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Removable stick connector
- Thread starter wirejock
- Start date
I used ultra-flexible industrial automation cable with preinstalled M12 connectors. Fits entirely within the stick weldment, positive threaded connection, easy to connect/disconnect.
How many pins?
T.E. CPC Series 2 in mine as well.
Cool, but on my 7A that would require removing the entire stick weldment. My wires exit the bottom of the stick weldment.
Keep 'em coming!
How did you install it?
Can't. My cable goes down the tube. DB15 won't fit. I need and want a 12 pin I can epoxy the male at the weldments and the female in the stick tube. That way, I pull the bolt and the stick comes out.
Soldered wires to the switches on one side, ran the cable for the other side down through the lower weldment. Pics are on my website, in the post linked above.
Oops. Sorry. I missed that. Nice work. I will order one and follow suit. Thx
Remove the pins from the connector. Run all the lines down the tube then reinsert the pins in the connector.
I did a db9 with ears ground off and epoxied into the stick. Pics on my EAA build log. https://eaabuilderslog.org/?blprojentry&proj=7dV0lVJ7T&e=87wdUYIxm&listcat=&sid=
I need 11 pins total including ground. 9 isn't quite enough. Great idea though.
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Yes. I am righty. Sweetie lefty. Eventually, I will move to the right.
It will work, but very difficult to route the excess cable and secure it through the stick boot hole. Thx though.
That is exactly what I need. Cool. Ordered male and female from Newark. Thx
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This connector lets me route the wires and connector internal to the stick base.
What prevents that connector from self-disconnecting? Maybe you added a retaining mechanism after you took the photos in post #22?
Every time I build or wire an airplane I go thru the same headache. How to run push-to-talk cables into the stick so that they can tolerate the stick motion and be trouble free. This is a nice solution to half the problem (the pitch motion). Any bulkhead-mount connector would work. D-sub is certainly the most common.
For my current project, the torque tube (roll motion) turns in big nylon pillow-blocks, so an external cable is not desirable. I am thinking about trying to run the cable inside the torque tube (competing for space with the pitch link tube).
Wouldn't it be nice if the custom was to locate PTT switches somewhere that doesn't move? Granted it's nice to have it right at your hand, but it is a wiring headache.
If you figure it out, I'm all ears. Seems like the more functions, the bigger the bundle, the stiffer it becomes, the more it's going to want to bend in one spot.
No retention mechanism. It would be pretty hard for it to come lose. Its a pretty snug fit. It's the copilot stick so the use of the stick buttons is pretty limited and I have redundant elev trim on the panel. Plus Dynon AP auto trim. Also, I disconnected the Flap function on the co-pilot stick. Thought of someone inadvertently pressing it at cruise made me nervous. You could always add a back shell with retention if your worried about it.
I did something similar, 'cept different. The Dsubs came with threaded holes so I'll connect that way.. If you don't decide to run a longer screw through both halves, a couple of zip-ties or loops of 020 safety wire holding the halves together wouldn't be unwise. Lots of shouldn'ts, no-ways, and improbables happen every day; at least in my world.
I put the pax PTT on the panel next to the headset jacks because:
- I fly solo 95% of the time
- I remove the stick to load camping stuff on the RH seat like for Oshkosh
- Gravity holds the stick in place; the plane is a -9A
Did the same on my 10. Another benefit is that the co-pilot can talk without touching the stick.
Follow up. I tried the Hirose connectors mentioned above. They are awesome, but no way I could solder the Tosten stick wires. One, they are larger AWG than the solder terminals accept. Two, there's eleven wires in my stick.
Plan B.
I ordered one of these...HangTon Hirose 12 Pin Male to 12 Pin Female.
It's the same locking Hirose connectors with a cable. It's some sort of video cable. Six twisted pairs inside. Heavy duty jacket,shielded with a strain relief inside.
I asked Kevin @ Tosten for a blank circuit board from the Military Grip. It's easier to solder new than to remove and solder new wires.
The rest was pretty straightforward. Swapped the Tosten cable for the Hirose. I installed it so the male would be the connector left in the weldment. Less FOD getting into the terminals. Slipped the cable down the weldment. The end of the cable got terminated to the same D-sub from the previous cable. Double checked every function. Reassembled.
I did lube the cable with a coating of silicone so it slides out easily when the stick is pulled up.
I don't recommend this if your stick is handling full amperage. Mine just grounds circuits so the smaller wires are not an issue. It's also tricky taking a Tosten grip apart. Pretty tight tolerances. Everything has to be perfect to reassemble. Remember to slip the stick bushing on the wire.
I removed and replaced it a few times to make sure it was easy. The only tricky part is the set screw and the weldment bolt. The locking Hirose is very secure. I was very pleased and suggested Kevin offer it to customers as an option for co-pilot stick orders.
I still need some sort of quick disconnect instead of the bolt, washer, nut. Any ideas?
The photo is the first attempt. I wasn't happy with the work. I replaced the circuit board and a new cable just in case.
Plan B.
I ordered one of these...HangTon Hirose 12 Pin Male to 12 Pin Female.
It's the same locking Hirose connectors with a cable. It's some sort of video cable. Six twisted pairs inside. Heavy duty jacket,shielded with a strain relief inside.
I asked Kevin @ Tosten for a blank circuit board from the Military Grip. It's easier to solder new than to remove and solder new wires.
The rest was pretty straightforward. Swapped the Tosten cable for the Hirose. I installed it so the male would be the connector left in the weldment. Less FOD getting into the terminals. Slipped the cable down the weldment. The end of the cable got terminated to the same D-sub from the previous cable. Double checked every function. Reassembled.
I did lube the cable with a coating of silicone so it slides out easily when the stick is pulled up.
I don't recommend this if your stick is handling full amperage. Mine just grounds circuits so the smaller wires are not an issue. It's also tricky taking a Tosten grip apart. Pretty tight tolerances. Everything has to be perfect to reassemble. Remember to slip the stick bushing on the wire.
I removed and replaced it a few times to make sure it was easy. The only tricky part is the set screw and the weldment bolt. The locking Hirose is very secure. I was very pleased and suggested Kevin offer it to customers as an option for co-pilot stick orders.
I still need some sort of quick disconnect instead of the bolt, washer, nut. Any ideas?
The photo is the first attempt. I wasn't happy with the work. I replaced the circuit board and a new cable just in case.
Matt,
Very trick solution. Do they make those cables with 22 AWG wire or 20 AWG?
I couldn't find one. If the wire is thicker, the cable probably won't pass through the weldment between the two bearings. Wires are metric. Probably 24AWG. Thin but only a little thinner than the Tosten harness.
In lieu of the bolt, I used these, but raiding an old set of crutches is another option.
kayak Paddle Spring Clips
There are no electronics on my passenger stick. Side panel mounted PTT as others have suggested. The main stick has a Dsub in the harness since that whole stick weldment needs to come out anyway if you need to remove the stick.
kayak Paddle Spring Clips
There are no electronics on my passenger stick. Side panel mounted PTT as others have suggested. The main stick has a Dsub in the harness since that whole stick weldment needs to come out anyway if you need to remove the stick.
During my training for my PPL, no headsets were needed in the PA28-151 that were used as trainers. We had to lean down and grab the mike from the rudder trim tower, hold it to our chin and PRESS the mike button and speak..... and you guys can't find a location to install a PTT other than the top of the stick....
