The achille's heel of modern electronics....pin connectors. Any cure?

[daz]

I'm so so sick of dealing with internal multi pin connectors that tend to make intermittently lousy contact with one of more pins. Seems like with some of them it;s not a matter or whether that will happen, but when. My latest PITA is with an amp i really love when it sounds right, a fender GT100 mustang. This think has had several volume and tone issues that seem to have gone away once i dealt with one particular connector. It's not a ribbon or wire type, but a multi pin connection between 2 boards. They type where on board has pins soldered to the board and the other board has a female connector soldered directly to it and the smaller board presses into it when positioned into place. The thing is so flimsy, and the fact it is the send/return board tells me we're dealing with a analog signal path which is likely where these intermittent tonal and volume fluctuation are happening, and seems to be proven by the fact it stopped after i modded it. It's all common stuff with many owners, not just myself. But the mod was a crude one and a PITA.....18 (at least i think theres 18 pins) 3-4" pieces of wire soldered to the connector pads on each board to keep all connections solidly intact even when the pin connections fail. A real PITA and tedious/long mod. I tried deoxit initially and that worked for a time then started again. I did the same mod to the other such connector in it thats on the footswitch board. The FS issues topped after that so these connector types are truly crap.

Question is, i intend to buy a second one as a backup and to keep at a friends rehearsal space. I also have a friend who likes the amp and wants to buy one but i advised him of this issue. So my question is, does anyone know of any tricks to make connectors like this reliable? I thought long and had but all i could come up with is the mod i did which i really do not want to go thru again if i buy another and then again if my buddy buys one. What a garbage design ! Gotta be a easier way to deal with it and there are a lot of electronic wizards here so i gotta think someone has come up with a way around this.

[mozz]

You need to gold plate them. Ok, not feasible. Tin whiskers on the contacts? Maybe some type of sealant?

I've bought outdoor chinese led christmas lights strings, the light bulb into the socket rusts, yes steel.

[daz]

You need to gold plate them. Ok, not feasible. Tin whiskers on the contacts? Maybe some type of sealant?

I've bought outdoor chinese led christmas lights strings, the light bulb into the socket rusts, yes steel.

They are gold. But it's the crap quality of the relatively loose pin to sleeve connections that are the problem. I thought about coating ech pin with solder but that might make things worse.

[HaroldBrooks]

Junk is Junk.

I've only been at electronics for a couple of years, but I have a lot of experience using cheap parts for auto rebuilds, and you get what you pay for (cheap part and cheap tools = disaster car).

I wouldn't spend too much time trying to "Fix" a cheap connector, other than perhaps replacing it all together with a more reliable type, or hard solder wires as you suggested.

One last ditch attempt may be to try some type of conductive grease (sparingly). That works well in some applications, but I don't have that much experience of using this on amp voltage with those types of connection, to recommend it whole heartedly.

I hate junk.

[daz]

Junk is Junk.

I've only been at electronics for a couple of years, but I have a lot of experience using cheap parts for auto rebuilds, and you get what you pay for (cheap part and cheap tools = disaster car).

I wouldn't spend too much time trying to "Fix" a cheap connector, other than perhaps replacing it all together with a more reliable type, or hard solder wires as you suggested.

One last ditch attempt may be to try some type of conductive grease (sparingly). That works well in some applications, but I don't have that much experience of using this on amp voltage with those types of connection, to recommend it whole heartedly.

I hate junk.

Maybe not a bad idea. (con. grease) Maybe others can chime in on that idea.

[g1]

Conductive grease will probably add resistance where you don't want it (between pins).

[daz]

Conductive grease will probably add resistance where you don't want it (between pins).

Good to know, thanks.

[olddawg]

It’s usually easier to hardware the mess.

[Justin Thomas]

Ford makes a grease for use on both brake parts (caliper slides) AND ignition wires. It's clear & cones in a toothpaste-like tube. Pretty thick, and can go on thin. I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I had to... Cuz crazy-ass temperatures & stupid-high voltages...

Maybe I'd try it on some beater amps first, but I bet it'd be okay...

Justin

[Randall]

You are experiencing the future now. I predict once us dinos who remember when products didn't suck as bad, and could be repaired reasonably are extinct, the acceptable norm will be disposable everything. Or, when the bottom falls out and new goods are no longer available, being able to cobble together broken electronics will be a skill worth much indeed.

[Chuck H]

You are experiencing the future now. I predict once us dinos who remember when products didn't suck as bad, and could be repaired reasonably are extinct, the acceptable norm will be disposable everything. Or, when the bottom falls out and new goods are no longer available, being able to cobble together broken electronics will be a skill worth much indeed.

And now we know your true heart. I'll see you when the zombie apocalypse starts

[J M Fahey]

I avoid connectors like the pest they are an solder whenever possible.

[The Dude]

And now we know your true heart. I'll see you when the zombie apocalypse starts

We can build our own weapons from surplus electronic junk.

[J M Fahey]

Electronic junk?

No need to build anything, weapons are already there!!!!

We can poison them with mercury from batteries, lead from solder, cadmium from batteries/Fender_roaches/chassis plating and ................... oh .................. wait ................... maybe thatīs what created Zombies to begin with!!!

[Chuck H]

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