Stopped by Wallyworld today and purchased an RJ11 telephone wire with 4 conductors. It doesn't FIT into the remote or the TIU!! As I write this, I recall that it needs to be a HANDSET cable which is physically smaller. Are these even still made?? Son of a gun!
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Yes, it's RJ9. You can get them on Amazon or at Office Depot for six or seven dollars.
Why MTH persisted in requiring this cable for several generations of TIUs is a good question...
RJ-9
It appears Michael is talking about the tether connection between the remote and the TIU which uses the RJ9 jack - not the connection to the AIU.
@PGentieu posted:It appears Michael is talking about the tether connection between the remote and the TIU which uses the RJ9 jack - not the connection to the AIU.
Thanks. I could of swore AIU was mentioned so never mind. I deleted my post so as to not to cause confusion.
@MartyE posted:Thanks. I could of swore AIU was mentioned so never mind. I deleted my post so as to not to cause confusion.
It's one of those things that almost looks like it was designed to create confusion. I got a wrong cord for the tether (it had an RJ11 jack rather than an RJ9, IIRC) before I got the right ones.
@Professor Chaos posted:Why MTH persisted in requiring this cable for several generations of TIUs is a good question...
I believe this is because the 4 pin phone cord was still pretty common in the early 2000's when the TIU & Remote came out. It was kept to maintain backwards and forwards compatibility between new & old remotes and TIUs through out the years.
Now, Gents...don't get all perturbed by this (or should I say "urked"?) If this little setback gets you angry, try to calm down and don't take life so seriously.
Allow me to offer some obscure but hopefully useful information. Consider it your electrical lesson for the week from your friendly old phone man. You might also call it TMI, so move along if you don't need to know.
The standard one-pair (2 contacts) or two-pair (4 contacts) PLUG carries the telephone industry standard nomenclature of 6P2C or 6P4C. Those mean "6 position, 2 contact" or "6 position, 4 contact". When you order them from a responsible telecommunications supplier, that's what you ask for. These are used to plug into registered jacks. "RJ" stands for registered jack, and there lots of different types. The jack on the wall is generally an RJ11 (one line) or RJ14 (two lines) They are used for getting the dial tone from the wall to the phone.
The one you need is the slightly narrower version (used to connect the handset to the phone) and it's called a 4P4C PLUG. 4 Position, 4 contact. It fits into a 4P4C "connector" in the base of the phone. It is not an RJ-anything, although there are companies in the industry who insist upon calling it by incorrect names, such as "RJ12" RJ9" or other names. They are the same ones who insist upon calling an 8P8C ethernet jack an "RJ45" which is also far from correct.
Registered jacks are only used to connect to the PSTN. (Public Switched Telephone Network). There ain't no such thing as a "registered" PLUG.
Handset cords are available in different lengths, lots of different colors, and either coiled or, rarely, straight. They can be bought for a buck or so, or you can occasionally find them free. Every old phone that is thrown away has one attached that can be cannibalized. I have a few hundred in my shop, and I'd be happy to send you one for free, but the postage would be more than the cord is worth.
Soooo... Ask for a "handset cord". Don't ask for an RJ-anything.
The toy train industry (and other industries) use handset cords as tethers because they come primarily in the coiled configuration, making them easier to use in a walk-around environment.
The phone industry uses two different sizes to keep morons...er..."confused subscribers" from plugging in a handset to a dial tone jack and vice-versa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registered_jack
Have a pleasant evening and a Merry Christmas, from
Arthur P. Bloom, former Bell Telephone guy.
"30 years of faithful service...15 years on HOLD." (inside joke for phone guys)
Pretty interesting!!! You learn something new everyday! Thanks Arthur!
Telephone/Data male end tool. Female ends are modular designed for face place application. Edit/Add: May require a punch-down tool. There is a wiring diagram that applies to the normal Cat 5, or what ever, jack installation. 8 conductor RJ45 jacks most common. IMO. There is some basic continuity testing devices that show the 8 conductors connected and if they are in the right sequence. Young eyes, and hands make this type of work much easier.
You're welcome.
It was my affinity for low voltage wiring of my first train set in 1953 that got me interested in telephony, which resulted in a 30-year career playing with phones, that allowed me to afford lots of train. Funny how that worked out.
Thanks everyone. All good information. I'll be seeking out a coiled 4P4C 
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
