Are these acceptable PWM cables?

[Damaku250]

I've found a source for "servo" cables that will be cheaper and cost less on shipping for our team.
The question is, are these:
http://www.robotshop.ca/lynxmotion-servo-extender-cable-sea-03-1.html
acceptable as PWM cables?

As well, would this: http://www.robotshop.ca/lynxmotion-power-cable-8-pc-01.html work as a replacement to the "2 wire jumper cable"?

[Golto]

As long as the wire gauges are the same or smaller, they should be legal.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Those cables are acceptable. There is no rule on PWM cables other than minimum wire gauge. However, those cables look to be individual wires instead of ribbon. That might make wire management much harder.

[Foster]

They work fine, it's what I buy for both FRC and VEX.
However, those cables look to be individual wires instead of ribbon.

The link is to the 24" cable, that's what it would look like when you loop in into a 4" circle.

[MWB]

I usually just make my own... i buy the headers and the pins and just braid yellow, red, and black 24AWG wire together. its ALOT cheaper.

[eugenebrooks]

Where do you get your headers and pins, Marcus?

Eugene



I usually just make my own... i buy the headers and the pins and just braid yellow, red, and black 24AWG wire together. its ALOT cheaper.

[Teched3]

As long as the wire gauges are the same or smaller, they should be legal.

I believe you meant to say the wire gauge number goes down, but the actual diameter of the wire has to be the same or larger, as the cable carries power as well as signal.:)

[rwood359]

Where do you get your headers and pins, Marcus?

Eugene
We have bought from Hansen Hobbies a couple of times. We bought the kit that includes the crimper, stripper, and an assortment of parts and later some additional parts. They ship very quickly.
http://www.hansenhobbies.com/products/connectors/

[MWB]

Eugene,
i got them at a local hobby shop, but the place that rwood359 recommended looked good

[JonA]

We have bought from Hansen Hobbies a couple of times. We bought the kit that includes the crimper, stripper, and an assortment of parts and later some additional parts. They ship very quickly.
http://www.hansenhobbies.com/products/connectors/

I second the endorsement of Hansen Hobbies for PWM/Servo wire building. We save a significant amount of money making our own cables using these parts.

[DonRotolo]

This Thread (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68158) and This Thread (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67477) have some good sources; we use parts from Jameco and the "rs-232" crimper from Radio Shack. Good results, but the pre-made ones tend to be easier...

[Bruce Meyer]

A third for Hansen Hobbies...

We've used stuff from them for 3 or 4 seasons. But buy the $40 crimpers and not the cheap pair. You'll make an end in 5 or 6 minutes instead of one pin in 15 min.

Hansen also has videos of how to crimp the ends - excellent for training kids new to the electrical team!

[JonA]

This Thread (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68158) and This Thread (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67477) have some good sources; we use parts from Jameco and the "rs-232" crimper from Radio Shack. Good results, but the pre-made ones tend to be easier...

Good call Don. These threads have some great leads.

To elaborate on why I switched to home-made cables for my team:

We switched to making our own PWMs for three reasons: Custom Lengths, Cost Savings, Custom Circuits.

The cost savings and quality you get is pretty good (compare to $5/cable from http://vexrobotics.com/):
It is about $60 for 16 by 36 inch cables which comes out to about $3.75/cable from http://www.hansenhobbies.com/ (Requires a $15 crimp tool)
If you are making 12 inch cables you can get them for $2/cable at http://www.junun.org/
For 16 by 36 inch cables it is about $3.25 from http://mouser.com/ (Requires a crimp tool as well. Mouser and DigiKey are very reliable sources)

When crimping your pins be sure to be careful the crimp is good. You will most likely mess up the first few. Also make sure the connectors click in the housing.

[Alex_Miller]

We've used stuff from them for 3 or 4 seasons. But buy the $40 crimpers and not the cheap pair. You'll make an end in 5 or 6 minutes instead of one pin in 15 min

Any particular reason that you know why this is? It is because the delux version can ratchet?
http://www.hansenhobbies.com/products/connectors/tools/

[Al Skierkiewicz]

The deluxe version is ratcheting, yes, but it also has precision formed jaws that produce a near military crimp.

[Foster]

.. that produce a near military crimp.

So now I have a vision of WildStang kids standing at attention as Al bounces quarters off a newly made pile of connectors.

Back on topic, the better the crimper the better the crimp. The model shown has the ability to hold the pin in place while you put the wire in and crimp. A two hand job vs a three hand one. And no, flatter isn't better, otherwise we'd all be using hammers to make connectors.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Go ahead and ask them next week. I am not as hard as I sound, at least I don't think so...