Anyone had trouble Wiring Appareo USB?

[iflyvfr]

The kit includes tiny connectors for the 22 gauge wire that won't hold the wires in without some modification. Flimsy pins that crimp onto wires: Receiver of said wires and pins:

The problem appears to be the barbs are too frail and fold like aluminum. For $350 I'd expect something sturdier. It caused the connector shown in above schematic that plugs into the rear of the unit to fall off and disappear into the bowels of the plane.

My mechanic had 2 planes (incl mine) with the exact same problem. More than 1 person attempted to get the pins to engage and stay in place so it's not my A&P.

Appareo sent me replacement parts (free) but the problem persists. My A&P did something to keep the wires from falling back out but he's open to other solutions.

We followed procedure, crimped them per the manual using the tool they called out. I don't like the idea of a hot wire flopping around behind the panel so I'm thinking we epoxy the wires into the unit that clips in the back. Any suggestions on what to use?

We called support and they hadn't heard of an issue.

 

[Huckster79]

Interesting I was in looking into the same unit and thinking about buying one...

 

[Huckster79]

Paging Wierdjim

 

[Bell206]

Flimsy pins that crimp onto wires:

barbs are too frail and fold like aluminum

Those look like standard Molex/Whelen pins. Is your crimping tool adjusted properly? Don't take offense, but are you sliding the pins into the connector from the proper direction? Are the lock tabs being bent during the crimp process?
FWIW: Never had problems with these type connectors except when the pins were over/under crimped on wire or the plastic housing was worn/cracked. Perhaps crimp a pin on a similar size wire and post a pic of it or compare your pins to this:
https://www.molex.com/tnotes/crimp.html

thinking we epoxy the wires

Epoxy? You could solder the wire/pins after crimping but that is not recommended as it could lead to other issues down the road. At most you could strip additional insulation off and double over the conductor but this would not correct the problem you are having.

 

[iflyvfr]

Those look like standard Molex/Whelen pins. Is your crimping tool adjusted properly? Don't take offense, but are you sliding the pins into the connector from the proper direction? Are the lock tabs being bent during the crimp process?
FWIW: Never had problems with these type connectors except when the pins were over/under crimped on wire or the plastic housing was worn/cracked. Perhaps crimp a pin on a similar size wire and post a pic of it or compare your pins to this:
https://www.molex.com/tnotes/crimp.html

Epoxy? At most you could solder the wire/pins after crimping but that is not recommended as it could lead to other issues down the road. At most you could strip additional insulation off and double over the conductor but this would not prevent the problem you are having.

Thanks for that link @Bell206, interesting & very helpful for me. However, the first thing to know is I'm not doing the crimping. If I was that would be the issue right there . The first couple of go rounds were done by an experienced electrical engineer whose equipment rides on NASA's gear - he teaches others how to crimp and is familiar with Molex crimping principles and techniques. He says the problem is 'the barbs (lock tabs) fold like tin foil'. My A&P is about to end his career working on big iron and is the one who used an alternate method but I don't know exactly what he did.

At any rate, the question re: Epoxy is my attempt to squash a bug with a hammer. Since Appareo sent us the same pieces parts as we're already struggling with, let's just find a safe AMOC and move on so I can finish up the annual. At the same time, we'd like to know if others have experienced something similar. If others have I might share that with Appareo so they know our experience isn't a simple crimping error.

 

[weirdjim]

Paging Wierdjim

First of all, thanks for the shoutout. I don't know EVERYTHING about Molex pins, but I've crimped well over a couple of thousand of them myself.


Those are standard Molex 02-03-1106 female connector pins. We''ve gone through about ten thousand of them in the last 45 years and the only problems we've had are situations like this where you use a howitzer to fight with an ant.

The second best crimp tool you have in the toolbox is a small pair of longnose pliers. I'm presuming that you are working with stranded wire, so the first job is to strip the insulation back about an eighth of an inch. Twist the wires together and tin them so that they are all one solid SMALL mass of wire held together with a SMALL amount of solder. Insert the wire end into the forward crimp area and gently bend the two small tabs over the wire. Solder them with a SMALL amount of solder so that they are held firmly to the pin. Now bend the BACK tabs over the insulation one over the other and gently crimp them onto the insulation. Now remelt the solder on the front tabs so that the plastic insulation on the back tabs melts onto the folded over back tabs.

The BEST tool to use instead of longnose pliers is a Waldom/Molex HT-1921 Stripper-Crimper. Available online for $15 or so. Crimp the front tabs. Solder. Crimp the back tabs. Solder again. Done.

See the attached out of my construction manual I send out with my kits.

Jim

 

[4CornerFlyer]

I had one of these installed a couple months ago. Wasn't told about any difficulty, and it has worked fine.
Jon

 

[iflyvfr]

First of all, thanks for the shoutout. I don't know EVERYTHING about Molex pins, but I've crimped well over a couple of thousand of them myself.
Those are standard Molex 02-03-1106 female connector pins. We''ve gone through about ten thousand of them in the last 45 years and the only problems we've had are situations like this where you use a howitzer to fight with an ant.

The second best crimp tool you have in the toolbox is a small pair of longnose pliers. I'm presuming that you are working with stranded wire, so the first job is to strip the insulation back about an eighth of an inch. Twist the wires together and tin them so that they are all one solid SMALL mass of wire held together with a SMALL amount of solder. Insert the wire end into the forward crimp area and gently bend the two small tabs over the wire. Solder them with a SMALL amount of solder so that they are held firmly to the pin. Now bend the BACK tabs over the insulation one over the other and gently crimp them onto the insulation. Now remelt the solder on the front tabs so that the plastic insulation on the back tabs melts onto the folded over back tabs.

The BEST tool to use instead of longnose pliers is a Waldom/Molex HT-1921 Stripper-Crimper. Available online for $15 or so. Crimp the front tabs. Solder. Crimp the back tabs. Solder again. Done.

See the attached out of my construction manual I send out with my kits.

Jim

Thanks Jim, I will certainly share this with them. Between them there's probably 40 years of experience in electronics and airplanes, not sure why this caused so much trouble in 2 airplanes and 3 different sets of parts. I wasn't there so I can't say.