PD Charge Wizard extension?

[JimInMich]

I need a longer cable for my PD Charge Wizard. The end looks like a 4 wire phone cable, but I don't have anything around the house to confirm. So, can I just get a phone extension cable ( male to female ) to do the job?

[Cydog15]

DrewE wrote:

Cydog15 wrote:

I find this interesting because I too contacted them and asked for a longer cable and got a message back from engineering that is would cause EMI issues. I didn't try it so I asked Bestconverer and they said they have been begging for a longer cable too but they just won't do it. This was on the 4600 series which they now make a pendant for BTW with the correct connector.

I suspect that's mostly CYA on the part of Progressive Dynamics. If they had much reason to worry about EMI, their supplied connection lead would not be unshielded, non-twisted pair telephone wire.

All I know with absolute certainty is that, so far, it has worked perfectly for me with my ca. 6 foot addition of cat-5 cable spliced into the factory wire, and I don't expect anything else in the future unless there's some actual physical problem (a broken connection or whatever).

I think its great DrewE. It's a pain to splice that rascal but know it can be done with patience.

[DrewE]

Cydog15 wrote:

I find this interesting because I too contacted them and asked for a longer cable and got a message back from engineering that is would cause EMI issues. I didn't try it so I asked Bestconverer and they said they have been begging for a longer cable too but they just won't do it. This was on the 4600 series which they now make a pendant for BTW with the correct connector.

I suspect that's mostly CYA on the part of Progressive Dynamics. If they had much reason to worry about EMI, their supplied connection lead would not be unshielded, non-twisted pair telephone wire.

All I know with absolute certainty is that, so far, it has worked perfectly for me with my ca. 6 foot addition of cat-5 cable spliced into the factory wire, and I don't expect anything else in the future unless there's some actual physical problem (a broken connection or whatever).

[Cydog15]

RoyB wrote:
Jim...



I would look on AMAZON to see what they have...


RoyB VA

Why is that?

[Cydog15]

ve7prt wrote:

DrewE wrote:
I extended my PD remote cable by cutting it and splicing in a section of wire, in my case cat-5 network wire as that's what I had handy to work with. Any straight-through wired extension should work just as well.

I don't know offhand if it's a serial digital interface between the two or just two wires directly wired to the pushbutton switch and two for the LED indicator. If it's the latter, wire length and type are pretty much immaterial (at least within reason--miles of wire might pose problems). If it's the former, it's conceivable that the wire characteristics might matter somewhat, though it doesn't appear that they use anything at all special like twisted pair wire. For modest lengths, it's an academic concern anyway.

For people thinking of flush-mounting the remote: take note that the top and bottom of the remote pendant case (at least the current version of it) are rounded off, but the sides are cut pretty much square. The basic result is that cutting a basic rectangular hole in luan or whatever for it tends to make the gap at the top and bottom look bigger than at the sides. If you're not too much of a perfectionist, it doesn't really matter much. I suspect undercutting the top and bottom carefully would avoid this possible annoyance.

I did the same thing on the CW for my stick house system PD9145. I called PD first and the only caution they gave was to ensure I didn't cross any wires, but really any 3-conductor wire should work. I don't remember if the tech gave me a maximum length, but I only spliced in about 10ft cable, and it works perfectly.

Cheers!
Mike

I find this interesting because I too contacted them and asked for a longer cable and got a message back from engineering that is would cause EMI issues. I didn't try it so I asked Bestconverer and they said they have been begging for a longer cable too but they just won't do it. This was on the 4600 series which they now make a pendant for BTW with the correct connector.

[ve7prt]

DrewE wrote:
I extended my PD remote cable by cutting it and splicing in a section of wire, in my case cat-5 network wire as that's what I had handy to work with. Any straight-through wired extension should work just as well.

I don't know offhand if it's a serial digital interface between the two or just two wires directly wired to the pushbutton switch and two for the LED indicator. If it's the latter, wire length and type are pretty much immaterial (at least within reason--miles of wire might pose problems). If it's the former, it's conceivable that the wire characteristics might matter somewhat, though it doesn't appear that they use anything at all special like twisted pair wire. For modest lengths, it's an academic concern anyway.

For people thinking of flush-mounting the remote: take note that the top and bottom of the remote pendant case (at least the current version of it) are rounded off, but the sides are cut pretty much square. The basic result is that cutting a basic rectangular hole in luan or whatever for it tends to make the gap at the top and bottom look bigger than at the sides. If you're not too much of a perfectionist, it doesn't really matter much. I suspect undercutting the top and bottom carefully would avoid this possible annoyance.

I did the same thing on the CW for my stick house system PD9145. I called PD first and the only caution they gave was to ensure I didn't cross any wires, but really any 3-conductor wire should work. I don't remember if the tech gave me a maximum length, but I only spliced in about 10ft cable, and it works perfectly.

Cheers!
Mike

[DrewE]

I extended my PD remote cable by cutting it and splicing in a section of wire, in my case cat-5 network wire as that's what I had handy to work with. Any straight-through wired extension should work just as well.

I don't know offhand if it's a serial digital interface between the two or just two wires directly wired to the pushbutton switch and two for the LED indicator. If it's the latter, wire length and type are pretty much immaterial (at least within reason--miles of wire might pose problems). If it's the former, it's conceivable that the wire characteristics might matter somewhat, though it doesn't appear that they use anything at all special like twisted pair wire. For modest lengths, it's an academic concern anyway.

For people thinking of flush-mounting the remote: take note that the top and bottom of the remote pendant case (at least the current version of it) are rounded off, but the sides are cut pretty much square. The basic result is that cutting a basic rectangular hole in luan or whatever for it tends to make the gap at the top and bottom look bigger than at the sides. If you're not too much of a perfectionist, it doesn't really matter much. I suspect undercutting the top and bottom carefully would avoid this possible annoyance.

[JimInMich]

Not going too far with it. The converter is located under the bed, at the foot of the bed no less. I don't want to install the wizard at the base, might get kicked. So I just need to run it up the head of the bed, inside the bedside closet and out someplace visible.

[wa8yxm]

Ok, the problem with using Phone cables to work with RV devices is not applicable to this discussion so I won't go into it.

A standard phone cable the wires are Reversed end to end, that is if you lay the cable flat the TAB will be up on one end and DOWN on the other.. WHen you plug it into a standard coupler, it usually does the same thing.

The result is pin 1,,, is still pin one, Pin 2 is still pin 2 and so on

In short, it works as designed, perfectly.

The only possible issue would be the cable length... I'd say if you extend hundrds of feet you might have an issue.. 10 feet (or less) no problem at all.

[JimInMich]

Thanx guys.

[mgirardo]

Bumpyroad wrote:
there is a small female/female device that you can also use to join them.
bumpy

This is called an inline coupler. Anywhere that still sells phone cords should sell them for a few dollars.

-Michael

[RoyB]

I wimped out on mounting my PD9260C Charge Wizard somewhere permanent.

My PD9260C converter/charger is mounted inside one of my cabinets which is the closest inside place I could mount my converter to be closest to the battery bank.

My Charge Wizzard is just laying on the floor inside the cabinet so when I want to use it I just open the cabinet door and find it haha..

I probably should mount mine recessed in the area between the door and the wall. The 1/4-inch plyboard panel board would be easy to cut-out a hole for it...


Roy's image

Roy Ken

[Bumpyroad]

there is a small female/female device that you can also use to join them.
bumpy

[23hotrodr]

It is a common modular phone connection. So, yes.

[RoyB]

Jim...

My PD9260C converter/charger manual calls it a rj9 4p4c type modular connector...

The RJ9 is a standard 4 wire phone connector...

My PD9260C WIZARD Pendant has the cable permanent on the pendant end and uses a male RJ9 modular conenctor on the other end of the long cable...

You can find long lengths of RJ9 Male to Male cords but a RJ9 Male to Female is usually a short adapter type cord.

I would look on AMAZON to see what they have...

I like RoyB MA's comment on splicing in a four wire cable in the pendant unit.

Roy Ken
RoyB VA