From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@mac.com>

Date: April 22, 2009 4:39:01 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Re: firewire cables...

Thanks Milton, I`m thinking of changing my plans & building a roll-top shed like the one in the link you sent me. I`d have to site it elsewhere than the front garden to please my mother & run a long power cord to a computer in the shed. So far all the sheds I`m seeing have gables but I`ll talk to my brother who has the building experience about it. What`s the life expectancy for the Intel Mac Mini last you heard? I`m going to be flat out affording a concrete slab, shed & new computer before the end of the year. I`d like to have one computer over near the house to be near the satellite broadband connection if possible. We have an airport connection set-up with an antenna but at present that`s with one base station & is only in line of sight of the antenna. Moreover no matter what I shift to external HDs my old computer is gradually filling it`s HD ( it was upgraded to 120 GB & is now down to 60GB or so). Mark.

On 23/04/2009, at 7:47 AM, Milton Aupperle wrote:

Mark;

Unibrain does make a Ethernet to FireWire repeater.

http://www.unibrain.com/Products/p1394/cat5.htm

That's what I thought you were talking about.

If not, then you should not be using FireWire cables over 4.5 meters

MAXIMUM between devices.

If you use longer cables especially with multiple FireWire devices,

then you run the risk of it not working properly.

Milton Aupperle

On 22-Apr-09, at 3:35 PM, Mark Gaffney wrote:

Milton, You must be suggesting a different sort of repeater to the one

I have here, surely?;

"...Not if it's connected purely by FireWire. The only way a

repeater can do that is if it uses optical cable or Ethernet and you

have 2 boxes. Basically it's:

Mac <-> Firewire1 <-> Repeater <-> Optical / Ethernet Cable <->

Repeater2 <-> Firewire <-> Camera...."

Mine has inputs/outputs only for 3 firewire cables & also a power

source (I assume 12volt ).

Mark.

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