Easy Ethernet Connections

There was a time when I could attach an RJ-45 plug to a piece of CAT5 cable very quickly and without a great deal of thought. That has changed over the years. Now that my eyes, as well as the rest of me, have made 55 trips around the sun I find that things are'nt quite so easy as when they were "less experienced." Getting the wires ready, cutting them to just the right length, fitting them into the connector, crimping, and then trying to see if all eight have a good connection can be a chore. Fear not aging geek, there's hope.

The folks at Bowmar Interconnect have a new RJ45EZ connector. The design is very simple and pure genius. Have look here:

The end of the RJ45EZ has holes in it. You strip the jacket back so you have plenty of wire to work with. Then you thread each wire through the proper hole. Once you verify they're correct you crimp the connector in place and finish up by trimming off the excess wire.

The Bomar connectors are carried by most of the regular suppliers such as Digi-Key, Allied, Mouser, etc. I did a search around the time I wrote this post and found the least expensive price at CMH Electronics in Canton, OH. Single pieces were around $1. The part number you want is Bomar 300668EZ.

In addition to their intended use the RJ-45 is also common on the microphone cords of many amateur radio products. Having a few of these on hand for repair work could save you from having to buy an expensive cable from the manufacturer.

Now, if I could just quit forgetting where I put down my glasses...

73,

Tim N9PUZ