for the help. I bought a tone generator today and still no luck. Changed the method in several ways based on other suggestions I saw online like shorting two different pairs, grounding one plug, etc. I did splice the jack cable back together to test compatibility with the emitter and it worked fine. Seems like finding the correct cable is the issue, but I"m running out of cables as I tested many of them today to make sure they were connected to where they said. Will try a couple more things tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21st century Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 When we use a tone generator we connect the tone gererator to the remote end (room) and use the wand at the rack end moving the tip up and down the lengh of each cable approx 10" as the twist within the cable can give a zero tone in places along the cable. Another thing is to twist the 4 pairs together into two pairs of 4 cores utilising all of the cores to give a stronger tone. If they are made off into a RJ45 plug or socket then get a old/spare patch lead and chop the plug off one end and bare and twist the cores as above to make a fly lead that the clips can go onto. I hope you find the cable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan James Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 I've tried all of that and no luck. I'm ready to give up on the cat5e. I have a coax that I know for certain is the right cable on both ends. Any thoughts on IR over Coax? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21st century Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I've tried all of that and no luck. I'm ready to give up on the cat5e. I have a coax that I know for certain is the right cable on both ends. Any thoughts on IR over Coax?Should work as long as the screen and centre core are isolated from one another at the joint, infact its a bigger csa so less volt drop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan James Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 Ok I figured out the problem with the Cat5e, and got it to work. The jack cable was shielded, so I had to connect the shielding on both ends to one of the cat5e wires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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