Q for the electrical types: pin & socket connectors

AlanRatcliffe

OK Guys - I'm looking for pin & socket connectors. Something like the following:

The idea is to set up three or four Strat pickguards with different pickups and identical switches and pots. Then I'll quickly swap the pickguards out on the same guitar to compare them. These connectors will let me do this quickly without having to solder them in each time - just capo on the strings (to keep them in the nut), neck off, swap out the pickguard with four screws, pop the neck back on and tune up.

So, anyone have any idea where I can find the like locally? Also if anyone has a spare pickguard (or two) I can borrow, I'd appreciate it.

Gearhead

http://za.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=retrieveTfg&binCount=5&Ne=4294958012&N=4294965721+4294954712
...might be handy.

You can borrow two pickguards, but both are clones and will be slightly different from USA models. Plus they're about as expensive as shipping and I'm in Vaal Triangle...

AlanRatcliffe

Thanks! Those are the normal 2.5mm phone plugs though - I'm not keen on those (but if all else fails...). That site however, has absolutely tons of stuff on it and I'm trawling through it and have a few likely candidates (not exactly what I was thinking, but viable options nonetheless).

MoJo-JoJoe

AlanRatcliffe

MoJo JoJoe wrote I assume you are aware that ACME Guitar Works has them for $2?

That's where I linked the pic from - but I never order anything from them and it's a bit silly just ordering pins. I like that they are solid and should withstand swapping pickguards in and out. I've also looked at the latch housing modern PCB connectors, but I don't really trust those.

Maybe a combined order would make it feasible for you...
If your time-lines aren't too tight the 3 of us could work something out.

That would work - while I'm obviously impatient to try all the pickups I've got, I'd rather do it right. Actually I'd like to get Bill Lawrence, Duncan and Fender models in on the review too, and the extra time might come in handy to try organise that. OK. Thanks - shout when you are ready and I'll take a dozen.

Karel-Mars

Hi Guys

I see some nice teflon coated wire on the ACME site. Have you ordered you stuff from ACME yet? If not, can I share in the order? I'd like to get e few metres (feet?) of the wire for some projects. Happy to share the shipping costs.

AlanRatcliffe

Not ordered yet, but it's MJJJ's order...

Is the Teflon insulated wire not available locally? I think Jaycor import the Belden Teflon wire.

MoJo-JoJoe

Karel-Mars

:-[ I should have thought of Jaycor. I have their catalogue somewhere. Thanks.

FenderBender

@Al: I'm trying to source something for you. Try this in the meantime:
http://za.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=retrieveTfg&Ne=4294958012&N=4294899353+4294955739

They are manufactured in Basel (Deutschland) by Multi Contact. I have used a lot of their products and they are always solidly built.
This solder terminal connector is available with red or black insulation with or without gold plated contacts. 1mm pin with 3.5mm max od flexible pvc insulation. You can ditch the insulator and use ordinary heat shrink tubing if its too fat for your needs ?

AlanRatcliffe

Thanks Graeme. The right kind of thing, but a bit too small though - max wire diameter for those is 0.25mm and I use 24 AWG.

Gearhead

Maybe you should not let the wire dia put you off Alan. It's always possible to cut off one or more braids before flowing tin through the wire end. You are using a certain diameter to have the right spec for the wire length, the one millimeter between where you taper in your wire and the start of the pin will not affect anything.

On speaker cable people use 4 or even 10 mm2. When you look at the connectors on amps (even Speakons) that's not going to go in. Still it makes sense, they just taper.

AlanRatcliffe

Makes sense. Thanks!

FenderBender

Alan Ratcliffe wrote max wire diameter for those is 0.25mm and I use 24 AWG

The industry standard for quantifying wire is to express the cross sectional area of a conductor in square mm.
There are many reasons for this:
Not all terminations and conductors are round. Square and hexagonal shapes are sometimes used.
Cross sectional area is directly proportional to mass, strength and safe, sustained, current carrying ability of the conductor.
Cross sectional area is inversely proportional to the resistance of the conductor.

The 0.25mm diameter spec seemed a little small, so I checked out Multi Contact's site:
http://www.multi-contact.com/AcroFiles/Kataloge/TM/Test&Measure_lo.pdf#Page=11

The max cross sectional area of a conductor that these plugs will accept (without tapering) is 0.25mm2 or 0.55mm diameter. Your 24AWG wire has a 0.51mm diameter or cross sectional area of around 0.2mm2, so you won't need to taper your wires.
Remember that the max diameter of the wire including insulation that the insulator part of the plugs will take is 1.7mm.

See conductor dimension (AWG / mm2 / diameter) conversion table for standard round wire:
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/awg_e.html

AlanRatcliffe

Thanks Graeme. Although now I'm beginning to think maybe a stereo in-line socket will work easiest & best.

AlanRatcliffe

...aside from being too big that is. My control cavity has a circuitboard for the piezos and an S1 switch/pot, making it a little cramped.

Any reason I couldn't use spade terminals? With a fully insulated female terminal?

Gearhead

Suppose most spade terminals are galvanised and do not make zero Ohm contact. If you come across some cool ones please post.

AlanRatcliffe

Surely they cannot be too high a resistance or they wouldn't use them for speaker terminals? A couple of ohms makes a difference in that application...

Gearhead

Fair point, dunno. I was hoping you would know some fancy gold-plated thingies ?

AlanRatcliffe

I've never bought into the whole gold plated thing for working connectors. Fine for a hifi connector where you connect and leave, but gold is so soft it wears off quickly if you're going to be plugging and unplugging. So I don't think it actually adds anything other than cost. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the way I figure it.