[NSRCA-discussion] Servo connector crimping tool?

[Verne Koester]

I prefer the Radical RC pins because they seem to have a little more gold plating on them than the others, though still not as much as Futaba and JR. The Hansen pins are a close second IMO. The rest of the stuff out there has almost no gold plating at all. That was this year at Toledo. Next year may be different. All depends on where the merchants are getting the stuff they sell.

I don't like the plastic connector housings from Hansen because the little arms in the housing that hold the pins in are real short compared to the OEM stuff and look suspect to me. The Radical housings match the OEM stuff.

I've been making my own extensions for 15 or 20 years now. The biggest single trick I've found for good consistent results is to clamp the bottom jaw of the crimping tool in a vise so I don't have to hold the crimper while I'm lining things up. I strip about 3/16" off each wire and twist them. Then I feed the wire I'm going to crimp into the side of the crimper until the insulation is up against the step inside the jaw of the crimper. You can feel the insulation hit the edge of the step. I hold that in place with my left hand and place the pin over the top of the wire with my right hand and push it in place with the end of the pin that goes over the insulation even with the open side of the tool. The tension of the jaws of the pin that goes over the insulation will keep it in place in the crimper. Then while still holding the wire against the step with my left hand, I use my right hand to squeeze the handle of the tool which still has the bottom jaw clamped in the vise. Then I move the pin further into the side of the jaw about 1/8" and squeeze the handle again. Finally, I move the wire out so the crimp over the insulation is sticking out over the outside of the tool about 1/8". The real trick to the whole process is clamping the bottom jaw in a vise. None of the above process will make sense unless you've actually made an extension.

Pretty sure my crimper is the cheap one since there were no options back when I got mine. If I were going to buy one now, I'd probably get the Hansen. FWIW, with the process I just described, I almost never ruin a crimp. Again, the real trick is to clamp the bottom jaw of the crimper in a vise to free up your hands.

Verne Koester

-----Original Message-----
From: NSRCA-discussion [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of Jon Lowe via NSRCA-discussion
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 8:26 AM
To: NSRCA; Jim Woodward
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Servo connector crimping tool?

Having done a lot of these, crimping your own wires is a PITA, even with a decent tool.  Unless you do it regularly, you can expect to mess up more than a few crimps as you relearn how to do it each time. Practice is key, and buy a lot more pins than what you think you will need. The pins are small, easily bent, and hard to line up properly in the tool. I've used both a cheap tool, and a "high quality" tool with little difference in the results.

I've found no difference in the quality of pins and wire between what HobbyKing sells, and what MPI and Radical RC sell. Price is certainly right at HobbyKing.

On May 20, 2015 7:10 AM, Jim Woodward via NSRCA-discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the crimp links.  Which is the highest quality source for the pins and wires?
> Jim 
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On May 19, 2015, at 11:35 PM, Ronald Van Putte via NSRCA-discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:
>
> BP Hobbies sells one:  http://www.bphobbies.com/view.asp?id=A0320106&pid=F2893843
>
> Ron
>
>> On May 19, 2015, at 7:28 PM, Jas via NSRCA-discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:
>>
> I am wanting to make custom length leads for my S-BUS set-up in my Worlds planes but don't know which crimping tool to get. Anyone using one with success over the years, or even ones to stay away from? I know MPI makes one, don't know who else.
>
> Thanks,
> Jason
> Sent from my iP
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