RS232 DB9 "Gender Changer"

[Macbeth]

Can anybody tell me what this absurd device is useful for?



I purchased it as a DB9 Null Modem, but the pins are all straight through. Ho hum, at least I could use it as a gender changer... NOT! 

How the flying feck did this thing ever get manufactured, no doubt in thousands?

I got my money back ASAP.

[Richard Crowley]

Can anybody tell me what this absurd device is useful for?

1) Extending the connector out from the panel so you can reach it where it is recessed too far.  If you have never had this problem, consider yourself lucky.
2) "Sacraficial" protection for situations (like testing rigs) where many things are plugged in every day.  When it wears out or breaks, plug in a new "adapter".


Note that it is no longer Politically Correct to question other people's choice of "gender"!   

[Macbeth]

Can anybody tell me what this absurd device is useful for?

1) Extending the connector out from the panel so you can reach it where it is recessed too far.  If you have never had this problem, consider yourself lucky.
2) "Sacraficial" protection for situations (like testing rigs) where many things are plugged in every day.  When it wears out or breaks, plug in a new "adapter".


Note that it is no longer Politically Correct to question other people's choice of "gender"!   

I bought this to use with my HP6632B serial port. It would not even fit before I found out how useless it was as the hex nuts interfered with the same on the HP and so it was impossible to plug in.

It is also clearly labelled a gender changer, I think it is more of a cock extender, and a useless one at that. It doesn't even add as much as 1"

[electr_peter]

"Male" <-> "female" adapters have some practical uses (extend total cable length, use as sacrificial connector, change size slightly to fit, etc.).
Item in question could be used as a new add on for a connector that was damaged (some pins twisted or similar) - you carefully add this extender to damaged part and have working connector with no soldering.

[pickle9000]

"Male" <-> "female" adapters have some practical uses (extend total cable length, use as sacrificial connector, change size slightly to fit, etc.).
Item in question could be used as a new add on for a connector that was damaged (some pins twisted or similar) - you carefully add this extender to damaged part and have working connector with no soldering.

I second that, whenever you have a cable or a bit of gear to protect M/F adapters are quick and easy.

[Dave Turner]

Also a selection of gender-benders take a lot less space and weight in a portable test kit than umpteen test cables.

[GreyWoolfe]

I use a gender bender on a null modem cable to connect my laptop to the 3COM managed switches we have in the field.

[AG6QR]

What some comments seem to be missing is that this device, despite its label, is not a gender changer.  A gender changer would have either male on both sides or female on both sides.  But this device has one male side and one female side.  And it's wired straight through.  So it's effectively the world's shortest DE-9 extension cable.  The only practical use for it would be to act as a sacrificial connector, I believe. 

Since we don't know what they were thinking when they made it, we can only guess whether they intended to make a gender changer but somehow got the wrong ends, or whether they intended to make a straight through M-F sacrificial adapter, and got the wrong label on it.  Anyway, it seems to me that someone messed up at least a bit.

[Macbeth]

Ok, some people still haven't worked out quite how absurd this device is which is labelled as a "Gender Changer" and was sold as a "M/F Null Modem". I have plenty of F/F DB9 straight through leads and thought this would be useful.

Here is my highly illegal FTDI USB to RS232 adapter (Ok, I don't know if its FTDI yet, but it was dirt cheap). Notice the male pins. I then connect this fantastic "Gender Changer" - which is a straight through, and lo and behold - male pins. So at best it is a penis extension of a fraction of an inch.


People banging on about sacrificial this or that - IT IS LABELLED AS A GENDER CHANGER - it certainly isn't. It was also sold as a NULL MODEM - and it certainly isn't. 

[Richard Crowley]

People banging on about sacrificial this or that - IT IS LABELLED AS A GENDER CHANGER - it certainly isn't. It was also sold as a NULL MODEM - and it certainly isn't. 

OK, so your objection is the label.  Thanks for sharing.

[Macbeth]

OK, so your objection is the label.  Thanks for sharing.

Why, I do believe I have finally found out what a "cantankerous" old fool really means. Thank you!

[AlfBaz]

Funnily enough I bought a handful of these just the other day, both the female and male type and they work quite well, however, I was smart enough to buy ones that were the same gender on both sides

Pictured, female both sides, male both sides
 

[electr_peter]

What some comments seem to be missing is that this device, despite its label, is not a gender changer.  A gender changer would have either male on both sides or female on both sides.  But this device has one male side and one female side.  And it's wired straight through.  So it's effectively the world's shortest DE-9 extension cable.  The only practical use for it would be to act as a sacrificial connector, I believe. 

Since we don't know what they were thinking when they made it, we can only guess whether they intended to make a gender changer but somehow got the wrong ends, or whether they intended to make a straight through M-F sacrificial adapter, and got the wrong label on it.  Anyway, it seems to me that someone messed up at least a bit.

We are not blind. If somebody is blind and expects MF to work as FF or MM connector, that is not my problem.
Obviously manufacturer has only one type of label and uses it on 3 possible combinations of connectors (MF, MM, FF).

[TheBay]

We used these all the time when I was an engineer for LG electronics, especially for VGA inputs, as each CRT monitor went down the line it the convergence was set along with white balance etc, to save wear and tear with the sockets on the line we just used to change these over. It increased the lifespan of the socket on expensive equipment in a massive way.

[GreyWoolfe]

I guess I didn't look too closely either.  Mine is actually a gender changer, not a penis extension-goes to show that size really does matter!

[hans]

I would call the device pictured useful if it did not have the pillars on the side to lock the DB9 down. Although.. you can remove them, but that requires manual fiddling labor.

Anyway I hate it when I have 2 DB9 cables that both have the pillars.
Some cables are evil and have the pillars + the DB9 shroud made from 1 piece of metal.

So you put 2 null-modems or 2 gender changers (M-M + F-F) in a row. This would reduce that down to 1!  O0

[Galaxyrise]

I've used something like that by removing the bolts thus allowing two nut-ended connectors to mate.  I wouldn't call it a "gender changer", though... "extender" seems more accurate. Possibly someone copying the label without knowing the language?

I also have an actual null modem that looks almost exactly like that (except it's labelled "null modem"), so I can understand someone simply shipping the wrong thing.

[Dave Turner]

With failing eyesight I missed the point that this was a M/F bender rather than F/F. Nevertheless I still had a couple of them in my kit. They were useful as extenders where the socket recess was too deep and restricted for the shroud around standard cables to fit. I rarely used them as permanent fixtures except as sacrificial connectors where cables were forever being changed.

[apelly]

Maybe some shady shrink successfully converted it to hetro. How long can it keep up the illusion?

[Macbeth]

Maybe some shady shrink successfully converted it to hetro. How long can it keep up the illusion?

The problem is the hex posts even stop this SJW version of a gender changer from mating with the intended socket I SO wanted to spill its electric current demon seed of the devil into... So near, yet so far...

I give up. I think I'll join my mates on a night out bowling with my new shirt inspired by Matt Taylor's excellent shirt, hand made by a female friend for him

Hey, don't judge a female RS232 connector by the clothes she wears! 

[macboy]

I understand why you are frustrated, but this is a legitimate and useful device. It is better to call it a "port saver" than a gender changer. It is designed to plug into (semi-permanently) a DB-9 F connector on some expensive piece of equipment, providing a sacrificial DB-9 to plug cables into. It saves wear and tear on the equipment's DB-9 Female connector. After hundreds or thousands of connector cycles, this wears out, it is replaced easily and cheaply. The original DB-9 F will only undergo one 'cycle' of wear per replacement.  So this definitely has its place, but apparently that place is not your application.

That said, the seller was very wrong to call it a null modem adapter. It clearly is not.

[Richard Crowley]

That said, the seller was very wrong to call it a null modem adapter. It clearly is not.

Agreed. But Ebay and the interweb in general has become a cess-pit of sellers who haven't the first clue about what they are selling.
If there was ever any doubt, the internet has made even more important the ancient dictum:  Caveat Emptor ("Buyer beware")

 

[Macbeth]

Caveat Emptor applies to private sales in common law. It also doesn't protect the private seller if he gives outright lies. So a private sale giving the bare minimum will be a legal sale even if the item is found defective, but as soon as the seller starts embellishing stuff, there is some comeback. (Think of used car sales).

When a business sells something to the public, Caveat Emptor no longer applies, as we have statutory laws like the Sales of Goods Act, and the Distance Selling Regulations (UK here). 

ETA: My stupid SJW version of a gender changer can be modified into a "sacrificial DB9" when I get my dremel out to chop the "cock-blocking" posts on it.

However, I can't see myself ever using it anyway. Thankfully the business that flogged it to me as a Null Modem refunded me instantly. 

[Galaxyrise]

ETA: My stupid SJW version of a gender changer can be modified into a "sacrificial DB9" when I get my dremel out to chop the "cock-blocking" posts on it.

I'm surprised you have to dremel it.  Mine just unscrew all the way out with a little extra pulling.  I can flip them around too, if I wanted.