Can we talk about the connector that failed on my bench today?

I was testing a nav radio on a King KX 165 and the D-sub pin pulled right out of the solder cup after less than a year, so has anyone else had trouble with those cheap pre-assembled harnesses from the supply house?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthewh2821h agoMost Upvoted

Did the pin just give up and walk away? I swear those pre-made harnesses are wired with hopes and prayers instead of solder. I had a D-sub pin on a Garmin GNC 255 that literally fell out when I sneezed near it, and it had only been in service for six months. You'd think spending a little extra on a quality crimp tool would be cheaper than pulling your hair out over these duds.

martin.vera17h ago

I've been there too, @matthewh28. That "hopes and prayers" line got me because it's exactly how those cheap harnesses feel. I picked up a decent ratcheting crimper years ago after fighting with pins for a whole Saturday, and it saved me so much hassle. Make your own harnesses from scratch with proper contacts and you can also control the wire gauge to pin size match. It takes a bit longer upfront but you won't have pins walking away on you. A good set of pin extractors is worth having too for when you do have to fix a dud without damaging everything around it.