Rookie Electrical Question - WAGO743102

[slijin]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

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.

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.