4- and 6-pin micro connectors

[jbconn]

Greetings,

Some of my installs have LED headlights and ditch lights attached to the shell.  For these, I like the 4- and 6-pin micro connectors by TCS as seen on  www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Products/Supplies/Connectors/Micro_Conn/index.html They are small in all dimensions, especially thinness, and I have not yet had a problem fitting onein. 

I am less fond of the price. 

I am hoping to find an alternative source of the base male and female connectors, and I will solder them up and apply the shrink tubing myself and save big $. 

I have seen W.S. Dean's micro plugs www.horizonhobby.com/products/micro-4r-4-pin-connector-black-WSD1241 While likely suitable for some installs, are slightly wider and significantly thicker than the TCS micro plugs.  After a brief search of several of the online electronics supply houses, I conclude that I don't know enough of modern electronics to even name this kind of plug and find it.

Can anyone assist, please?

Thanks

[icghogger]

I take a modular IC socket, break away the plastic, and I am left with the connector pins, which couple together as mini male/female connectors. Cheap and Easy!!

[emd16645]

Oct 30, 2013 19:00:59 GMT -5 icghogger said:

I take a modular IC socket, break away the plastic, and I am left with the connector pins, which couple together as mini male/female connectors. Cheap and Easy!!

Could you show a picture or two? I've wanted to use connectors for lights but have always been turned off by the price.

[icghogger]

Oct 30, 2013 19:23:56 GMT -5 emd16645 said:

Oct 30, 2013 19:00:59 GMT -5 icghogger said:

I take a modular IC socket, break away the plastic, and I am left with the connector pins, which couple together as mini male/female connectors. Cheap and Easy!!

Could you show a picture or two? I've wanted to use connectors for lights but have always been turned off by the price.

Sure can, I will work on that tonight.

[icghogger]

Here is how I make up my mini connectors.  Start with a modular 18-pin socket.



Chop up with a pair of flush side cutters.



Strip the pins from the plastic base.



Keep chopping until you get a good stash.



Below the tweezers you can see how they connect to each other.



Connectors soldered to truck wipers.



Connectors soldered to pads on each end of the power buss on PCB.  You can clip off the pins or bend them to fit holes on PCB as needed.



Wiper leads connected to power buss.

[emd16645]

Thanks for the photos. Looks like a very simple and cheap way of making connectors.

[tamaman]

Great idea! I am doing sound and LED retos on some locos this weekend.

[rjm]

Thanks for the technique.
Ever use hot glue for inslation on these connectors?
RJ

[icghogger]

RJ, for these mini connectors, I use heat shrink tubing. I have used hot glue for insulation on other projects, but find it hard to work with in tight places. If you decide to try it, I would use the low temp hot glue.

[rjm]

Thank You Robert! I found some of these sockets, there are 40 in a row. What I found advantageous about these is I can cut them up in two's, three's or whatever. I want to use them for speakers and such, as the JST pockets that come with some decoders are rather fragile.

Use the hot glue between the connectors just for insurance.

Have a great day

RJ

[stevef45]

wow, i wanna goto radio shack now and get some of these.

[icghogger]

Good Find, RJ, I did not see those when I was looking for connectors!!

[emd16645]

RJ, could you provide the product description or item number for the strips you found? I've been looking at Radioshacks site but can't find anything simliar.

[rjm]

I use E-Bay a lot cause there are no model train shops in Reno anymore, either died or went out of busines the last 5+ years. Anyway try searching this seller. Fast and free shipping. " thaishine "
Have to order another strip pretty soon been hooking them up to a lot of my lights and such on the Locomotives then shoot some hot glue around it to keep the grimlins away.
Neat attic set up got going, where is the helix? See all the paint where is the paint booth?
RJ

[emd16645]

Dec 9, 2013 14:01:55 GMT -5 rjm said:

I use E-Bay a lot cause there are no model train shops in Reno anymore, either died or went out of busines the last 5+ years. Anyway try searching this seller. Fast and free shipping. " thaishine "
Have to order another strip pretty soon been hooking them up to a lot of my lights and such on the Locomotives then shoot some hot glue around it to keep the grimlins away.
Neat attic set up got going, where is the helix? See all the paint where is the paint booth?
RJ

Thanks for the info, I looked up the seller, and I'll probably will be making a purchase in the near future.

As far as my layout setup goes, I started building some modules while living in an appartment for a year after college.  These I brought with me after purchasing a house a few years back, when I began construction of a two deck basement layout, with the helix planned to be located under the stairs.  This layout I got the benchwork about 50% complete when I opted to remove the layout in order to finish the basement off to increase the value of the house prior to moving this coming summer.  The next house we get will have adequate space to build a large layout along with a decent workshop space.

For my paint setup, I started with using aerosol can paints (testors, etc) along with a cardboard box to contain the overspray.  Last Christmas my wife bought me an airbrush.  This past summer, I've borrowed a homemade spray booth from a friend that I set up on the back deck.  Unfortunately, since winter has arrived (snow falling as I write), my painting operation has been shut down til spring (or I get desperate enough and paint in the basement).

[rjm]

Thanks Chris,
I thought because of the slope it was in your attic, my mistake. Glad you got room and. I built a 3/8" plywood box for my paint booth, just need a stronger fan, bought a bathroom exhaust fan and it does not pull enough air, so the booth is in the shop at 03 degrees.
Later RJ

[artur]

you guys can get those connectors at Digikey and Sayal cheep.
www.digikey.com/
www.sayal.com