Joining very fine wires from DSC Radio to Chartplotter

[BarryLeat]

Need to connect 4 very fine wires from DSC Radio tio Chartplotter. Chartplotter cable comprises 6 separate wires but only need 4 of them, so one has to cut into cable and pull out the correct 4. Options to join are multipin connectors (ex Maplins) or hard solder or small terminal block. Anyone tackled this successfully and by what means. If hard soldered what protection once joined?

 

[prv]

I just have a small terminal block in a plastic box. The GPS feeds in the data and the VHF and Yeoman receive it. If I wanted to add a new device that needed position information, it would be easy to connect it up.

Pete

 

[elton]

Twist them together in parallel and solder, then heat shrink sleeving. Next someone is going to say gel connectors, chock-block, multi-pin plug and socket, special glue, laser weld, cold fusion bond, or something. But I say solder and I know what I'm doing

 

[maby]

I think I would opt for solder with heat shrink sleeving to protect the result.

Get two diameters of heat shrink sleeving - one narrow - a millimetre or two - to slip over each individual wire and a wider one that is big enough to justslip over the larger of the multicore cables.

Put a couple of inches of the wider HS over one of the multicore wires and slide it well clear of the junction, then put half inch or so of the narrower HS over each of the separate cores, slide as far away from the joint as you can, solder it, wait for it to cool, then slip the sleeving over the joint and shrink it on with the side of the soldering iron tip.

test the result, then slip the thick sleev over the entire joint and shrink it on....

 

[Plevier]

Catch a BT engineer and blag some waterproof gel filled self stripping crimp connectors (like tiny Scotchlock ones) that they use on phone wires!

 

[elton]

I think I would opt for solder with heat shrink sleeving to protect the result.

Get two diameters of heat shrink sleeving - one narrow - a millimetre or two - to slip over each individual wire and a wider one that is big enough to justslip over the larger of the multicore cables.

Put a couple of inches of the wider HS over one of the multicore wires and slide it well clear of the junction, then put half inch or so of the narrower HS over each of the separate cores, slide as far away from the joint as you can, solder it, wait for it to cool, then slip the sleeving over the joint and shrink it on with the side of the soldering iron tip.

test the result, then slip the thick sleev over the entire joint and shrink it on....

Blimey! Straight away, somebody else who knows what they're doing

 

[Tranona]

Index Marine do suitable terminal blocks in boxes, or the more substantial blocks from Merlin

 

[maby]

Index Marine do suitable terminal blocks in boxes, or the more substantial blocks from Merlin

Be careful with screw fit terminal blocks on thin tinned copper wires - without good strain relief, they break easily.

 

[prv]

Blimey! Straight away, somebody else who knows what they're doing

That's what I did with all the power cables around the boat when I re-wired it. But somehow it seems a bit too permanent for NMEA.

Pete

 

[maby]

P.S. maplins sell heat shrink sleeving at reasonable prices in lengths of a metre or so...

 

[ukmctc]

Need to connect 4 very fine wires from DSC Radio tio Chartplotter. Chartplotter cable comprises 6 separate wires but only need 4 of them, so one has to cut into cable and pull out the correct 4. Options to join are multipin connectors (ex Maplins) or hard solder or small terminal block. Anyone tackled this successfully and by what means. If hard soldered what protection once joined?

Use BT gel data snap connectors, can't remember the exact name but perfect for the job, I use them for all data connection cables, water proof too.

 

[maby]

That's what I did with all the power cables around the boat when I re-wired it. But somehow it seems a bit too permanent for NMEA.

Pete

I would have thought that your NMEA should be at least as permanent as the power cables - you'll be relying on it if you need to send out a DSC alert! You only need a small pair of wire cutters to unmake the soldered connections, but protected with heat shrink sleeving they are very unlikely to unmake themselves.

 

[prv]

I would have thought that your NMEA should be at least as permanent as the power cables - you'll be relying on it if you need to send out a DSC alert!

So on the same basis, do you superglue the plugs into the back of your GPS and radio?

Pete

 

[David2452]

The gel filled BT things are designed for solid conductors and though a simple solution can (not will) damage multi stranded conductors and weaken them. If you want a demountable solution use a couple of mini inline jack / sockets and cover them with non adhesive heat shrink for security I use that method quite a bit, in fact Icom provide a female jack at the set on some DSC VHFs for NMEA0183 connection, they can then easily be separated with a quick slice. The permanent solution is a well made solder joint but ONLY if supported by hard grade thick wall adhesive lined heat shrink. If you need to use extra cable as you need 4 conductors try to get hold of some 2 X twisted pair tinned shielded cable about 22 to 28 AWG for the best and most reliable result.

 

[laika]

Do keep in mind that with nmea 0183, adding new kit often means re-organising your network topology. If your stuff is inside (ie at the chart table) crimping little pins on the end of wires then connecting them via a chocblock suitably attached to some surface (screwed to ply stuck to the hull in my case) with cable bundles suitably supported so they're not dangling from the pins may not offer ideal electrical connectivity, but it does let you move things about, add additional listeners to talkers, and clearly label your inputs and outputs

 

[Burnham Bob]

mmmm sorry to hear i've been doing it wrong! i used choc block connectors on the last boat and had no problems over five years and no problems on this boat since i connected the admittedly fragile wires with choc block connectors three years ago on this boat.

 

[Upnorth]

I use these http://www.winfordeng.com/products/tta3510.php
Don't seem to be available in the UK but if you have mates in the states they can be shipped very easily.

I would be careful using the gel filled BT type IDC connectors. With small stranded cable the connection can be intermittant, and sometime will cut some of the strands making the connection unreliable. Providing the cable size is correct then these are a good solution, although usable only once.
A screw connector block allows additions and modifications to be made. Electronics sometimes needs to be removed for maintainance or repair.

 

[fisherman]

I got a bagfull of phono/audio plugs and sockets from Rapid electronics, many ready fitted to cables. Various splitters ect. Total cost about £9. Soldered a female onto the GPS output, then a piggy back male on each lead for the radar, computer, DSC, all in a row. Can plug/unplug easily.

http://www.rapidonline.com/Cables-Connectors/Connectors-Audio-Video/Phono-Audio-Connectors

 

[stav]

Doing the same job yesterday and soldered the cables: Tinned each end first then trimmed, the n soldered then small heat shrink, tested then big heat shrink. Mined you I have choc blocked as well at times but if doing this ensure the plastic outer sleeve goes in the block as well to act as strin relief. Also added crimped termials and mounted in bus bars.

By the way use a soldering iron stand, burnt myself twice yesterday by balancing it on the chart table and in the cockpit locker.....

Have fun.

 

[Robby]

cables / Connectors

Wouldn't it be better to build a whole new cable with the correct connectors at the end of a run of cable with no joints in the middle?

Most DSC radio connectors I've seen are multi pin DIN connectors or even the same as computer mouse or keyboard connectors. I don't know what connector is on your plotter, my sat-nav has a common 9 pin D connector (computer serial port)

Matching plugs, sockets and cables are available from stores such as Maplins etc.