jipping@cs.hope.edu (Mike Jipping) (09/23/89)
Thanks to all who responded! There are basically three non-Sun routes for the Mini-DIN plug. (1) Buy/Steal the mini-DIN from a cable company (WORKABLE): This is the route I took, since I knew someone at a cable supply company locally. [And since my request took so LOOONG to work through Sun-Spots.] I asked for a sample mini-DIN. With most large-volume companies, samples are plentiful; mine came with a coffee cup! I still had to be the audio jacks from Radio Shack. BEWARE: on a "virgin" mini-DIN, the pins are close to microscopic, which means soldering takes five hands and is next to impossible. This scheme works. Looks like a kludge, but it works! COST: $1.67 for the jacks from RS. (2) Get a plug made for a Macintosh serial port (BETTER): The Sun audio plug is the same as a Mac serial port plug. Get a cable, and cut off one end. Solder up the wires. Better yet, go Mac to Laserwriter -- male to male -- and cut in half. You got two plugs. This scheme sure saves the soldering on the mini-DIN and looks nicer. COST: local Apple store say such a cable is $16 to $20. Mail I received claimed $5, but I couldn't verify it. At $20, it's worth it! Don't forget the audio jacks. (3) Order the plug/cable from MISCO, Inc. (BEST? SAME?) This is the same as above; you can specifically order a male-to-male. Mail address is: MISCO One MISCO Plaza Holmdel, NJ 07733 (800) 876-4726. A 5-foot cable (# YN0269M/M) is $16.50. Again, there's an audio jack cost. There it is. Thanks to all who responded and will respond. In particular, thanks to Mike Wagner <wagner@cadillac.siemens.com>, Brian Kantor <brian@ucsd.edu>, and Bill Carpenter <wjc@hoswjc.ATT.COM>. Mike Jipping Internet: jipping@cs.hope.edu Hope College BITNET: JIPPING@HOPE Department of Computer Science Voice: Hey!