Handshake/knife electrical connectors. Thoughts?

[Steve Crewdog]

I've got a couple very small holes to thread wires through that need to be removable later for R/R, the hole is too small to use a Molex/type connector, even single wire ones. One of my electrical Senseis says they're good to use, the other says Don't.


Thoughts? TIA

[Mike S]

Used them on the RV 10, using them on the new project.

No problems with them.

Easy to put on shrink tube, easy to cut it off when/if you need to take the connections apart. Just be sure to run the shrink a half inch or so beyond the connector on either side, to help support the wire.

For really small wire, like #24 I like to use D-sub pin/socket and shrink wrap.

[Joeyo68]

DSUB male and female pins covered with heat shrink is another option

[Canadian_JOY]

"Knife" or "handshake" connectors are very reliable and robust. I used them extensively in helicopters operating in harsh environments and never experienced a failure.

With that having been said, the comments made by Mike, above, are worth reading again. I prefer to use clear heat shrink, cut about 1.5" longer than the length of the coupled connectors. I shrink one end only and tie the other end closed with lacing cord. This makes a service-removable insulator - just cut off the lacing cord and slide the tubing up the wire. Since one end is shrunk, the tubing stays on the wire and will not get lost.

BTW my preference for clear tubing is based on the desire to be able to look inside the tube to inspect the connection without disassembly.

[vlittle]

Originally Posted by Canadian_JOY

"Knife" or "handshake" connectors are very reliable and robust. I used them extensively in helicopters operating in harsh environments and never experienced a failure.

With that having been said, the comments made by Mike, above, are worth reading again. I prefer to use clear heat shrink, cut about 1.5" longer than the length of the coupled connectors. I shrink one end only and tie the other end closed with lacing cord. This makes a service-removable insulator - just cut off the lacing cord and slide the tubing up the wire. Since one end is shrunk, the tubing stays on the wire and will not get lost.

BTW my preference for clear tubing is based on the desire to be able to look inside the tube to inspect the connection without disassembly.

Now that's a great idea! I'm going to put that in my bag of tricks.

[Steve Crewdog]

Thanks to Mike, Joey, and Canada for the idea about the dsub connectors, to add to it one of my Senseis said to put the + in one direction and the - in another, and that way you cannot hook them up incorrectly.


:cheers:

[Steve Crewdog]

OK guys, what dsub crimper do you like? I'm not made of money, but won't buy Harbour Freight tools.

[Mike S]

I use this one.

https://www.steinair.com/product/4-way-indent-crimper/

[Canadian_JOY]

Originally Posted by Mike S

I use this one.

https://www.steinair.com/product/4-way-indent-crimper/

I had some Daniels crimpers and a bunch of turrets, until somebody liked them better than I did and walked off with them.

Now I just use the one's Mike linked - they work just fine for most applications, save for the challenges I've had with reliably getting enough crimp on 24AWG wire. I now strip 24AWG wire longer than necessary and bend half the stripped wire back to make a thicker wire or, more correctly, more mass for the 4-way indent head to crimp into. Works well, costs very little.

Be sure, if ordering from Stein, to order the high density D-Sub positioner. It's only a few bucks extra and will come in handy the day you have to crimp a high density d-sub pin. It's one of those little tools that you just want to include in the order since you're already paying shipping.

[Steve Crewdog]

Thanks, gang. Know what I'll be doing this weekend.