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The mysteries of the DSUB shell (ELT installation)

LettersFromFlyoverCountry

Well Known Member
I know this is a stupid question but I'm beyond being concerned about that. :D.

I just made the ELT end connection in a dsub connection for my ARTEX 406 ME ELT. So now I've got two plastic shells (I can figure out how those go together) and a bunch of screws nuts and a couple of tabular gizmos and I have no idea how they all fit together.

Can someone point me to a diagram for how a typical DSUB shell is assembled?

Also -- in the event someone has installed one of these -- can someone confirm that a ground wire from pin 7 of the ELT-end connector is spliced onto the the shielding and then is connected by a similar method at pin 6 of the remote switch connector, and then a wire is run from pin 9 to local ground?

Here's the manual. I want to make sure I'm reading iit correctly.
 
Yes...

....
Also -- in the event someone has installed one of these -- can someone confirm that a ground wire from pin 7 of the ELT-end connector is spliced onto the the shielding and then is connected by a similar method at pin 6 of the remote switch connector, and then a wire is run from pin 9 to local ground?

Here's the manual. I want to make sure I'm reading iit correctly.

...your interpretation of the schematic of Figure 10 in the manual is correct....
 
I just went through this myself making a connection for my trim servo.
What you need are little screw combos that consist of a threaded male screw that on one end is screwed into a hollow threaded female hex. That unit screws onto one half of the dsub and allows the retained screw in the other half of the dsub to screw into that, binding the two together.
You would think they would come with the pieces, but they don't.
The good news is they are readily salvagable from the back ports of old computers or peripherals.
 
Bill's solution looks nice - hadn't seen it done that way before!

I, like Myron, have been salvaging bits and pieces of computers for decades, and have quite an assortment of little screws and nuts to join D-Subs. I use a screw and a double-female on one side, cranked down tight with a little lock-tight. Then the other side just has a typical captured screw, and that becomes the "active" side when attaching.

Paul
 
To continue this older thread with an add on question...how does one snug up the wire bundle leaving the dsub shell? Most of my bundles are just a few wires and while they get adeled or fixed fairly shortly after leaving the shell, it would be nice to have them solid as the depart the shell.
 
To continue this older thread with an add on question...how does one snug up the wire bundle leaving the dsub shell? Most of my bundles are just a few wires and while they get adeled or fixed fairly shortly after leaving the shell, it would be nice to have them solid as the depart the shell.

Wrapping the bundle with a bit of self-fusing silicone tape (aka rescue tape) works.
 
To continue this older thread with an add on question...how does one snug up the wire bundle leaving the dsub shell? Most of my bundles are just a few wires and while they get adeled or fixed fairly shortly after leaving the shell, it would be nice to have them solid as the depart the shell.

Typically, you would slide some heat shrink over the wires before inserting the pins into the D-Sub. The heat shrink would be clamped into the back-shell, if you have one.

If you forget, Teflon tape works well too.
 
Go onto Stein's YouTube channel - there be videos !

If nothing, just type into YouTube D Sub backshell assembly and there will be tutorials.
 
The great thing about self-vulcaniIng silicon rubber tape is that it can be added after the pins are assembled into the connector and can easily accommodate future circuit wire addition/removal. Neat stuff and what the pros use.

70084822.jpg
 
After struggling with the DSUBs on my LSE ignition boxes, I swapped out the standard screws with longer knurled thumbscrews. Much easier to work with and there doesn't need to be a lot of torque on them to hold the connector in place. In fact, too much often spins the female nut on the other half of the connector and then you have to somehow get a tiny wrench in there along with the flathead screwdriver. This was a common problem with older computers that used DSUBS. I notice that VP uses them and I bought extras to be sure that all the DSUBS in my RV-10 use them.
 
After struggling with the DSUBs on my LSE ignition boxes, I swapped out the standard screws with longer knurled thumbscrews. Much easier to work with and there doesn't need to be a lot of torque on them to hold the connector in place. In fact, too much often spins the female nut on the other half of the connector and then you have to somehow get a tiny wrench in there along with the flathead screwdriver. This was a common problem with older computers that used DSUBS. I notice that VP uses them and I bought extras to be sure that all the DSUBS in my RV-10 use them.

Definitely - Dynon seems to use long knurled screws as well.

primary-harness-dseries.jpg


If you have the backshells with short standard screws, buy a pack -

https://www.amazon.com/Knurled-Slotted-Screws-Backshell-Connector/dp/B0197ECLOW/ref=sr_1_1
 
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