Your crimps are garbage because you used a wrong crimping tool for Dupont, a very common mistake. Most of the cheap crimpers which are described to be suitable for Dupont connectors are anything but. Crimp around insulation shouldn't look anything like this, It should nicely wrap around the insulation, not squashed in the middle. You can google IWISS SN-025 to see how a proper crimping die should look like. The same as this tool on wire crimping side and round on insulation side.
Thanks, these are the comments that I am looking for: constructive criticism! I will look up the mentioned document and if I find a tool with a good price, I might make another iteration of this video. Cheers!
@@CuriousScientist I also just noticed you crimped a single strand (solid) wire, which is a big no-no. Reliable crimps are not possible with this type of wire. Only multi-strand wire must be used for the vast majority of crimps, with some rare exceptions designed specially for solid wire.
I only had that kind of wire, so I used what I had. Nowadays, I use a silicon insulated stranded wire. In fact, the crimping works/looks much better on these wires.
@@woopsserg Crimping solid wire isn’t quite as big of a no-no as many people think, but you’re correct that most crimp contacts are designed for stranded only.
@@tookitogo It is a big non-no, since solid wire will not hold well enough in such connectors. It likely will work for some time but if there is any movement or vibration, very likely wire will dislocate from such crimp. If you really need to use solid wire with unsuitable crimp connector, just solder it. It will be 100 times more reliable.
The crimping die has two sections: the section for crimping the insulation has a larger opening than the section for crimping the wire itself. So it's important not to insert the contact the wrong way round. You also have to align the connector pin with these sections. My crimping die is wider than the sections of the pin that have to be crimped, so I can't align on the outside of the die: I have to line up with the middle of the die instead.
Good remarks. It is also important to strip just enough length of the insulation, and to not insert the wire too deep in the connector. Otherwise, the conductor won't touch the terminal and it can also hinder the pin ("counter piece") to be fully inserted in the female connector.
@@CuriousScientist your tip of inserting a pin into the connector during crimping was very helpful, it makes estimating how far to insert the wire a lot easier.
Thanks! Seems like that the crimper I use is not the "official" Dupont crimper, but a "Dupont" crimper. Everywhere I see these on shopping websites, they refer to them as Dupont crimping tool. You are not the first (and probably not the last, haha) person to point the differences out. I will keep this in mind thanks!
@@CuriousScientistThe crimper they are referring to is model SN-025 - Made in the same factory in China as the SN-28B you are using here just has a different die set in them.
There's no specific reason, other than this cable was right next to me, so I picked this up for the demonstration. In fact, stranded wires, especially those with the silicone insulation tend to be much more flexible. So, if you need the flexibility, go for the stranded one, if you need rigidity, go for the single core cables. I also prefer the stranded wires with the silicone insulation.
There’s rarely a reason to use solid wire in electronics. In the distant past, stranded wire was much more expensive than solid, so in static applications, we used solid. But the cost advantage has shrunk a lot, and stranded is more tolerant of vibration and flexing and is easier to work with, so it’s used almost exclusively now.
You have to use finely stranded purer copper wire in machines where there is a lot of flexing otherwise the cables break internally. Solid is only for cables that don't move once installed.
Yes the more important tool is the crimper but even more important is the quality of his die set; thankfully this part is changeable. The 50% of quality rely on the tool used the other 50% is all about skills, so I encourage everybody to practice a lot.
Totally agree! I actually have another crimping tool and I have a bunch of dies with it for different connectors. It really worth the investment, your cables and connections will be thankful. When I bought this tool, I messed up several crimps and I still mess it up sometimes as the video illustrates. Practice, practice, practice...! :)
It did help me i struggle with the right orientation and good fit for my Model Trains. I use these types of connectors to make my harness to conness the tender and the engine digital stuff. Usually 6 or 8 wires but a nice plug and harness make it so e much easier to route and manage. Thank You so much. Now I am working on an ESP3266 install for Wireless WiFi and PWM DC Motor control. I have the fan smoke and chuff sound synchronized,, All wheel pick u at the tender, digital sounds and LED lights. Wanting to go wireless with real slow motion and buttons for Steam Whistle. Its my retirement hobby. With 3D Printer and DIY Mini Mill I am a pig in you know what! Great video as usual. Dennis
I think in electronics, dupont, as a connector type, is widely known. Otherwise, it could also be the famous chemical plant that, for example, invented Teflon and other materials. :)
@@CuriousScientist Never heard it used in my country. Even English countries outside USA don't use a brand name. In fact that brand may be available in my country but it's really not used by anyone. Mostly roll over or fold over for un-insulated terminals is the term I've heard. I've seen videos from England and they don't use the term either in my observation.
I saw it somewhere when I started to get more into electronics (more specifically, Arduino stuff) and it got stuck. I won't change it now, it is too late. 😄
This tool works fine with JST and dupont contacts, so I don't know what's your problem. If you want to correct me or anything, I am totally okay with it, but you can do it in a less condescending way as well. ;)
@@CuriousScientist less condescending its IWISS SN-025. Sorry, but you inserted an wrong crimped dupont on the video thumb and talk about a good crimper. this is a very common mistake. you should research the theme before talking about it. Dupont wings must not pierced into the wire insulation(JST - yep, but not dupont)
Just to be clear: no, you can’t actually do it properly with normal nose pliers. Crimping is actually a precision process that forms a cold weld, and this requires a careful balance of enough pressure to form the cold weld, but not enough to damage the conductor. You cannot do this with ordinary pliers, as the lever ratio doesn’t enable you to apply enough force.
Yes, this is actually a very good remark. I guess iceberg789 only referred to a "just fine" solution to have the terminal connected to the wire. But of course if you would want to go for a professional solution, a dedicated tool is needed.
Hi! After drawing further conclusions after making this video, I would use stranded wire, probably 28 or 30 AWG. Especially those with the silicone insulation. They are heat resistant and very flexible.
@@CuriousScientist Actually, the wires I'm trying to connect are probably too thin. I'm trying to connect duponts to a 1.25mm connector. The wires are #30 or higher. Also, the tabs should be crimped on the insulation before inserting into the crimping tool. Still, I only get about 1 in 10 to hold.
@@brucekarpe1759 Crimping is a precision process that requires careful matching of wire, contact type, and crimp tool. The mechanical tolerances involved are surprisingly tight, and with tiny connectors like 1.25mm pitch, it gets even more critical. A crimp tool for DuPont (which 99% of the ones sold “for DuPont” actually are not!!) is much too large for a 1.25mm pitch contact. The crimp dies for 1.25mm contacts are _tiny!_ If you mean that you need DuPont contacts onto 30AWG wire: this is possible, but not with a standard tool. (Most of the aforementioned bad DuPont tools struggle to crimp 24AWG reliably, so hopeless on thinner wire.) Additionally, the contacts themselves are different: the ones for thin wire have smaller crimp tabs. I own a “real” ($450) crimp tool for dupont-like contacts, and with it, I can reliably crimp onto 30AWG, because it has three positions in the die, one of which is for 28-32AWG. If you value your sanity, I highly recommend picking up a proper tool: with patience and luck, you can buy them on auction or classified sites for pennies on the dollar. (I got my $450 tool on the local classifieds for $60 shipped, brand new.) “Insulation tabs should be crimped first” - No. With a proper ratcheting crimp tool, you do not pre-crimp anything, it’s a one-step process.
