Rookie Electrical Question - WAGO743102
 

We don't know how to insert the wire into the WAGO unit thingy. It's not locking in place. Help?

Re: Rookie Electrical Question - WAGO743102
 

From the top it looks good. Is the connector pushed down all the way? Was any of the plastic connector housing bent. How about a side picture.

Re: Rookie Electrical Question - WAGO743102
 

This actually isn't our model. We cannot even get a wire to go into the WAGO. The directions said to push something down to get the wire in, but we cannot find anything. Nothing we are trying is working.

Re: Rookie Electrical Question - WAGO743102
 

Did you receive a device that looks like a small screwdriver but has the word WAGO on it? That funny looking screwdriver is not really a screwdriver. It is a special tool designed to open the open the WAGO connectors. One side is for inserting the tool, and the other for the wires. When you insert the tool in the correct side you should see the side for the wire open. Insert the wire, the remove the tool, and the connector should grip the wire and you are done.

Re: Rookie Electrical Question - WAGO743102
 

Mama,
First thing is the wire needs to be stripped at least 1/4 to 3/8". Tightly twist the wire after you strip it. You can use a jeweler's screwdriver or a green Xcellite screwdriver to open the contacts in this connector. It will work best if you mount it in a small vise but don't tighten the vise too tight. Push the screw driver down into the hole next to the wire insertion point and push the screw driver to the side. You should see the terminal open. While holding the terminal open, insert the wire. Remove the screwdriver and give a small tug on the wire to be sure it has been grabbed by the terminal. Visually check that no strands of wire are sticking out of the connector. These will produce shorts at the connector which is one of the more common problems on FRC robots.

Re: Rookie Electrical Question - WAGO743102
 

Do you have a picture of the screwdriver thing?

Re: Rookie Electrical Question - WAGO743102
 

To offer a visual, you are supposed to insert the screwdriver at the points encircled by red in the attached picture.

The connector is a spring-loaded mechanism, where pushing the screwdriver down applies a force against the spring, which opens the slot where you can slide the wire in. Removing the screwdriver allows the spring's restoring force to close the slot around the wire that you just inserted, securing the connection.

Re: Rookie Electrical Question - WAGO743102
 

Thank you guys so much for the help! We got it to work!

Re: Rookie Electrical Question - WAGO743102
 

I find it a lot easier to open the springs by putting it on a table and then "stabbing" it with a screw driver through the slits on the top. The wires are then relatively easy to insert from the side.