[c-nsp] DS3 Cables

[Jay Hennigan]

Tony Varriale wrote:
> Does anyone have a recommendation for DS3 cables for some CT3 cards that are 
> of high quality that I could specify the length (<6 foot needed)?  Obviously 
> only 75-ohm RG-59 need apply.

Well, I don't use or recommend RG-59, that's old-school CATV co-ax.  I 
prefer the WECO 734 or 735 style cable.  75-ohm silver plated dual 
shield, smaller and more flexible, and terminated with real 75-ohm BNC 
connectors (the inner dielectric shroud is different from standard BNC).

You can get DS-3 cables with two coax cables in a common jacket which 
reduces the "spaghetti factor".  They come with about six inch tails on 
each end where the outer jacket is removed for terminating the transmit 
and receive plugs.  Custom lengths available.   Also available with 
"tracer".  This is a single insulated conductor in the same jacket, 
outside the shield.  It has a pin plug on each end that you can use with 
a tone-and-probe to find the other end on long runs.  Probably not 
needed for your < 6 foot runs.

A couple of sources:

http://www.connectworld.net/syscon/t3-ds3.html

http://www.stonewallcable.com/product.asp?dept%5Fid=3012&pf%5Fid=SC%2D7154%2D2

Note that Connectworld specifies lengths in meters, Stonewall in feet.

> Please respond with experience only.

I've bought dozens of them.

> The Cisco cables are great but I am looking for different lengths.  Various 
> non-cisco cables I have tried in the past had some issues (such as the 
> barrel not fitting correctly).

Probably generic offshore 50-ohm BNCs, but they're supposed to be 
mechanically interchangeable with the 75-ohm type.

--
Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay at impulse.net
Impulse Internet Service  -  http://www.impulse.net/
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