Frustrations with making cables

[BundyRoy]

I've only made probably 5 connections so far. Have forgotten heatshrink before soldering several times, have soldered the yellow/green cable to the green cable instead of the yellow cable more than once and have forgotten to put the thread cap on a pigtail.

I used to think I was systematic and thorough. Now I just think I'm going senile in old age.

I have learnt to check everything, including connections before doing the heatshrink now though.

 

[AAH]

Assuming that it's the white screw on cap for the pigtails I believe that it's possible to soften them in hot/boiling water and slip them on after the fact. I haven't had this failure as yet but I've had hundreds of cable failures where I have forgotten heatshrink or connector backshells.

 

[Kaden]

Every does it, its just that no one talks about it. You do get better at remembering, but mistakes still regularly happen.

 

[BundyRoy]

where I have forgotten heatshrink or connector backshells.

What is a connector backshell?

 

[fasteddy]

We have all done it and we all still do it from time to time. I find once you start doing a few and you get some rythem going then its generally not an issue. Its when you do a couple or you have the kids interupt is when I seem to fail

The connector backshell is the the plastic ring that screws the 2 cables together

 

[BundyRoy]

Well there's my excuse, I had the kids helping the whole way through (I seem to need 3 sets of hands). They were a little disappointed that the heat gun didn't turn out to be a flame thrower apparently. It was the back shell that I forgot to put on.

 

[AussieDoug]

It's just a hazard of the job. I try to do it all as routine as possible to try avoid forgetting steps.
Cut wire
peel wires apart
put on heat shrink
strip wire
join
solder

Rinse & repeat several hundred times & you still get it wrong

 

[Kaden]

It's just a hazard of the job. I try to do it all as routine as possible to try avoid forgetting steps.
Cut wire
peel wires apart
put on heat shrink
strip wire
join
solder

Rinse & repeat several hundred times & you still get it wrong

You forgot to put the connector backshell on

 

[ԆцряєсϮ]

I like to set up like a production line.
I'll prep all my plugs + cable first
ie.

• load each plug with the weather ring and screw cap and strip and tin each wire.
• [font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]cut to length, strip and tin each wire on all cables.[/font]
• [font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Cut enough heatshrink for each connection[/font]

[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Then once this is done I only have a few steps left.[/font]

• [font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Put on heatshrink[/font]
• [font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]join[/font]
• [font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]solder[/font]
• [font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]shrink[/font]

[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Then once all are done I test each one.[/font]
But you still get interrupted and miss something

 

[logandc99]

I've only made probably 5 connections so far. Have forgotten heatshrink before soldering several times, have soldered the yellow/green cable to the green cable instead of the yellow cable more than once and have forgotten to put the thread cap on a pigtail.

I used to think I was systematic and thorough. Now I just think I'm going senile in old age.

I have learnt to check everything, including connections before doing the heatshrink now though.

Been there, done that...... sadly sometimes still there and doing that
I like to think of it as the sign of a complex and inventive mind that is always on the go...... but some call it senility :-\ [SIZE=78%] [/SIZE]

 

[BundyRoy]

Learnt a few more things today.

Can confirm the connector backshells will go on and still work after 15 seconds in hot water.

Don't try and hold the solder with your mouth if you need an extra hand to move things. It could be hot. Also just thought it has lead in it. Viscous circle that the more lead, the more times you are likely to do it.

The little plastic brackets the wires screw into in the controllers. It can cause some frustration if you put them back in offset by 1 slot. (luckily didn't do any damage).

Had a frustrating morning. Everything that could go wrong did. Was working out how to do connections for power injection without using rays made up ones. Got on a roll in the afternoon though which felt good. Will definitely order some of rays power injection connectors when I do my next order though.