3 pin dmx cable connector swap

jayvee

Well-Known Member
I have a bunch of actual 3pin DMX cable and would like to put 5pin connectors on instead so I can quit using adapters. Is there any drawback to this? I know DMX only uses pins 1-3 technically, right?
 
Assuming the 3-pin cable is DMX grade and not microphone cable, this is perfectly acceptable.
 
Only draw back is time and labor and if that equates to less than purchasing 5 pin cable you are good to go. In theory you should only need one adapter if you just buy the 5pin cables to go between the fixtures and leave your home run 3 pin. Which most of the time buying is cheaper especially if you explain to the bean counters how much it cost to swap out cable connectors.
 
If you got the time and the soldering skills... oh, and you have to buy new connectors.

Personally, I got the latter, not the former. I do volunteer work, so labor charges aren't really relevant, but if that comes into play, it's almost impossible to justify this effort just for OCD over adapters.
 
I think in your situation if you are only using 3 pins, it wouldn't be a big deal. I believe the standard is for all 5 pins to be "utilized" but, I have gotten rental cable that was 3 pin with the connectors replaced with 5 pin. I have also been in a situation that the fixture actually did need all 5 pins, but that's rare I think.

I personally do think it's worth the time and money to swap them because I HATE using adapters. I feel like you're just adding failure points. From 1 fixture to the next with 5 pin DMX you have 5 failure points: the 2 fixtures DMX ports, the 2 DMX cable connectors and the cable itself. But with the adapters you have 9 failure points in my opinion: the 2 fixtures, the 2 5pin sides of the adapter, the 2 3 pin sides of the adapters, the 2 connectors on the cable and the cable itself.

Since you already have adapters, this work doesn't need to happen all at once. Buy 10 sets of connectors, and swap 1 cable every work call, or show call, when you're already on the clock. That will help with labor costs. After a few months you'll have all your connectors swapped.

Just my opinion.
 
I have also been in a situation that the fixture actually did need all 5 pins, but that's rare I think.
Not just rare, but totally unheard of. We've discussed alternate uses for pins4&5, but I'm certain a fixture "needing all five pins" was never a part of it.

Please prove me wrong.
 
Not just rare, but totally unheard of. We've discussed alternate uses for pins4&5, but I'm certain a fixture "needing all five pins" was never a part of it.

Please prove me wrong.
It was a custom built star drop. They had power running on pin 4 I believe. The rental 5pin (3pin with the connectors swapped out) didn't work, as soon we put in good quality 5 pin, it worked great.

it was the first time I had ever run into something actually needing pin 4 or 5. So, there you go, not unheard of anymore.
 
Thank you. I have heard of, and considered, Pin4power devices, but we were talking data... How about "Non-DMX512 complaint devices don't count"?

Here's one of the more informative discussions https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/saturday-at-namm-live-blog.44989/post-393035 and the next ten or so posts.

Sounds good, we'll take my example of needing more than the 3 pins out of the equation. Let me re-phrase my stance.

I think in the OP's situation swapping for 5pin connectors wouldn't be a big deal. Although, I do believe the standard is for all 5 pins to be "utilized"

I personally do think it's worth the time and money to swap them because I HATE using adapters. I feel like you're just adding failure points. From 1 fixture to the next with 5 pin DMX you have 5 failure points: the 2 fixtures DMX ports, the 2 DMX cable connectors and the cable itself. But with the adapters you have 9 failure points in my opinion: the 2 fixtures, the 2 5pin sides of the adapter, the 2 3 pin sides of the adapters, the 2 connectors on the cable and the cable itself.

Since you already have adapters, this work doesn't need to happen all at once. Buy 10 sets of connectors, and swap 1 cable every work call, or show call, when you're already on the clock. That will help with labor costs. After a few months you'll have all your connectors swapped.

Just my opinion.
 
Sounds good, we'll take my example of needing more than the 3 pins out of the equation. Let me re-phrase my stance.

I think in the OP's situation swapping for 5pin connectors wouldn't be a big deal. Although, I do believe the standard is for all 5 pins to be "utilized"

I personally do think it's worth the time and money to swap them because I HATE using adapters. I feel like you're just adding failure points. From 1 fixture to the next with 5 pin DMX you have 5 failure points: the 2 fixtures DMX ports, the 2 DMX cable connectors and the cable itself. But with the adapters you have 9 failure points in my opinion: the 2 fixtures, the 2 5pin sides of the adapter, the 2 3 pin sides of the adapters, the 2 connectors on the cable and the cable itself.

Since you already have adapters, this work doesn't need to happen all at once. Buy 10 sets of connectors, and swap 1 cable every work call, or show call, when you're already on the clock. That will help with labor costs. After a few months you'll have all your connectors swapped.

Just my opinion.
Good idea!
 

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