Molex connector arcs

[JacksonRR]

So what do you do when it's just browned out on two of the connections? I have a short 8 pin one here for my Peavey 5150 and it just started acting like something was loose. Low volume, volume jumps, etc.... I know I should probably replace it(duh.) Is there a way I can repair the arced one reliably? Direct soldering isn't really an option I want to explore. Is this the kinda thing I'm gonna find at Radio Shack or Fry's Electronics? Do I HAVE to get one from Peavey? It's going from my mainboard into the power section. Thanks in advance guys.

[doctor]

So what do you do when it's just browned out on two of the connections? I have a short 8 pin one here for my Peavey 5150 and it just started acting like something was loose. Low volume, volume jumps, etc.... I know I should probably replace it(duh.) Is there a way I can repair the arced one reliably? Direct soldering isn't really an option I want to explore. Is this the kinda thing I'm gonna find at Radio Shack or Fry's Electronics? Do I HAVE to get one from Peavey? It's going from my mainboard into the power section. Thanks in advance guys.

I did not find corresponding Molex p/n in the parts list.

Please measure interval between two neighbring pins and send pictures of this connector.
I will try to define the part number.
After that you will be able to order him from Digi-Key, Mouser, Newark, Farnell, etc.

[JacksonRR]

5mm exactly between pins. The length of the connector is 135mm. I don't have a camera sorry. If you tell me where you are doing this research, perhaps I can do the work instead since I know what it looks like. Thanks Doc.

[Phostenix]

If you tell me where you are doing this research, perhaps I can do the work instead since I know what it looks like.

If you don't have paper catlogs for Mouser, Digikey, etc., then you can try their vitual ones online. Here's Mouser's:
Mouser Electronics - Catalog Viewer

It took a long time to load on my laptop. Go to Browse Suppliers & look at Molex. The Molex connectors start about page 1500 in their current catalog.

[defaced]

Do yourself a favor and just download the PDF of Mouser's catalog. That viewer is more annoying than helpful because you have to wait for the pages to load which makes browsing incredibly inefficient.

[JacksonRR]

Found and ordered. Thanks guys.

[jrfrond]

Just an FYI about Molex connectors that have gone south: they go south for a reason. In most cases, it is because the affected terminals are carrying appreciable current at a very small contact point, so buring occurs, on the male header as well as the female pin.

Molex has acknowledged this problem by issuing a new-style contact called "Spox", short for "Spring Box". These pins contact the male headers on all four sides, dramatically increasing contact area, which curtails the burnt contact syndrome. I've switched to these on all power connectors.

Concerning that Peavey: that's a common Peavey issue, and I would have hardwired it for reliability, but that's just me.

[JacksonRR]

I actually have hardwired it for the meantime. From the jumpers right before the molex posts to the heavy solder trace on the power tube board. She's up and doing as well as ever, but I can't help but think of later when I eventually pull the main board out for some reason or another. If it was a buddy's amp, that would be the fix and it would be over with. Thanks for the tip on the new Molex connectors. Sounds like they stepped up to a common problem. It's good to see that when it happens.

[Enzo]

Those Molex come on two basic sizes, the larger ones are 0.156" spacing, and the smaller ones are 0.100" spacing. Molex calls those their KK-156 and KK-100 series of connectors.

Those gray ribbons are terminated in IDCs or Insulation Displacement Connectors. Those are hte mass production connectors where you just press the insulated wire down into it, and the connector pins slice through the insulation and make contact.

Just hard wire the things and be done with it.


But if you JUST HAVE TO, you have options. Pull the wires from the burnt conector pins. There is a little slot and a barb on each pin that clicks into the slot, and that keeps the pin in the plastic housing. COllapse that little barb and you can pull out the pin. At this point you can use crimp pins and put them on the wires and then push those pins into the old housing. John's four sides connector ought to work, I am old school and use the KK156 "trifurcon" pins, which are three sides.

You can get rid of the IDC, and make up a new discrete wire connector from the KK series. I have crimp pins on hand, and I have a selection of KK156 plastic housings, and if I don;t have one with the right number of pins, I can always cut a longer one down to the right size.


And sometimes, the end two pins burn up, so I cut off the last two sections of the old IDC, stick the remainder back in place, and make up a two-pin crimp on Molex for the remaining two pins.

But really, just hard wire the things.