Anyone had any luck using cat 5 cable or might it lose signal. I’ll need to use about 100ft from the ISS to the console.
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work just fine.
Not sure what cable you have on them initially, but Cat5E is better if there is other interference around and externally shielded is better again for earthing the shield. I was browsing thinking you had a usb connection but you can’t have (USB is usually 2 - 5m cables only not suited for Wx gear…) - most are wireless, so otherwise it would be just a similar network type cable.
So for anyone else wanting to extend a USB system, these devices look great for converting to Cat5 cable ofr a USB application - most were described as USB 1.1 though - so not for USB2.0 devices like the Logitech webcams… I’ll leave the data below despite being irrelevant to the question!!
Get the externally shielded cable if you can, there is documented evidence somewhere of it being used to extend usb performace I believe. I’ll go do a search in Google… haha! I might need a technical type of search engine though… I believe other devices like webcams need a whole lot of higher quality cable for their comms and “Active” extensions etc. to boost the signals.
Graeme
Found this link for a booster converter… Buy.com for $26 on special now save $44. Free delivery…
http://www.buy.com/prod/usb-over-cat5e-extender/q/loc/101/204253306.html
Cheaper than Tiger-Direct for same product… $39.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2893288&CatId=444
and cheaper than CablesToGo…
http://search.cablestogo.com/?qu=cat5e+to+usb&c=y1
Damn, you mean I’ll have to disconnect my USB2.0 Logitech Notebook Pro that has been working perfectly using these with 100’ of CAT5 for the past two years? Used it with a Logitech 4000 and a Microsoft Lifecam also. What a shame. 
–Dave
Bad news eh Dave :lol:
Looks to me like they are $44, you save $26 over the regular price… 
Re: Cat-5 usb extender
See this thread:
http://discourse.weather-watch.com/t/32427
Then go to e-Bay and search for “usb rj45 extender” and “usb rj45 extension”
I was able to obtain a couple of sets of these for about US$20 each by careful bidding on eBay, from a seller in California. They arrived in about a week. See the referenced thread for my findings so far.
Steve
I don’t think USB is relevant folks. The question was:
“Anyone had any luck using cat 5 cable or might it lose signal. I’ll need to use about 100ft from the ISS to the console.”
Looks like it concerns an extension for a wired VP2.
Oh … well that’s a very different matter
NEVER MIND !
Steve
Exactly Niko and I had altered my comment to suit:-
[size=83]Not sure what cable you have on them initially, but Cat5E is better if there is other interference around and externally shielded is better again for earthing the shield. [/size]
But for the special prices I found for extending USB for those thinking of the other type of extension, - as it happens, N7XSQ had found cheaper ones on EBay… - it was totally irrelevant as I realised but shared the findings anyway. Perhaps the error of $44 vs $26 was not so special… :oops:
Dave, I think the latest Logitech Pro 9000 is very sensitive on cable type, unless USB is actually inferior to CAT5. I found the non PRO Logitech ran ok with a longish extension, but the PRO blacked out… so unless upgrading to a PRO 9000, I think you will be good to go! Sheesh! 100ft - that’s pretty impressive.
Graeme