PRELUDE ...
Nice piece of cable (specifically CAT 5) test equipment from way back in the late 1990's which I thought (at the time of purchase) would be useful for our business wired network but alas it was not to be... WiFi "came of age" and I never got around to actually putting this kit to use at all. So after all these years, it has been patiently waiting to find a purpose in life but I would now seriously doubt the usefulness of this quite bulky 'handheld' test equipment some 20+ years later! That sort of time period is an eternity in the world of electronics, particularly IT and if being used with a wired network, Cat 5e would be the bare minimum although it is more likely fibre would be used. But all is not lost ... think outside the box a little and it is just possible that some 'part' of the kit could still serve a useful purpose and that is the primary reason for this advertisement.
Sustainability
Why do you bother Russ? (I hear you asking). Yes, while this is very old test equipment and considered obsolete by today's contemporary test equipment standards (the reason it was originally disposed of by Pacific Data Cabling), the kit contains many individual parts which may well find a "new life" elsewhere.
Sustainability is not just a trendy idea, it makes perfect sense ...
Sustainability is far more than NOT burying waste material back into the earth but consciously recognising the energy expended to create the item through it's various "stages" in life, beginning with the raw materials being extracted from the earth, processed, finished and then fitted into equipment - every single step used energy which is referred to as embodied energy.
Coming up with an Ee value for EVERYTHING us humans create is an attempt to take into account the energy used for extracting and processing of the raw materials, manufacturing of the component, distribution of the component(s) and final assembly of the component. In fact the measurement of Ee can become extremely complicated and technical, many tertiary institutions are involved in this specialised field of science.
The sole purpose of establishing Ee values is to raise awareness of the extraordinary energy consumed in the creation of various items - it may give you cause to think twice before wasting all that energy and burying it in the ground, with the possible side-effects of poisoning the environment due to leeching.
HERE is a page I have created which gives some tables and more detailed information about specific Ee values for different materials plus a link which you can use as a starting point to investigate Ee for yourself.
After giving this 'time shift obsolescence' problem much thought, I have decided to offer the complete system on a "piecemeal" basis, meaning that I am advertising each separate component by itself so that those interested have the greatest flexibility e.g you may want only the RF Tracer but have no need for the complete "box and dice", so I am offering the option of just purchasing the RF Tracer for example.
So let's get down to the details here ... many parts make up the whole kit, so there is a LOT of detail here
Make yourself a cuppa, take a seat and have a good read through this advertisement description, which my wife jokingly calls "yet another novel"
DATACOM TECHNOLOGIES - Cable Tester Kit
Designed & manufactured in USA
(although some of the auxiliary equipment is NOT USA produced ... details below)
Model: LANcat Vx
Released in 1997 (ish)
This is a complete Cat 5 cable test system (and with some other nifty features such as a talk channel across the network) in a suitcase!
Fully luggable & lockable case but you wouldn't want to move it around for too long, this is quite a heavy kit when the case is fully loaded.
Using different performance modules (these plug into the front of the basic handheld unit), the unit is adaptable to many network types, apparently including fibre
HERE IS A LIST OF THE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS
These will all be advertised as individually "purchasable" items
1: Original Black plastic attache style equipment case
Possible re-use purposes ... other portable electronic equipment, including audio related such as microphones, processors, cabling etc
Very strong, rigid Black plastic case with twin front locks (although I do not have the keys!)
Measurements:
External: 470mm wide x 400mm depth x 125mm height
Internal (Base foam removed): 430mm wide x 330mm depth x 80mm height
Weight (Empty): 2.2Kg
COSMETIC CONDITION:
A couple of "normal use" scuffs but nothing serious and absolutely no structural failure or cracks etc! Foam inside is not crumbling (due to age) and while the base foam is easily removeable, the top side foam appears to be glued in place. The pocket for the manuals is removable though.
Overall, very nice condition
2: Handheld Vx 100Mhz portable test units (2 available)
These are the 'nuts & bolts' of the kit, there are two of them and they are offered separately. The interchangeable Performance Module is NOT include with this handheld unit but available as a separate item.
In a nutshell, this is a 'handheld' (you need strong hands!) unit which interprets the information received from the Performance Module and provides outputs to an inbuilt display or can be sent to a printer via the serial port. There is also voice channel capabilites, used for two way communication between two handheld units.
The LCD display (70mm x 40mm) is monochrome with a Blue/Green backlight (user controllable)
All buttons are of the soft rubber contact type and functionality is controlled by the central continuously rotatable switch.
Ports are provided for serial data out, DC power input and audio out for the earpiece when using the Lan Talk system.
Underneath the secure rear cover is the battery holder, taking lot of (8x) AA 1.5V Alkaline batteries or an optional NiMh battery.
Although the unit is marketed as 'handheld', I would call this MAXI handheld ... it is quite large (and heavy)
I will not go into all the details of the many functions the handheld can perform but to get a rough idea, here are the central switch functions
AUTOTEST
PRNT
CAL
SETUP
EXTENDED FUNCTIONS
REMOTE
TRAFFIC
LENGTH
WIRE MAP
QUICK (Test)
The full, original, printed User Manual is NOT supplied with these handheld units because I am thinking that someone could only want the manuals for their own V Series equipment (which is missing the manuals) however these manuals are listed in this advertisement as a separate item.
Measurements:
External: 245mm length x 100mm width x 60mm thickness
Weight (NO batteries installed): 650g
TESTING:
Although I like to make sure of the equipment condition that I am offering, my tests made have been limited, mainly due to time constraints & lack of a wired network to use for testing.
One unit (Serial # 9704408) appears to function fine
Serial # 9704408
Module ID 0 PASS
Analog ID 14 PASS
CPU ID 2 PASS
BOOT ROM 1.02D0 PASS
MAIN ROM 3.30D2 PASS
REMOTE PASS
RAM TEST PASS
485 DRIVER PASS
SWITCHING TEST PASS
TDR PATH TEST PASS
RF PATH TEST N/A (Remote not connected)
RF PATH TEST FAIL (Remote unit connected)
Initialisation completes and then it waits for something to do! I had a flick around the various functions and looked at the setup in particular (see one of the photographs). I made no attempt at calibration nor connecting the two units together via a piece of cable. Why?
The 'other' unit (Serial # 1704408) needs service!
Initialisation never had a chance!
At first it powered up and then Phat! and a bit of smoke! Same external power supply used as used for the other unit but something went wrong, terribly wrong. I wanted to take a look around inside in any case so I dismantled this unit (taking standard ESD precautions)
These units are very easy to dismantle, with four PCB's which interface nicely with each other using multi-pin connectors between each board (I have included some photographs of these boards). Barely any screws to contend with, except the outer casing (6x screws) The power supply section is the last board and I could instantly see (and smell!) what had happened - one of those dreaded tag tantalum capacitors had exploded (see one of the photographs). I have seen this happen in other old equipment, tag tantalum's tend not to age very well and this one must have gone short (or close enough) as the destruction was dramatic! So, if anyone thought it was worthwhile, some service work is needed on this unit.
Even if the handheld is not considered worthwhile to spend the time on, it may be a good source of spare parts/boards for another V Series handheld, items such as the PCB modules, the display or the rubber button matrix pads.
Oh, although I haven't checked it, I would imagine the 2032 memory button battery would be 'shot' after all these years, that would need to be replaced if the handheld was being pressed back into service
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Clean
Both units have the original ownership proudly etched into the casing i.e PACIFIC DATA CABLING
Both units are in very good condition with practically no body scratching and certainly no cracks etc
All button labelling is clear and unworn
Central function switch is clean and unmarked
Displays are unmarked and show no signs of "dark spots", backlights also work.
3: Australian Standard AC plug pack 14V DC @ 300mA Output With IEC lead (2 Sets Available)
Country of origin is Taiwan not USA
Desk-top power supply - this looks to be linear design, not a SMPS
Part # RPS4805140V1
IEC socket AC input (230~240V)
Output nominally 14V DC @ 300mA
Internally temperature protection (115C)
Positive to the centre pin, 2.5mm ID x 12mm length plug
2 metre DC output lead
IEC power lead with Australian standard GPO plug is included
Measurements:
100mm length x 53mm width x 55mm height
Weight: 500g
TESTING:
Both supplies test fine, 14.25V DC output
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Clean
No damage to the casing, IEC socket or either of the AC IEC lead or the DC output lead & plug
4: Performance Module (2 available)
The Performance Module fits into the 'front' of the handheld unit and, depending upon which optional module is fitted, enables use on various network cable types including RJ-45, Mini-C, 110 Block, BIX Block, Thin or Thick coax using BNC and even ST, SC & FC fiber (although it appears for fibre the handheld only performs as a power meter)
This module is for connection to network cabling using RJ-45
Country of origin USA
Part number is a little confusing ... the datasheet from Datacom indicates this should be a 54457 however the markings on the module, PCB and Cat 5 cable are: 4-97, 13275, 54537 (PCB print) or on the Cat 5 cable, CA 1168820-0002 13359 REV C
Confused? I am, because none of the actual codes can be referenced back to the datasheet but I do notice that the Packing Slip does in fact indicate that this 54457 should be included with the kit (for Cat 5 RJ-45) so all is well with the world!
The Datacom datasheet and a comprehensive multi-page Cable Replacement Procedure guide is also available at a cost of 1 cent cost BUT as I only have one, whoever selects it first will take it away - there is no other hardcopy of these datasheets for the 2nd Performance Module.
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Clean
No damage to the module, the housing or the attached Cat 5 cable with RJ-45 connector
5: Portable Tracer
Country of origin is unknown
It is not indicated who made this device, no mention of Datacom and the Packing list for the LANcat V Series does not mention this device either, I suspect this is an "add-on" to the original kit.
Model number is unknown (not indicated)
Small handheld device to detect radiated emissions. I suspect of limited use as it will (and does) detect generated signals but if working with multiple cables in a bundling situation, this device will only tell you that one or more of the cables is active but which one? ... it cannot pinpoint an individual cable amongst many that are active.
Normally this signal tracer would have a partner, a tone sender, but there is no sender in this kit.
Inside, the circuit looks to be a simple high gain amplifier which amplifies whatever is 'picked up' from the detactable "rubber duckie" antenna and then the amplified signal is fed to an audio amplifier for the internal speaker - nothing elaborate.
Powered by an internal 9V Alkaline battery (not supplied)
One button on the front ... ON (push ON release OFF)
TESTING:
Working fine, I held the device near a data connection (Cat 5e cable) and heard "data noise". I also held it near a power cable and could clearly hear 50Hz hum from the AC supply - a cable sniffer in other words (as long as changing current is passing through the cable, this will work)
Seems reasonably sensitive but move more than a few centimetres away from the cable under test and the signal is lost
There is no volume control and I felt the audio level could have been higher but still usable.
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Clean
No damage to the case or internals
No damage to the nice fat rubber duckie antenna
6: Performance Module Calibration Standard (100 Ohm)
Country of origin USA
Part # 54740
Small PCB module with 3x RJ-45 sockets
Designed as a 100 Ohm calibration standard for the cable testing kit
Untested
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Clean
No physical damage to the PCB or RJ-45 sockets
7: Various RJ-45 Joiners & A RJ-45 ~ 110/BIX Block Adaptor (Packed together)
Country of origin USA
Part # 451A, Plus unmarked items
These are offered as one pack
1x RJ-45 ~ RJ-45 Female joiner (unbranded)
1x RJ-45 Female ~ RJ-45 Female joiner (451A)
1x RJ-45 Female ~ 110/BIX Block adaptor (MOD. TAP.)
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Clean
No physical damage to any of these items
8: Audio Earpiece
Country of origin Japan (?)
Some items in this LANcat V Series are 3rd party sourced, I believe this is one of them. I am guessing this audio earpiece is of Japanese origin due to the name, NAGOYA
Brand: NAGOYA
Model: EP300
Over ear single channel earphone
NOTE: The label on the earpiece declares this is a dynamic microphone ... while it could be used as a pretty strange looking microphone, it is in fact an audio receiver earpiece. The LANcat V Series has a microphone already built into the handheld unit.
Technology: Dynamic insert, over ear
NO foam earpad is provided, although it doesn't appear that this earpiece was ever intended to have one fitted.
Estimated impedance 8 Ohms (based on the DC resistance test)
Included with the kit as part of the LAN Talk system (voice communications over the network) aiding the technicians undertaking network tests.
Lead length is 1 metre
Terminated with a standard 3.5mm mono audio plug (TS type)
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Clean, in particular, the earpiece is clean and actually looks to have had little (if any) used - certainly no earwax or other nasties!
No physical damage to the lead or 3.5mm plug
9: LANcat V Series User Manual plus other printed material
Country of origin USA
Two manuals, one is specific to the LANcat V Series ...
User Manual
Part # 13620
Covers most aspects of operation and theory of operation
A5 format, spiral bound
Approximately 150 pages
Troubleshooting A LAN Made Easy
Datacom publication
Soft cover
Slightly smaller than A5 size
85 pages
Application Note Releases
Issued by Datacom, updates to various aspects of the system, these look to be specifically detailing updates to uploading data from the LANcat V Series to your WIN 95 (!) machine.
Multiple release pages
Packing List and Accessory List
As originally included with the kit, handy as a reference to identifying other Datacom accessories and their part numbers
All of the above hardcopy manuals and single sheets are in very good, easily readable (also good for scanning) condition.
These various paper based items are offered together as one pack, they have now been placed within sealed clear plastic to prevent any degradation of the paper.
Believe it or now (Ripley) ... you have reached the end of this very long description. Pat yourself on the back!
Every item is now packed within clear plastic to both keep everything is good, clean condition and it also helps me ensure the correct pieces are despatched when ordered!
