PM2+ cable for e-row

[smokelessjoe]

I've long ago lost the cable that allowed me to hook up my PM2+ to a computer so I could run e-row.

I've seen some posts on various websites that say all you need is a standard RJ11 phone cable and an RJ11 to DB9 adapter.

It's the adapter that's the tricky part. I can only find adapters that come disassembled and I don't know the right way to insert the six pins of the RJ11 side into the nine holes of the DB9 side.

Amazon has a typical adapter here, you can see how it needs to be assembled:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NC ... d_i=507846

So... two questions:

1. Is there anywhere I can just buy a cable that'll work with my PM2+? I'm kinda tired of trying to assemble my own. I just want something that works.

2. Does anyone know how to properly assemble the RJ11 to DB9 adapter?

Thanks!

[Citroen]

I doubt you'd find anything that's ready built. You're also going to need a RS232 to USB adapter since none of the computers I've bought in the last ten years have had RS232 on the board. You should be able to use that RJ11 socket with a stock RJ11 male to RJ11 male cable.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... nics%2C353

Your RJ11 socket then needs to be wired to the DB9 using the wiring spec at the bottom of this page
http://www.concept2.com/service/monitor ... cification

[Carl Watts]

e-Row has been dead for some years now and it has moved on to become RowPro.

You can still run those 2D graphics but the 3D is now so much better and if you want to row online this is now the only option.

The PM2+ works well with RowPro V3.016 and also I have tried it with V3.3 and it looks all okay except for a small bug Pete at Digital Rowing has been notified about.

I run a Keyspan USB to Serial adapter and this comes with software for Windows XP so you can monitor the comm's if you have any trouble but Windows 8 is just plug and play now and had it up and running in under 1 minute once you change the setting in RowPro to the right USB port.

[smokelessjoe]

The wiring specification, listed under "Physical Connections" at:

http://www.concept2.com/service/monitor ... cification

was a HUGE help. Thank you!

I also found the "Registered Jack" article on Wikipedia to be really helpful too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RJ11#RJ11

especially when wiring the adapter.

If anyone else is trying to do this, the important parts of the two links above can be summarized like this:

Wire the adapter so that:
- the BLACK wire goes to pin 5
- the RED wire goes to pin 3
- the GREEN wire goes to pin 2

I also contacted Concept2 support and the wonderful person there said that BOTH the cable and the adapter are available for purchase directly from them. The cable is PN1419 and the adapter is PN1420. They cost $3.70 each. That's probably the easiest option if you don't mind waiting a couple days for the parts to be delivered.

Finally, I bought a cheapo 9-pin serial to USB adapter from Fry's. The installation software was kinda non-intuitive, but it worked fine.

So hooray, everything works! Yeah, e-row is old and probably dead, but it's functional. Besides, even if I dropped the Franklin to buy RowPro, I'd STILL need that cable to attach the PM2+ to a computer.

Thanks again for the help!

[smokelessjoe]

One more thing, e-row does NOT like Windows 7. I could not get e-row to recognize the PM2+ when using Windows 7. However, when I reformatted the drive and installed Windows XP on the SAME SYSTEM, e-row talked to the PM2+ like a champ. Whatever. It works. I'm happy.

[Carl Watts]

Yes Windows 7 and Windows 8 are different. The next version of RowPro will only work on Windows 7 & 8.

The PM2+ should work well on RowPro although the monitor is limited as it doesn't have a graphics display. The lower half of the PM3 or PM4 display can be configured by RowPro to display additional useful information.

Still like the PM2 though, nice and simple, provides all the basic info and is easy to work on.

[Ferry5]

[...]
If anyone else is trying to do this, the important parts of the two links above can be summarized like this:

Wire the adapter so that:
- the BLACK wire goes to pin 5
- the RED wire goes to pin 3
- the GREEN wire goes to pin 2

Dear smokelessjoe,

I have read your post with great enthusiasm and want to make this cable (for my PM2+) too.
I have found a 9pin serial cable that I have stripped so all the wires are showing, then I have done the same for a 'phone plug' with 4 wires. Now comes the tricky part and my question to you:

Which wire do I connect to which wire?

You write about pin numbers but both plugs have a pin 2, pin 3 and pin 5 as far as I can tell. But then, I am pretty much an idiot when it comes to this stuff.

My question to you is:

Could you please let me know (in schematic form) which wire on the 9p plug goes to which wire on the phone plug?

My 9pin plug has the following colors:
Brown- p1
Red - p2
Orange- p3
Yellow- p4
Green- p5
Blue- p6
Purple- p7
Light grey- p8
Black- p9
(every hole on the front of the plug has a number next to it)

My phone plug has the following colors (when counting according to the photograph on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RJ11#RJ11):
<empty> -p1
Orange - p2
Blue - p3
White/blue - p4
White/Orange - p5
<empty> - p6

I have now wired them like this:

9pin connector -> phone connector
Black- p9 -> White/Orange - p5
Red - p2 -> Blue - p3
Green- p5 -> Orange - p2

Is this the correct way?

I hope you can help me out.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Ferry
(Holland)

[Ferry5]

FYI: the way I wired the cable it does not work. I hope some insight from someone can help me out.