Monthly Archives: August 2017

For over twenty years, ShowMeCables has been designing, prototyping and manufacturing custom cables. With manufacturing facilities in the United States and Asia, we have the capabilities to manufacture at any volume. No matter the type, size or budget, we can help!

When shopping for Cat5e or Cat6 network cables, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. One of the most common tactics of the “low cost leaders” is to use aluminum instead of copper wire. This can lead to network issues from using inferior materials to transmit the signal. The problem is further heightened because there are no visual differences between a CCA cable and a pure copper cable. ShowMeCables guarantees that all of our patch cables are pure copper and are ready for Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a or Cat7 networks.

Creating a Copper Clad Aluminum Cable

Looking to cut costs, manufacturers started using aluminum wire dipped in a thin coating of copper. This technique created an aluminum core cable surrounded by a thin layer of copper. If you have ever purchased coax cable, you may have purchased cable that is copper clad. If you scrape the center conductor, the gold copper will flake off and expose the silver metal core. Consumer ignorance, slick marketing and an identical appearance have

Cat5 cable is a standard term for twisted pair cable commonly used for connecting PCs and hardware to different equipment. It has been replaced by Cat5e, which is an enhanced version of Cat5. These share many of the same physical characteristics including distance limitations, but Cat5e is designed for faster networking speeds and reduced crosstalk interference. The maximum length you can run Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6a cable is 100 meters or 328 feet. If you require a longer run, you will need to put an active component, such as a router, in-between the signals.

The length limit for Cat5 also includes any patch cables, jacks or couplers that are connected in the run. For example, you could not run 100 meters of Cat5 cable between the walls, and then connect with a jack to another 10 meter cable. In terms of distance limitation, the 100 meters of Cat5, the jack and additional 10 

meters of Cat5 are all seen as a single length of cable. It is recommended to only run the structured

TNC connectors (Threaded Neill Concelman) are a 50 ohm coaxial connector. It is a higher performing, threaded version of the more common, BNC connector. It is used for RF communications up to 11 GHz. Due to its construction, with threaded coupling which create a secure connection, it is a great choice when working with microwave frequencies. The TNC connector is available in two varieties – standard polarity and reverse polarity (RP-TNC).

History of RP-TNC Connectors

Reverse polarity TNC connectors were popularized by WiFi manufacturers. They were looking for a way to comply with governmental regulations set forth by the FCC to limit consumers from connecting their own antennas. This regulation has largely been abandoned as the connectors are readily available to the general public. They are still a popular connector type used by WiFi equipment manufacturers.

How to Determine a RP-TNC Connector

There are a few steps to determine if you are dealing with a standard or reverse polarity connector.

Apple recently unveiled its newest MacBook Pro, announcing that it would use a single USB Type-C port for power and data transfer. USB Type-C has since been the topic of conversation in the tech world, paving the way for exciting possibilities for improved USB standards and devices.

What is USB Type-C?

Type-C is a new shape of USB connector which is double-sided with 24-pins. It is reversible, a huge improvement to any of us who have once fumbled with plugging a Type-A connector into a port. While Type-C itself is only a change in shape, the excitement lies in the potential for improved standards. The underlying technology of Type-C could be anything from the outdated USB 2.0 to the latest and greatest USB 3.1 and USB Power Delivery (USB PD).

How is USB Type-C Better?

Currently, most devices use USB Type-A, which is bulky and only plugs into a port in one direction. Because Type-A is such a large plug, its ports are equally large. Acceptable for desktop computers, these large ports do not

With each purchase of a new gadget comes a plethora of charging cables. It’s easy to absent-mindedly throw everything into a drawer to be sorted or used later. But that method inevitably results in a tangled mess of cables and cords that rivals that of Clark Griswold’s Christmas lights. Here’s a better way to stow away those extra cords so that the next time you need them, you won’t have to battle The Cable-Spaghetti Monster.

What You’ll Need:

• Shoebox
• Scissors
• Tape (ours is fancy gold duct tape)
• A pen/permanent marker
• Cardboard roll (from TP, gift wrap, etc.)
• Cables!

Step 1. Measure and Cut

Grab your cardboard roll and place inside your shoebox so that you can measure how tall to cut each section. We used a pen to mark the height. Once you’ve made your marks, cut away! Keep cutting segments until you have enough to fill up the inside of your shoebox. Ours took 4 rows of 6, or 24 rolls.

Step 2. Add Stability

Add tape to make your cardboard rolls sturdier. We used our tape to make pods

A RJ45 connector is a modular 8 position, 8 pin connector used for terminating Cat5e or Cat6 twisted pair cable. A pinout is a specific arrangement of wires that dictate how the connector is terminated. There are multiple pinouts for RJ45 connectors including straight through (T568A or T568B), crossover, rolled, T1, and loopback. Straight through is the most common type of cable and is used for connecting your computer to your network. The other pinouts are for specialty cables that are used for unique network applications. Straight-Through Pinout Within the family of straight-through color codes, there are two standards recognized by ANSI, TIA and EIA. The first is the T568A wiring standard and the second is T568B. T568B has surpassed 568A and is seen as the default wiring scheme for twisted pair structured cabling. If you are unsure of which to use, choose 568B.

T-568A RJ45 Pinout

T-568B RJ45 Pinout

Cross Over Pinout
A crossover cable utilizes two different RJ45 pinouts for the two ends

The SMA connector(SubMiniature version A) is a 50 ohm coaxial connector. It is visually similar to an F type connector that is commonly used for audio/video communication, but has different dimensions, mechanical properties and is used for different applications such as RF communications up to 18 GHz. Due to its construction, SMA connectors provide a strong and durable connection that minimizes reflections, limiting attenuation, and makes it a great choice when working with microwave frequencies.

SMA Male Connector

The SMA male connector is identified by inside 1/4″-36 threads and a 5/16″ hex nut. A standard polarity connector will have a male pin.

SMA Male Dimensions

• Outer Diameter: 6.35mm
• Inner Diameter: 4.59mm
• Pin Diameter: .97mm
• Pin Tip Diameter: .38mm

If you’ve spent any time on the Internet in the last year, chances are you seen some great examples for how to organize long cables. Today, the ShowMeCables blog is bringing you a DIY for creating a similar effect in your own storage closet.

Step 1. Choose Your Model

This is, arguably, the hardest step of the process as there are many different routes to take. Just the word “dreadlocks” conjures up images of the well-loved Rastafarian Bob Marley, the godfather of dreads himself. Wiz Khalifa, the lead singers of Korn and Whoopie Goldberg also sport the famous hairstyle with 

effortlessness. For the adventurers out there, Captain Jack Sparrow and Michonne from the Walking Dead each sport their dreads with fantastic accessories. Then there’s always Bradley Cooper’s character from the movie Hit and Run if you’re into more obscure references. This is also a fantastic opportunity to see how you or a co-worker would look with dreads. In that case, take a selfie or do some Facebook stalking

Belden compression connectors are a premium F type connector used to terminate RG6 cable,

including quad shield, tri-shield and 60% braid shield. They are quad sealed with rubber O-rings to prevent moisture from entering the cable.

To install the SNS1P6, you first need to prepare the cable. If