This is a guide to make your own cheap and reliable variable length OC-E2 or OC-E3 cable using CAT5 (ethernet cable).

I was tired of having the small length on my hot shoe cable, and thats why I decided to change the cable, and to make it into a flexible length. I'm using CAT5 since it is cheap, and you can find it in almost any IT store. This is also an easy way to have a variable length.

 

 

First of all, you need:
 - OC-E2/OC-E3 (or equivalent)
 - Soldering iron + solder
 - CAT5 cable (1M + [optional] some more with variable lengths)
 - 1 CAT5 female to female (2 if you want variable cable length)
 - Something to cut with + a screwdriver

1. Unscrew the underside of both ends on your OC-E2/3 cable.

 

 

2. Remember the color order (take a picture) - there should be six wires.

 

 

3. Cut your CAT5 cable in two pieces. Inside you'll see eight wires. Since we only need six you can double up the ground and the center pin, which seems to make the most sense. The original ground wire is particularly large in comparison to the others and is also shielded differentlyand. Attach a CAT5 cable in each house, either solder them to the current wires or to the pins (depends on how much space you have there). Use some isolation (tape etc.) to avoid short circuit.

 

 

4. Now, when both ends has been connected with your CAT5, screw back the lid of each house.

 

 

Thats it!

You can now put an extra CAT5 (using a second female to female adapter) cable between your original cable, and by this you can have a variable length of OC-E2/3 cable.

 

 

I have tested mine with a 11 meter CAT5 cable (10+1 meter), ad it works perfectly (tested with a Canon Speedlite 270EX).