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Topic:
RTI pigtails
This thread has 17 replies. Displaying posts 1 through 15.
Post 1 made on Saturday December 15, 2007 at 14:30
roddymcg
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What is the deal with these things. I ran into issues with my first RP-6 using them. Pulled them out and have not used one since. Close to 2 years now. But I keep reading where guys are checking to make sure someone is using them in trouble shooting.

Just trying to learn, not questioning anybody...
When good enough is not good enough.
Post 2 made on Saturday December 15, 2007 at 14:48
Glackowitz
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the RP-6 ports have the 4 conductors, 12v, groound, IR, sense trigger...somthing like that

the pigtails take out the sense trigger and power

so now your stuffing a mono plug 2 pin into a 4 pin plug....whats getting added to you emitter?? a little power on the sense trigger?? a little power to the IR signal?? a little ground FB to the sense trigger??

I have always used them with no issues..although I was short 1 on a job and went without the pigtail but did find one from another room in the house with extras the next day so I installed it.

HMMM a call to RTI to see??
There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
Post 3 made on Saturday December 15, 2007 at 16:56
drobaina
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A small adapter plug would have been nicer than those pigtails though.
Post 4 made on Saturday December 15, 2007 at 17:33
markrubin
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better than the o ring you had to install on leads to the IRF-6

say: anyone notice the RTI site still shows XP-8 availability 4th quarter 2007? it should not be long now
Post 5 made on Sunday December 16, 2007 at 08:29
Springs
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Showed up on a job and the installer had not used the pigtails. Stuff would sort of respond. Every soften something worked but mostly not. Think like 80% failure rate.

Tried relearning codes to no avail. Added back in the pig tails, no change.

Took out a new set if IR wires and plugged them into the pigtails. 100% operation. Looks like the emitters were damaged when connected without pigtails. NEVER AGAIN!
OP | Post 6 made on Sunday December 16, 2007 at 13:13
roddymcg
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On December 16, 2007 at 08:29, Springs said...
Showed up on a job and the installer had not used the
pigtails. Stuff would sort of respond. Every soften something
worked but mostly not. Think like 80% failure rate.

Tried relearning codes to no avail. Added back in the
pig tails, no change.

Took out a new set if IR wires and plugged them into the
pigtails. 100% operation. Looks like the emitters were
damaged when connected without pigtails. NEVER AGAIN!

This is where my confusion lies, I have lost count how many RP-6's I have used and none of them have a pigtail...
When good enough is not good enough.
Post 7 made on Sunday December 16, 2007 at 15:31
mwcxiii
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if you want to see what can happen if you don't use the pigtails use one of the ir emitters that come with a russound CAV and plug one of them into an RP6. make sure you have some adequate ventilation too
OP | Post 8 made on Sunday December 16, 2007 at 15:36
roddymcg
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On December 16, 2007 at 15:31, mwcxiii said...
if you want to see what can happen if you don't use the
pigtails use one of the ir emitters that come with a russound
CAV and plug one of them into an RP6. make sure you have
some adequate ventilation too

I have used both Xantech and Speakercraft IR products. I have no experience with Russound....
When good enough is not good enough.
Post 9 made on Sunday December 16, 2007 at 16:37
Ernie Bornn-Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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Roddy,
I called RTI before I ever plugged one in. They said that the hole that the plug body goes into is too small for some IRs so they made these pigtails with skinnier bodies. I think that's only part of the truth.

If voltage is available on those jacks, you'd expect to blow an LED if you plug it in with the power on. None of us EVER change connections with ANY power on, so that could NEVER be a problem, could it? Roddy, if you've always had the power off when connecting LEDs, that would explain all working well. But expect to lose and LED if you plug it in or unplug it with the power on.

But if power is on those jacks in a sleeve position, plugging in a normal mini jack wold short that power, so that doesn't totally ring true.

But the jack could be longer, or deeper, than a normal mini jack with the power at the very end. In that case, RTI would have to have a special cable for the things that need that power. I haven't asked as I haven't needed to.

On December 15, 2007 at 17:33, markrubin said...
say: anyone notice the RTI site still shows XP-8 availability
4th quarter 2007? it should not be long now

Right. 15 days or it's a lie!
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
OP | Post 10 made on Sunday December 16, 2007 at 17:07
roddymcg
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Oh yeah, I always turn off power when plugging in emitters, Uh well I should. But I am as bad as anyone at this, if not worse than most to be honest.
When good enough is not good enough.
Post 11 made on Sunday December 16, 2007 at 23:30
AndyM
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I've only had one system ever put in without the pigtails (we since fired the moron who installed it) and that T2+/RP6 set up has been nothing but problems. I may have to go and gut the whole thing.
Post 12 made on Monday December 17, 2007 at 00:27
brucelee
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On December 16, 2007 at 16:37, Ernie Bornn-Gilman said...
But the jack could be longer, or deeper, than a normal
mini jack with the power at the very end. In that case,
RTI would have to have a special cable for the things
that need that power. I haven't asked as I haven't needed
to.

It pretty obviously is longer than a standard mini jack. Hold an IR emitter plug next to the pigtail and you can see that the tip connection on the pigtail sticks out farther. The standard stereo/mono mini jack's tip actually lines up with the first ring connection on the pigtail.

Bruce
Post 13 made on Monday December 17, 2007 at 13:31
Ernie Bornn-Gilman
Yes, That Ernie!
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Interesting. Why would they make a pigtail with a plug longer than an IR plug if the point of the pigtail is to make sure that IR plugs only connect with IR and ground? Maybe the story about plugs being too wide to fit into the RTI chassis outer hole is the entire truth and the pigtail brings all the conductors out!

Is there a fourth connection, that is, a second sleeve, on the pigtail plug? I haven't seen one in months.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 14 made on Monday December 17, 2007 at 20:41
The8thst
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364
The CM232, VPS1 and SPS1 all have 4 conductors that run to the RP6 and the plugs are a little longs than a standard 3.5mm jack.

The pigtails serve two puroses:
1. The have the full sized jack with all 4 conductors for a positive fit, but they only have 2 conductors (ground and IR out) wired to the plug.
2. They have a true standard mono 3.5mm female jack to hold the emitter connector tighter (try plugging an emitter in one, they actually lock pretty good) and, since it is only a 2 conductor jack the manufacturing tolerances for the emitter and 3.5mm to 3.5mm cables can vary more without causing problems.

I have never had much of an issue with emitter connections being too tempermental, but the 3.5 to 3.5 cables I get would almost never work if the installer forgot to use the pigtails.

I think over the last two years I have fixed intermittent problems with about 20 RTI installs by simply adding the pigtails.

For my installers, the pigtails are mandatory on all cables other than RTI accessories.
Post 15 made on Monday December 17, 2007 at 21:29
AndyM
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On December 17, 2007 at 20:41, The8thst said...
For my installers, the pigtails are mandatory on all cables
other than RTI accessories.

Ditto
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