Docking connector crimper

Can anyone tell me what crimper is required for criping the connectors for the docking connector.

Does anyone have any other guidance when doing this that they can give me.

C.

Speaking from experience,

DON'T ATTEMPT IT USING ONLY A PAIR OF LONG NOSED PLIERS UNLESS YOU'VE SUCCESFULLY DONE IT THAT WAY BEFORE

Cheers, Sim

Mark will be able to tell you - he recently bought one for doing the docking stations.

I just recently made up a docking connector, I found the easiest way (well without buying a crimper) was to get a properly sized bit of wire. Strip a small portion off the end, tin it with solder, crimp it with some needle nosers (one side at a time, rolling towards the center) then taking the soldering iron and applying firm pressure on the bit of metal directly above your tined wire. Then crimping the lower part of the pin in the same fashion as above onto the non stripped peice of wire.

BTW, make sure your needle nosers have a fine tip but can apply some serious pressure.

I understand why you would use this method but in a high vibration application, a car, tinning the wire is not recommended. If the harness is being made is for use in the home only, with no chance of it ever migrating to a car than soldering is fine. The reason for using a crimp is to allow the
wire to flex. When the wires are soldered to the connectors and not held by a strain relief they will eventually break off. I would suggest that if you wish to make your own connections that you buy or borrow a crimper. The solderless needlenose method will produce an inferior crimp but will work in a pinch. A cheap crimper can be had at radio shack for under 20 bucks. A good ratcheting crimper can be purchased through a number of electronic warehouses for around 100.

You'll want a U-channel crimper. I'm several thousand miles away from mine right now, so I don't remember the exact brand/model, but it cost me about C$23 (US$15 or so). I just asked the techies at the electronic components shop to find it for me.

There are several "sizes" of "crimps"; I'm using the "smallest" size on the docking pins and it works great -- solder not required. I couldn't even come close to that good of a crimp with pliers, even though I've been doing it "the hard way" off and on for the past 20 years or so.

Cheers

In reply to:

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Can anyone tell me what crimper is required for criping the connectors for the docking connector.

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I have used Molex's 63811-1000 Crimp Service Tool with success. I use the smallest opening. You can get it at Digikey if you want for about $36. Digikey part number WM9999-ND.

Stu

Here, I found one on-line: Digikey part number WN9900-ND looks fine. The image is attached to this posting. Crimping the docking pins uses the smaller of the two notches at the front of the tool's jaws.

Actually, you know, I think this is the specific tool I just recently acquired! Costs about US$16 at Digikey and other fine retailers.

Thanks , Will have to see if i can find one in the UK.

Have got 2 partial harness's from the group buy so just want to complete them.

C.

This thread reminds me...

I've been having some flakiness on my Mk2. The right channel seems to pop in and out, and most recently the night dimmer doesn't always engage when the headlights come on. I suspect I have one of the known-problematic docking stations.

I also have a Mk2a doing "backup" duty on my home stereo. Given that's it something of a pain to pull my dashboard apart, I've been thinking I'd just stick the Mk2a sled into the dashboard and then see about repairing the original Mk2 sled when I get around to it.

Is that the best way to go? Thoughts?

So you are only having problems while docked in the car? That is my problem too. Only mine is a Mk2a. In fact, it is the right channel that is giving me problems. I have to push on the right side of the Empeg to get the channel back, but it usually goes away after a few bumps in the road.

For me the problem appeared after the do-nothing stereo guys pulled the dash apart to fix a reception problem with the headunit (they didn't succeed).

Stu

Seems like our stories are parallel to each other, only my problem happened after the do-nothing BMW repair people replaced my dashboard.

(My "leather-wrapped" dashboard wasn't engineered to deal with the Texas heat. Unsurprisingly, three years later, the leather trim was pulling up in various places. The under-warranty fix was to replace the entire dashboard. I shudder to think what I would have had to spend if the warranty were expired.)