Plugs

starmanmm · Post by **starmanmm** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:41 pm

Looking at adding male and female plugs to my kits.

Any recommendations as to what I should be looking for?

Umi_Ryuzuki · Post by **Umi_Ryuzuki** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:13 pm

Deans Plugs?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deans-Micro-Pol ... 789&sr=1-3

The pins can be as shown, polarized, or can be
taken apart and set to male/female plugs.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wt ... LXCGP1&P=7
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wt ... LXDKA6&P=7

I use them as hot lead connectors at superstructure breaks or mast
breaks to promote removal. Here, the mast is grounded, and the
two pin plug provides hot leads for two separate lighting circuits.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachme ... id=1098196

starmanmm · Post by **starmanmm** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:28 pm

Interesting... not what I was thinking about.... but it does give me ideas.

What I was referring to are the phono types.

Who has used them.... pros and cons.

tetsujin · Post by **tetsujin** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:32 pm

I use pin headers and mating sockets - cut the length I need, and scribe an "X" on one end so I can get the polarity right...

For instance, these ones with 2mm spacing:
pins
sockets

Total of $6 for 40 pins and sockets - of course, the sockets aren't snappable, so each time you cut, you lose a socket pin - but that's still 13 two-conductor connector pairs, or 10 three-conductor connector pairs...

There's smaller pin headers available - 1.25mm and such, but they're more expensive...

jwrjr · Post by **jwrjr** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:47 pm

It is better not to use "phone" plugs and jacks (like stereo headphones). They work well enough until they tarnish ... which they do.

starmanmm · Post by **starmanmm** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:21 am

It is better not to use "phone" plugs and jacks (like stereo headphones). They work well enough until they tarnish ... which they do.

So the fun begins.

Here is the deal.... working on my conversion of the 22" into the Constellation. Need to find a way to connect the ship to the mounting post with the ability to disconnect from the post to assist in taking to shows, etc. Yes, this is being lit, so there has to be a connection from the ship to the stand to the power sourc.

Hence, the reason why I was looking at something like phone jacks/plugs.

Umi_Ryuzuki · Post by **Umi_Ryuzuki** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:25 pm

Really, any plug will do what you want.
But most of them will not be a good structural connection to
hold the model rigidly in place. Stereo headphone jacks will
be fairly rigid, but it will allow the model to spin. The micro
plugs and others of that size won't spin, but they won't support
the model either. That's why the mast connections I build use
the larger brass tube, not only for the rigid support, but as a ground.
The micro plug then prevents it from spinning around. If you use
a round plug, a brass pin, and socket to one side will prevent
any spinning, and reinforce the connection.

For pieces with large contact areas, I simply screw together at
one or two points, and the plug can be used as another point of
connection, and alignment.

Deck house to pilot house connection - two screws and a 4 pin plug.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/6231 ... opyop9.jpg

Pilot house to roof two spring connectins and one micro plug...
Next time I am going to etch a circuit board as the roof plate.

Lose that bird's nest of wiring up there.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/3123 ... opyxo8.jpg

The mast still folds down... all brass soldered, and its grounded.
Two wires run up from the mast for two circuits.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/3599 ... opyuj5.jpg

And it all lights up, every time, when assembled.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2717 ... opyrf8.jpg

One possible type of plug you can use might be a serial port plug or
Dsub connector. You may be able to use the two screw mouniting points
as threaded connections to lock the plugs together. Plus it has nine pins.
Plenty of options for multiple lighting circuits.

tetsujin · Post by **tetsujin** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:13 pm

starmanmm wrote:
It is better not to use "phone" plugs and jacks (like stereo headphones). They work well enough until they tarnish ... which they do.
So the fun begins. ](*,)

Here is the deal.... working on my conversion of the 22" into the Constellation. Need to find a way to connect the ship to the mounting post with the ability to disconnect from the post to assist in taking to shows, etc. Yes, this is being lit, so there has to be a connection from the ship to the stand to the power source.

Hence, the reason why I was looking at something like phone jacks/plugs.

There's two things about audio jacks, as far as I'm concerned:

First, they're very large for the connection you get, when compared to the alternatives.
Second, (and this isn't a major issue, really) they can momentarily short out while plugging or unplugging them.

I think my approach to something like this would be to have the support rod permanently attached to the ship, and then have the connection with the base be the one that's removable. That way I can have a hollow underside to the base which I can use to access wiring, connect/disconnect things, etc. I feel like the effort involved in getting the support rod to be removable from the model and provide an electrical connection isn't worth it. It's more trouble than it's worth.

starmanmm · Post by **starmanmm** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:53 pm

Thanks Umi_Ryuzuki and tetsujin... both ideas good.

I agree that the connect to the ship is the weakest link and I did not consider the possibility that the plug may fail.

But if I can use both of your suggestions, I guess the best of both worlds is the type of connections you have mentioned Umi_Ryuzuki and the idea of connectioning it to the base as you suggest tetsujin.

I just gotta figure out that layout and take it for that point.

Funny thing is... the wiring for the ship is basically done, except for the acual sodering of the wires. But I needed to get past the how to connect it to the power source before I continued.

Any info on how these can be turned into male/female plugs Umi_Ryuzuki ?

Chacal · Post by **Chacal** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 4:23 pm

starmanmm wrote:working on my conversion of the 22" into the Constellation. Need to find a way to connect the ship to the mounting post with the ability to disconnect from the post to assist in taking to shows, etc.

Connies are very off-balance, aren't they?

For maximum sturdiness, I'd say add a tube running all the way from the bottom of the secondary hull (where it attaches to the mount) to as far up inside the ship as possible (even to the saucer, if the tube were to go up at an angle through the neck.

This tube should be non-round if at an angle because the connie will try to rotate and hang upside down (it depends on where the mount lies and the internal weight distribution). A square tube, with a telescoping square tubing being the mounting rod will take care of that.

Now, if the mounting square tube has a male phono plug on its tip, and there is a corresponding female plug buried inside the model, at the end of the internal tube, there you have it: power for the lights, a solid mount and a non-rotating one to boot.

Actually, depending on the angle you choose, you may even do some 'tricks' with the connie: Mount it straight (level), remove it, rotate 90º and voilà: a ship 'banking' and 'climbing' gently. Remove it, rotate 90º more and the connie is now 'climbing'. Let's say the tube is at a 20º angle to vertical. First quarter turn makes the connie bank 20º and climb 20º. The second quarter turn makes it face 'backwards', while climbing at a steep 40º. Next quarter turn puts it going the other way (same as the first turn, but facing left instead of right)

starmanmm · Post by **starmanmm** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:22 pm

Yeah, a square tube would prevent it from rocking or rolling, but cutting that thru the reinforcement in the engineering section and thru the hull will be fun. Never did cut a squre hole before.

But I do like your direction on this.....Hummmmmmmm.

Gotta give it some thought. This is a big kit.

Shizman · Post by **Shizman** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:19 am

Umi_Ryuzuki wrote:Really, any plug will do what you want.
But most of them will not be a good structural connection to
hold the model rigidly in place. Stereo headphone jacks will
be fairly rigid, but it will allow the model to spin. The micro
plugs and others of that size won't spin, but they won't support
the model either. That's why the mast connections I build use
the larger brass tube, not only for the rigid support, but as a ground.
The micro plug then prevents it from spinning around. If you use
a round plug, a brass pin, and socket to one side will prevent
any spinning, and reinforce the connection.

For pieces with large contact areas, I simply screw together at
one or two points, and the plug can be used as another point of
connection, and alignment.

Deck house to pilot house connection - two screws and a 4 pin plug.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/6231 ... opyop9.jpg

Pilot house to roof two spring connectins and one micro plug...
Next time I am going to etch a circuit board as the roof plate.
Lose that bird's nest of wiring up there.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/3123 ... opyxo8.jpg

The mast still folds down... all brass soldered, and its grounded.
Two wires run up from the mast for two circuits.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/3599 ... opyuj5.jpg

And it all lights up, every time, when assembled.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2717 ... opyrf8.jpg

One possible type of plug you can use might be a serial port plug or
Dsub connector. You may be able to use the two screw mouniting points
as threaded connections to lock the plugs together. Plus it has nine pins.
Plenty of options for multiple lighting circuits.

Great ideas here. I was thinking of using a dsub as well, however, it's a little big. My idea is to create a cable that can add to the diorama, looking like a fueling hose or something. I like the idea of 9 pins though, so i'm torn.

Is there anything else that has that many pins that could do it within a smaller space?

Chacal · Post by **Chacal** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 8:56 am

Funny thing: our fellow SCC-7107 USS Atlantis has just posted on the Blinking vs flashing LEDs thread that he did exactly this rod-and-plug thing:

SCC-7107 USS Atlantis wrote:[...]My TOS-E, I modified the engineering hull to use a brass rod as the stand, then run a power cord up the center of that - the connection between the model and the rod is a standard 2-conductor mini-plug/jack. The jack is glued to the engineering hull, the plug to the top of the brass rod - putting the model on the stand plugs in the power

Rod design

Umi_Ryuzuki · Post by **Umi_Ryuzuki** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:51 pm

Shizman wrote:
Great ideas here. I was thinking of using a dsub as well, however, it's a little big. My idea is to create a cable that can add to the diorama, looking like a fueling hose or something. I like the idea of 9 pins though, so i'm torn.

Is there anything else that has that many pins that could do it within a smaller space?

The most compact I can think of would be a cat5 plug and socket, 8 contacts.
It's not structural, but cable would make a good fueling hose.

Shizman · Post by **Shizman** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 2:58 pm

Umi_Ryuzuki wrote:
Shizman wrote:
Great ideas here. I was thinking of using a dsub as well, however, it's a little big. My idea is to create a cable that can add to the diorama, looking like a fueling hose or something. I like the idea of 9 pins though, so i'm torn.

Is there anything else that has that many pins that could do it within a smaller space?
The most compact I can think of would be a cat5 plug and socket, 8 contacts.
It's not structural, but cable would make a good fueling hose.

I was thinking the same thing. I don't need anything structural and if I embed the connector and make a housing for it, it'll be convincing and removable.

Shizman · Post by **Shizman** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:13 am

I was just in an electronics supply store last night and got some HD 15 pin dsub connectors (i.e. VGA connectors), so I picked up a bunch. I will likely use that for more complicated lighting systems, but the 8 pins on a CAT 5 connector will do fine for my current project.