Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dale Mosby" <dale@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 5:05 PM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Cables and connectors


>
>
> I have made some boards using the toner transfer method with fairly
> good results. Something closely related is the matter of getting
> cables connected to a printed circuit board. I would very much like to
> hear of good ways to build nice cables and connectors that are "clean"
> and approach the looks and durability of commecial cables.
>
> I work with amateur (ham) radio and many of the new radios use RJ45
> plugs for the microphone. I do have a good crimp tool for RJ45 use and
> make my own cables for home networking. I have constructed a couple
> cables to connect to such radios, ending up with a short stub of cat 5
> wire coming from the RJ45 plug then converting to some shielded wire
> for audio and flexible cable for the other signals. I end up with
> something that works, but is nowhere near as nice as the commercial
> cable.
>
> I suspect that there must be some injecting molding machine (at a cost
> of a few million, no doubt) that creates all these nice cables that
> come with commercial equipment. My current solder and heat-shrink
> methods don't approach the quality of my PC boards and seem the "weak
> link" in the homwbrew process.
>
> What solutions have others found for nice cables & connectors?

I use Molex KK connectors, which are widely available. Suitable tools for
crimping the terminals aren't expensive.

Leon



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