Allison J Parent wrote:
> 
> <I picked up a couple of HA4000's recently, having only seen them
> <before in pictures.  I was interested in putting some real DEC
> <equipment into my home network of Vaxes and Pmaxes.  However,
> <giving them a good look, I realize I don't have the foggiest
> <idea how to hook them up.  In the middle of the device, there
> <is a clamp, with a little sharp thingy that looks like it's supposed
> <to dig into a wire of some kind, passing through there.  Would
> <that be a thinnet coaxial cable?
> 
> It's for thick eithernet cable and the sortest recommended segment of it
> would be 25 meters.  You will also need a special tool to drill the cable
> so the spike doesn't short the center conductor to the shield.
> 
> Allison

Not sure about the special tool, if you look at the old style
transceivers, you find that the sharp pin is insulated right up to the
tip. The action of clamping the cable with the two halves of the
transceiver punctures the cable, passes right through the screen and
polythene and pierces the centre conductor to make the connection. At
least, that worked for me. Most of the cable i've seen was double
screened (2 screen braids insulated from each other) and was yellow, but
have also used RG8/U in the past. Would think any 50r cable of the right
diameter would work...

Rgrds, Chris