[GreenKeys] Molex Connectors and pins

[DR HOUSE]

I agree,  It does take some talent to get them installed well.
It helps a lot to have the correct tools.  I do not trust myself to  
crimp them
properly so I carefully fold the insulation tabs and solder the pins.

I have heard other folks giving up on the Molex connectors completely  
and
changing them out to RCA phono and WECo 310 TRS jacks and 303 TS Jacks.
However you must not leave any open holes, less the mice get inside...

In most cases patience is a virtue.

Don
K9TTY


On 8 Nov 2011, at 11:38 AM, Keith Mc wrote:

(Hi... A quick note, since I'm new here.  I'm in SE Michigan. I used  
to have a
baudot TTY model 20. I now own an ASR-33 that failed to wake up again  
after
a house move.  I someday wish to get it running, and was pointed to  
this list,
to find other TTY fans.  But this is a whole 'nother thread... :-)

A quick piece of advice on ordering Molex, or other crimp terminal  
systems
that you don't "normally stock"" If you weren't planning on just  
buying a std
sized bag of pins for them, then ALWAYS get at least a FEW spare pins  
than
you require!

My rule of thumb is to order at least TWO extra pins per housing  
ordered.
That should more than cover most possible errors, or needed rework.

This is because those cheap swaged pins have quite a number of failure  
modes:
1) A percentage of the pins in any batch WILL be bad (misformed/ 
crushed/badtabs/etc)
2) Crimping failures - (in the tool wrong, weak crimp, excessive force  
breaks pin, etc.)
3) Failure of a crimped pin to properly lock into the housing (tabs  
break, etc.)
4) Wire pulled out, and you can't recrimp it.
5) The pin didn't survive when removed from the housing (ex: you stuck  
the pin
in the wrong hole, and the fragile pin or its lock tabs didn't survive  
rebending... Grrr...)

Of course, once your "spare pin inventory" starts going up you can  
always
fall back to just ordering what you need. But until that time (or if  
you're
ordering a new kind of connector for the very first time) I'd always at
least add a few extra pins to each order.

I'm an "occasional crimper", that doesn't do it daily.  I find having  
at least
a FEW spare pins to trash also gives me a chance to get a "feel" for
crimping THIS batch or class of pins with some scrap wire, BEFORE  
starting
to crimp the real wires (but don't use up ALL of your spares during  
practice!).
It may take a ruined pin or two to "get back into the rhythm" of it,  
but a
few "practice pins" easily allows you to find the minimum and maximum
hand force to apply, to insure good crimps.

This avoids my Worst Case Scenario: Finding out after all the crimping  
is done
that you are just ONE pin short, and you now must spend $10 or more  
for a
min order (parts and shipping) just to get that one, lousy, few cent  
part... <AUGH!>

Good luck!
- Keith Mc.
"Experience is directly proportional to equipment ruined"...

DR HOUSE (Don) <k9tty at ...> wrote:
> I do not have a lot of different types of Molex so some might need to
> be ordered. We will see... at least the price is right.... postage  
> only.

> Roy Morgan wrote:
>> Here is the molex info for the ST-6000.
>> The parts can be found on page 919 in Mouser's online catalog.
>> You will need: [...so much of each housing, and pin...]