How easy is it to shorten a phone lead? Standard BT connector. Can the old plug be re-used, or do you need a new one? Special crimp tool? (I'd rather not have a splice in the cable as it would show - and the idea is to make it look neater.)
If you don't want to get a ratchet-crimp tool for the BT431a plugs, there's a cheap alternative, a metal slug that you use in pliers (or a small vice for more even pressure)
Very easy to replace it with a shorter one.
Nope.
Yep.
Yep.
(I'd rather
IME new plug and crimp tool.
Dave Plowman (News) explained :
If you mean the flexible lead, which plugs into the wall socket...
Usually you can unplug the lead at either end, enabling you to just replace the entire lead with a shorter or longer one to suit. You can buy ready made leads of various lengths on ebay.
£15 p & p?
Much cheaper to buy in bulk:
or
They come in all possible lengths?
Before the metal slugs became available (and I think I've seen them even in B&Q) and when crimp tools were too expensive I had acceptable results tapp ing the contacts into place in the plug housing with the snapped off end of a hacksaw blade and a small hammer.
Worth doing a continuity test before cutting an existing cable, as you may need to take the centre pair (at the RJ11 phone end) and move it to the mid dle pair (2 & 5) (at the BT 431A wall end)
Owain
sorry, I didn't look at the P&P, was just showing what was available short of a full crimp tool, not suggesting where to buy from, had mine years from one of the sheds.
And now, having looked at the P&P it says 50p to me ...
Just opened it up again and it still says £15 on my screen!
Did I mangle the original link then? Here's the shipping details page for the item ...
New connector needed. Probably need a crimp tool though. You could fit a box rather than an inline socket.
Brian
I have used one of these kits, no crimp tool required just insert plug and metal block in a small vice to crimp. This kit seems to have suffered cut backs as I am sure the one I got had more than 2 plugs in.
Richard
no, yes, yes
You need a new plug and crimp tool, or you possibly be able to shorten it at the phone end if its hard wired.
FWIW I see 99p + 50p P&P. So you're both seeing things...
Andy
Ah! Using the original link you provided:
clearly (still) shows £15.00 for P&P BUT, if you click on 'View Details', it becomes £0.50 ...
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