Bruce LeGrande wrote in a message to JONATHAN LESLIE:
 BL> JONATHAN LESLIE wrote in a message to BRUCE LEGRANDE:
BL> but I intend to install a couple spring-steel wipers on the
BL> card-frame a 
BL> JL> each side of the RJ-45 jack hoping that will reduce what little 
BL> JL> noise th 
BL> JL> is. 
 JL> Bruce, what are these wipers, how do you build them, and how do you
 JL> install them on the NIC?  Never heard of anything like that but it
 JL> sounds like a good idea! 
 BL> Well, Jonathan...  I don't know exactly how to describe them 
 BL> (as I haven't made them - yet :), but I figure I need to find 
 BL> some sort of springy type metal like perhaps a piece of watch 
 BL> spring, or maybe some of those spring metal strips used in SOME 
 BL> older computers (like Packard Bells and AT&T)
Funny you should mention PB as that's exactly who came to mind when I saw 
this go by the first time around...
 BL> to make connection from the bottom of the case to the top and 
 BL> sides as they slide into place. 
Lots of those "compact desktop" cases that you can't upgrade and that were 
real popular when the 386sx machines were big sellers use this stuff.
 BL> After finding something like this, 
Try a roofing supply place for "flashing" or a crafts store,  or maybe a 
hobby shop.  I've seen thin sheet copper and brass available in places like 
that.
 BL> I'll need to cut it to the right size and shape them to allow 
 BL> for a means of attaching them to the mounting plate in the card 
 BL> (probably with small threaded hardware), which will mean that 
 BL> I'll need to (CAREFULLY) drill some very small holes in this 
 BL> mounting plate to each side of the RJ-45 jack for the screws to 
 BL> hold the spring contacts.  The shape will also need to be 
 BL> curved so as to allow the RJ-45 plugs to slide in/out easily 
 BL> without damage, while still having enough pressure on the plug 
 BL> to make a good connection.  And of course I'll HAVE to use the 
 BL> plugs that have the metal shell that encloses it, so the 
 BL> wiper(s) will have something to make contact with.
 BL> perhaps if I find a strip of contact just the right width, I 
 BL> could bend it -IN- to the jack (on the sides, so it doesn't 
 BL> interfere with the pins) and bend it slightlyat the 'inside 
 BL> end' so that it doesn't 'catch' on the plug when it's pulled 
 BL> out.   But I'd STILL have to either solder the spring contact 
 BL> strips TO the back of card or drill the holes and use small 
 BL> screws and nuts to attach them.
Sure sounds like a lot of work to me!
 BL> I suppose it would be easier to just replace the jacks (if I 
 BL> could find ones with the same contact format, and connection to 
 BL> the PCB in EXACTLY the same way) on the card with a shielded 
 BL> component, but I'm not sure if I want to start un/soldering on 
 BL> the card itself.  :-/
That sounds like a look in the surplus market is in order.  
 BL> If I were making my own cables I would probably just bring the 
 BL> 'drain' wire or the shield out with a braided pigtail a couple 
 BL> inches long with a 'lug' terminal on the end and screw that 
 BL> directly to the computer case/card, but that wouldn't be as 
 BL> easy to connect and disconnect - as the spring steel/copper 
 BL> wiper contacts.
You could always get a few of those clips designed to go over battery posts 
and clip them over the wire-ends.  A wire soldered to them and grounded to 
the case oughta take care of things,  and although this'd make 
connect/disconnect a two-step process it sure doesn't seem to me like it'd be 
near as much of a hassle as what you're describing above.  Do those grounds 
have to go to the _card_?
 BL> When/If I find the RIGHT materials for this and get them built, 
 BL> I'll let you know how they work, or if someone comes up with a 
 BL> better way - I'll be glad to hear about it.
Let me know what you think of the above.
 BL> Forgive me, I tried to make a drawing of what I have in mind 
 BL> with ASCII, but it just didn't look right.  The following MIME 
 BL> file is a PCX graphic just over 3k (80 lines) in size - and I 
 BL> hope it doesn't put me in TOO hot a water with y'all. Any 
 BL> comments on my design/idea is welcome.  And my apologies in 
 BL> advance if this messes with anyones reader. :(  The file SHOULD 
 BL> be able to be saved as a text file (* with no word wrap) and 
 BL> then decoded with a Base64 (MIME) utility. 
Hmm...
Looked at that,  and you gotta consider the way the wires inside the jack 
tend to stick up at a pretty good angle,  you may end up getting in trouble 
with that arrangement.
email: roy.j.tellason%tanstaaf@frackit.com 
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