[BC] Soldering D-sub Pins

[Gregory Muir]

This is a good point.

Crimp connections are only as good as the crimp tool, provided the proper 
crimp tool is used.  They also only carry assurance that they will be 
reliable IF you use the manufacturer-provided crimp tool and not a Taiwan 
knockoff.  Complaining to the manufacturer of the connector about lousy 
crimp connections will receive a response similar to that of complaining to 
Microsoft about another vendor's software product if you aren't using their 
tool. If it isn't their product, they can't help.

It is unfortunate that to use a well-built and reliable connector such as 
those obtained from AMP/Tyco one would have to buy their $500 crimp tool. 
That is obviously non-workable for many engineers and technicians.  The 
local electronics store usually has the "proper" crimp tool available as 
import for $5 to $20.  And it normally does a fairly good job.  So we have 
to accept the consequences if it doesn't quite do the job and be a little 
more observant when checking our work.

The other problem I have all too frequently seen is that many people don't 
pay attention to the proper tool for the job.  This is especially true of 
those who are new to the business.  It is mostly a decision based on "...it 
looks like it should work."  That is asking for trouble either from the 
standpoint of loose crimps, over-crimping resulting in eventual wire fatigue 
and breakage or contact distortion and/or damage.

Granted many third-party crimp tool manufacturers are doing a much better 
job of attempting to duplicate the original manufacturer's tools.  But I 
have seen die tolerance variations of only a few thousandths of an inch 
making the difference between good and bad.  This is especially true in the 
microwave frequencies on rigid cable.  D connectors are much more forgiving.

I personally like soldering over crimping.  The solder-style contacts in 
many D connectors are usually of solid construction and are turned out on a 
screw machine from bar stock as compared to the hollow rolled sheet metal 
crimp styles.  It sometimes makes a difference when mating connectors and 
you have discovered that one of the crimp styles has mis-mated and bent over 
due to the added weakness of the hollow contact.

Greg Muir


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Thomas G. Osenkowsky" <tosenkowsky at prodigy.net>
To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 7:35 AM
Subject: Re: [BC] Soldering D-sub Pins


>> Soldering after crimping is only necessary if the crimp is defective.
>
> I would like to comment on this. The events described are
> true. They really happened as told. In February, 1987 I was

<snip>