JST connectors Yes or No

Do you use the standard JST connectors

  • Yes

    Votes: 3 15.8%
  • No

    Votes: 15 78.9%
  • Only out of the weather

    Votes: 1 5.3%

  • Total voters
    19
  • Poll closed .

scamper

Dedicated elf
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Messages
1,225
Location
collie
Well, it seems that I may just use the JST plugs for the joins in the strings. I have hard wired power injection all the way through and attached a water proof connector at the start of the matrix so no problems there. For now, I think I will heat shrink the JST connectors with some silicone at each end to water proof. at least that will save a little time in joining them.
For reference, I have looked at Anderson plugs, but they seem a little expensive for this purpose, and I generally use the waterproof automotive connectors for power injection, but they seemed as fragile as the JST connectors, which is the reason for the question.
 

ComPeter

Peter
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
103
Location
Townsville, QLD, Australia
yes, have them on all my boxes, they are great!

Marmalade. I'm thinking of going down the Anderson Plug path myself. I am yet to build a central control box and I have been also looking at options for a small waterproof/resistant plug that will fit inside 20mm conduit so I can disassemble and manage display elements with simplicity and ease.

Most of the small plugs I can find won't carry the current, but I think the Anderson Plugs will. More investigation reguired before investment.
 

videoman3857

Full time elf
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
Messages
445
Location
Glass House Mountains
I use nothing but pig tails and use resin filled heat shrink on the wire joins and then over the outer case of both cables.
My pig tail joins are all stepped down to each other - That is if they were all bare wire joins and laid straight, none of the joins would touch each other.
I also use emery paper to roughen up the coloured wires and the black outer casing. The emery paper is rubbed around the cable- not up and down.
The cables are tested for continuity, shorts and correct pin connection in the pigtail before any heat shrinking is done.

The way I do these joins - is the way we wired wire splice kits for 240 volt and 415 volt submersible bore hole pumps and should out last the life of the equipment.
Yes it is time consuming, but done correctly, one should never have a problem with the join.
 
Last edited:

marmalade

cats & pixels
Joined
Dec 1, 2015
Messages
284
Location
newcastle
Marmalade. I'm thinking of going down the Anderson Plug path myself. I am yet to build a central control box and I have been also looking at options for a small waterproof/resistant plug that will fit inside 20mm conduit so I can disassemble and manage display elements with simplicity and ease.

Most of the small plugs I can find won't carry the current, but I think the Anderson Plugs will. More investigation reguired before investment.

Might share my cheap(ish) power setup then :) I went for a modular approach so have one box of supplies for each group of elements/controllers. Each grouping has it's own high current cabling trunk in 20mm flexible conduit running to it. At the end of the trunk there is another set of andersons which branch out into pigtails or smaller power connectors for individual element/strings. To me, this is far safer than running mains cable where the public/animals can potentially hurt themselves.

This one for the arches and spirals.. using an automotive fuse block (2 parallel fuses on each run for to minimise contact losses) provides protection and a fan for sucking out the hot air. PSU's are mounted on a gal plate bolted inside a cheap storage container with clip on lids (also a security chain fitted) Another psu for some additional lights going in this one this year hence the spare room. And to add more lights each year, just build another box & stack it on top :)

IMG_3157.JPG
 

plasmadrive

Full time elf
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
248
Location
Elk Grove, CA
Marmalade, I see you have a "goes outta" fan vent for heat.. but you really should have a "goes inna" on the other side as well. Air both in and out of the same fan isn't going to work real well.
 

marmalade

cats & pixels
Joined
Dec 1, 2015
Messages
284
Location
newcastle
+1 good observation plas, I just totally ran out of time last year and left the lid partially open :) will add some innies when another psu goes in.
 

ComPeter

Peter
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
103
Location
Townsville, QLD, Australia
Thanks for sharing Marmalade. You have something similar to what I was thinking for Power boxes. I'm thinking that I'll see if I can get some of the very small Anderson Plugs to see if I can get them to fit inside the 20 mm conduit (1 at a time rather than side by side) that way where I'm using the conduit to hold the lights I can hide the wire inside the conduit but still have the flexibility to store the display elements in manageable sized pieces, but most importantly I'll be able to plug up and down at the start and end of the season with speed and ease.
 
Top