Telescope Reviews: Replacing the coiled handbox cord

Meade handset cords are pinned crossover. Which means that the way the wire is in one end, it's opposite on the other end. Phone cord may or may not be pinned like that.

Standard phone handset cord also may only have two wires pinned instead of four. They used to make them like that, but I don't know about these days, since all my phones are wireless.

But, you can always make a new cord if you have the proper tool for crimping the connectors. All you have to do is look at the wires in the connectors and make your cord the same way. Any phone cord will work as long as it has 4 wires, which 99.9% of all standard phone line has four wires.

If you're making a cord for something else, like for an LXD75 handset, then you need network cable, which on the Autostar for the LXD75 is an 8 wire cable. I make cables all the time for my stuff, since I sometimes don't like the coiled cords, and like to get farther away from the scope than the stock cord will allow. I also made cables for upgrading my hand controllers without having to bring the scopes into the house.

And to answer the question, all phone and network related cable has the same gauge wire in it. So it's just a matter of getting the right connectors and pinning them to correct way. And the length of the wire usually doesn't make a difference, unless you're planning on running it down the block. It's all low voltage stuff, and the cable doesn't need to be a certain length to work correctly.

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The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked

12" Starhopper / Coronado PST
Stellarvue 20x85mm Binocular / LXD75 Mount
Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM
Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC OS
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM