how do i make molex cables??

[hulkster]

i bought some led cannons from this one site, and plugs into a molex connection from the power supply.  well i need some longer molex connectors (wires) obviously cuz they wont reach.  how can i make these things?  what type of wire do i need?  do i need to solder any?  how do i make them?

[fredster]

They are crimp on.  You do it with 18-22 gage wire.

You can find a very limited selection from radio shack with the crimp on ends, male and female, or you can go to Bob Roberts.  He has them all.

I don't know of another source, although I'm sure there are some.

[CCM]

you might just be able to buy a molex extention cable...

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=34_82&osCsid=225bd183b0b001d022ba4ddd08ba9059

[hulkster]

well i need my extensions to be a lot longer than what they have at that store.  anybody know of tutorials or something on how to do this?

[rsoandrew]

Or the cheapest solution --

Cut an unused connector off of your power supply (leaving some length on the connector) and use butt connectors spliced in the length of wire that you need (8 butt connectors - .64 cents).

[CCM]

Or the cheapest solution --

Cut an unused connector off of your power supply (leaving some length on the connector) and use butt connectors spliced in the length of wire that you need (8 butt connectors - .64 cents).

Or you could buy a cheap y-spliter and use that, instead of cutting a connector off of your power supply.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=12-101-203&depa=0

[hulkster]

thats a good idea but i need loooong cables.  probably around 5 feet in length to reach the pc.  its going from the control section of my showcase cab to the base of the monitor section, so it needs to be lengthy, which is why i was wondering if you can make custom cables.

[CCM]

right, what rsoandrew and I are saying is to use the molex connectors (either from a spare on your power supply or from the y-splitter) leaving some length of wire sticking out and use butt conectors to add as much wire as you need, then use butt connectors on the other end with another molex connector... am I making sense?  I tend to ramble...

[abrannan]

Not to be blunt and brief, but...  

It's a wire.  Well, four wires to be exact.  It needs to be longer.  Make it longer.  There are about a hundred ways to splice in extra wire.  

Here's a text-picture tutorial:

1. 3============E - Here's one of the four wires
2. 3======      ======E - Cut the wire somewhere in the middle
3. 3=====--      --======E - Strip the ends bare
4. 3=====--  --~~~~~~~~~--  --======E - Put a length of wire that long enough to reach where you need it between the cut ends
5. 3=======~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~======E - solder the ends of the wires together and cover with shrink-tubing or electrical tape, or if soldering isn't your cup of tea, use wire nuts.
6. Repeat for the other three wires



Okay, so not as brief as I'd originally intended, but still pretty blunt.  

[hulkster]

ah yes, i see.  well i have some crimp connectors ( i guess thats the same as butt connectors) where you just snip the wires and then put them in this connector thing and crimp in the middle and it lets you extend the wire so to speak.  i did this with my power switch wire on my motherboard for an external power button.  i guess the same applies for this stuff.  will i lose some power or will it be more inclined to mess up if say i used 2 crimp connectors on one wire?  like, use that wire splitter thing, and then make my extended wires in the middle and connect at either end of the extended wire.  understand?  so id have 2 connectors on each wire.  will that mess me up?

[CCM]

two connectors on each wire will be fine.  These are butt connectors...


http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=64-3108

[hulkster]

cool....off to radio shack!!