# RJ12 Length



## daveh219 (Sep 16, 2012)

Our club just purchased a Digitrax Super Empire setup. We will be using it to run two N scale layouts AND and HO 4x8. I know from my LHS that it's powerful enough, BUT my question is the length of the RJ12 cable from the power unit to the HO layout. It could be as far as 30 feet away. Will that length cause "power loss" due to the distance? Thoughts???


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Not at all. Heck, Digitrax sells CAT 5 cable in lengths of 50'. I have runs of CAT 5 cable in excess of 30' on my empire and I haven't had any problems.


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## daveh219 (Sep 16, 2012)

Ken...thanks for the reply. Also...I hadn't figured out that the RJ12 and CAT5 wiring were one in the same.


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## bob from pdx (Mar 18, 2014)

Hello, Thought i would add info, Cat 5 is the cable while rj-12 is the connector hope this helps 
bob


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## JerryH (Nov 18, 2012)

RJ12 is for 6 conductor cable and Cat5 is 8 conductor cable. You can leave 2 of the 8 not connected. RJ45 is for Cat5 cable. RJ12 is narrower than RJ45. RJ11 is for 4 conductor cable and is narrower than RJ12.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Not to mention that while RJ11, RJ12, etc. are in common use, they are not actually accurate industry terms. The RJ abbreviations only pertain to the wiring of the jack (hence the name registered jack). It is commonplace but not strictly correct to refer to an unwired plug connector by any of these names.


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## JerryH (Nov 18, 2012)

Very true GRJ.


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## rzw0wr (Aug 28, 2013)

grj, I did not know this.
I have had problems finding the RJ12 jacks.
Are they referred to by a different name?


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## JerryH (Nov 18, 2012)

Radio Shack sells them.


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## rzw0wr (Aug 28, 2013)

Our 2 radio shack stores do not have them and has never heard of them. They only know about cell phones here.
I have not looked on line though.

Thanks Jerry.


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## JerryH (Nov 18, 2012)

RS part# 279-421


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

That's ok Dave. I knew what ya meant.


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## rzw0wr (Aug 28, 2013)

Ahhhhhh
no wonder I had problems at Radio Shack.
It is called an RJ45.


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## JerryH (Nov 18, 2012)

I think they call them RJ25s.


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## rzw0wr (Aug 28, 2013)

OOppps, You are correct Jerry.
On line some vendors say the RJ11 is the same as RJ12.
Is this true?

Sorry, I think I just hijacked this thread.


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## JerryH (Nov 18, 2012)

As GRJ said the RJ designation is how the jack is wired. What you are looking for is the plug for the jack. What you want is the plug for the jack specification you are working with. The Digitrax jacks use 6 conductor plugs, not 4 or 8.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The 6P2C, 6P4C, and 6P6C modular connectors are probably most well known for their use as RJ11, RJ14, and RJ25 registered jacks respectively.

The 4P4C connector, is popularly, but incorrectly, called RJ22, RJ10, or RJ9. It is also commonly referred to as a handset connector because the most popular usage for the connector is to terminate both ends of a handset cord and it is the de facto standard for this application.


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