Before I order....question about crimp connectors

[jhabers]

Have my cart ready to order but not 100% sure these are the right size. I have HAPP Buttons, Ultimarc Ultralux buttons and Ultra Stick Joysticks, I only have the ultimarc buttons and joystick in front of me and when I measure the terminals on them I measure them as .25". I read on this board to get .187 connectors. From looking at the numbers they don't seem like the right size, am I missing something? This is what I have in my cart

http://www.jammaboards.com/store/187-quick-disconnect-terminal/prod_87.html

along with this wire.

http://www.jammaboards.com/store/hookup-wire-blue/prod_52.html

will the quick disconnects fit the terminals, and will the terminals fit the wire....properly....


Thanks!

Jon

[sarge]

If the lugs on your switches are .25 inch then you need to buy connectors that are .25 inch.  22 gauge wire will work fine with these connectors. 

[pincky]

The Light outputs are quick disconnect .25" and  everything else is .187"

try the real bob roberts hes got come great prices on quick connectors

here is the link
http://www.therealbobroberts.net/qd-id.html

there where i got mine from
vince

[rrcade]

Make sure you get a GOOD crimp tool. Bob sells them cheap

[pincky]

on that subject

radio shack also sells a crimping tools that is just used for crimping

I have it its a really great tool

it has three slots colored

RED

BLUE

Yellow

for different sizes

[jhabers]

do I want a crimp that dimples the connector or makes it like a football shape? The crimper I have makes it like a football shape.

Also I was going to remove the colored insulation part before crimping and then just use some heatshrink where the insulation would normally be (for aesthetic reasons). Is there anything wrong with doing this? Can I use the same crimper even though I will be crimping with no insulation?

Thanks

[Arcades R Fun]

I would recommend not using Crimp-ons.
Try soldering the connections. The money you save on the crimp-ons and wire crimper you could easily afford to buy a soldering iron and a spool of solder.

We recently switched to soldering all our microswitch connections forf every panel we build.
This virtually eliminates any broken/loose wires that come from using crimp-ons.
We now consistently have 100% working connections on every panel built.

Jack

[Fozzy The Bear]

We recently switched to soldering all our microswitch connections forf every panel we build.
This virtually eliminates any broken/loose wires that come from using crimp-ons.
We now consistently have 100% working connections on every panel built.

Very bad suggestion.... Sorry Jack, but that is probably the worst piece of advice I've seen on here for a while.

Crimp connectors allow you to change out a broken microswitch with ease. I also don't see broken connections at the crimp or in the wire as a result of them. If that is happening then you're crimping them with the wrong tool.

I always get 100% good connections with crimps and push on connectors. If you're not getting that, then you're doing something wrong. The entire arcade industry has been using crimps for the last 40 years or more. If they were as unreliable as you suggest then we would have stopped using them a very long time ago.

I pity anybody that buys one of your panels with soldered connections and then wants or needs to change something.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Arcades R Fun]

Julian,
You are entitled to your opinion.
Maybe we did not crimp correctly. But, we did use the standard dimpled crimp tools out there.
We have had zero microswitch failures and if a customer did have a bad one, it's very simple to correct.
We supply replacement switches at no charge if needed.


We never would have switched if not for some observations/discussions I had with arcade vendors over the years. Here's what I learned.

I also collect arcade games the last 9 years and have attended many. many arcade auctions. Several of the game I purchased were the typical conversions the arcade vendors did to breathe new life into there games.
I noticed that many of the games were soldered. I finally asked a vendor why he would spend more time to solder his connections rather than just crimp-ons. he said "Reliability". It's something many vendors do to produce a strong conection for commercial use.

I will be happy to explain to anyone how to solder connections.
Both methods do work nicely except we prefer this method.
Jack

[ChadTower]

Solder is not a strong connection - it's not mechanical at all.  Solder should not be used in place of a real mechanical connection.  A good crimp is many times stronger than the wire itself - the wire will snap elsewhere before the crimp comes off. 

[shardian]

Solder is not a strong connection - it's not mechanical at all.  Solder should not be used in place of a real mechanical connection.  A good crimp is many times stronger than the wire itself - the wire will snap elsewhere before the crimp comes off. 

Darn those pinball manufacturers for soldering every single connection and not spending $200 on crimp connectors. Darn them all!

A properly soldered connection has plenty of strength.  I see no problem with a manufacturer soldering their connections.

[ChadTower]

Darn those pinball manufacturers for soldering every single connection and not spending $200 on crimp connectors. Darn them all!

Pinball machines were not designed to be reliable in the long run.  They were designed to work well for a couple of years under commercial load and be manufactured for as little cost as they could manage.  Anything beyond that was considered the op's responsibility.  They are an even worse example of planned obsolescence than '80s Fords.

[Arcades R Fun]

I see this topic is very subjective.
I have made my points and stated the reasons why we now solder ALL our connections. I believe it's a strong selling point over crimp-on connections.
Enough said.
Jack

[Ginsu Victim]

I don't care about saving money. I care about saving time and frustration.
I can solder everything in place and it holds great (I did this on my first CP), but man it took forever.
With crimp connections, it's faster, easier, and if there's a problem, it's easy to replace. Need to run one wire to two switches? Male and female crimp connectors are a quick way.
Need to unhook and move something to a different location? You just unplug it (no de-soldering!).

[miles2912]

+1 for a good crimp.  You don't need solder.