The Final Ordeal

[W6OGC]

I bought my BigIR back in December. What with all the plotting and scheming about how to install it and running the cables, the delays forced by old age and decrepitude, including a recent back problem and two episodes of broken ribs, I'm now down to the final step, the hardest by far. I refer, of course, to solderng the 8 wires onto that DB25.

Any hints on how this is to be accomplished? I fiddled with this last night for several hours, without the slightest hint of success, and upon reflection, I wish I had thought to video-tape the entire fruitless ordeal, so I could run the table on America's Funniest Home Videos.

I suppose I could do it the way the pro's do it, which is to hire some Chinese woman for ten cents an hour who has soldered 43 million tiny wires on DB25 for 37 years with all the right equipment, jigs, perfectly manicured wires etc.

Is this the only way, or are there others?

I would have paid lots of extra money to be able to avoid this obstacle.

[W9GB]

I stopped soldering the pins for the DB-25, and DE-9 shell connectors in early 1980s
I crimp pins on wire and insert into shell.

Bought my crimp tool in 1983 from Radio Shack, quality Taiwan mfg (and reasonably priced) when Radio Shack was big into hobby micro-computers. Still using tool today after thousands of crimps.

Circuit Specialists sells a crimp tool that looks identical to my 30-year old tool (quality unknown)
http://www.circuitspecialists.com/ht-213.html

IF do a Google search, use term: D-sub crimp tool

[KO6WB]

I can relate to the problems of soldering something that, when I was younger, wasn't a problem. Now those connections are tiny and my shakey hands don't help. I have made it a general practice to remove loads of solder bridges. Just completed some work on my rig that required desoldering and removing my original filter and installing an INRAD filter. My rig is SMT. Even though I managed to properly remove the original filter it was a leason in a different way to desolder. This stuff is tiny. I then had to install shielded cables into the removed filters holes. That was really frustrating and took much more time then I thought it would. The end result the new filter works just fine.
The DB-9 connectors I have soldered where clamped with vise-grips to hold them steady and then the soldering was much easier.
Have fun
73
Gary

[W6OGC]

It turns out that SteppIR sells a cable splice device for this purpose, which allows attaching the wires to a DB25 by means of screws. I saw this on the website before but didn't realize what it was for, and the description says it is for use with the other controller. I have ordered one to be here a few days, and hopefully all will be well.

I suppose the good side of this is that before, the job I disliked most in ham radio was soldering coax connectors. Now, it isn't!

[WA6MHZ]

U can always bring it over here to work this weekend. Should be easy to get it all soldered and ready to go in a few minutes. I solder those connectors all the time. Even have the HeatShrink tubing to go over each wire. A little Tedious but not too hard. Bring it over here, Jim.
73

[W6OGC]

U can always bring it over here to work this weekend. Should be easy to get it all soldered and ready to go in a few minutes. I solder those connectors all the time. Even have the HeatShrink tubing to go over each wire. A little Tedious but not too hard. Bring it over here, Jim.
73

That is a most generous offer, Pat, and I know you would be just the man to do it, but this DB25 is on the end of a cable that runs from the antenna, along my dock to the seawall, then along the wall, through the bushes up to the house, then into a small access tube to the shack along with other cables and wires.

I have a device coming from SteppIR which will avoid the hassle of soldering.

Many thanks, as well as for helping me with the Ten-tec. I'm liking that radio more all the time.

[AF6LJ]

Those connectors are not for the faint of heart, or those without steady hands to install.
I have done plenty of them and the most difficult of all seem to be the ones I end doing, the fifteen pin, high density connectors used on monitors.

What you have found is really the best for your situation, I have one of those terminal boards out in the garage.

[W6OGC]

Those connectors are not for the faint of heart, or those without steady hands to install.
I have done plenty of them and the most difficult of all seem to be the ones I end doing, the fifteen pin, high density connectors used on monitors.

What you have found is really the best for your situation, I have one of those terminal boards out in the garage.

I ran across a guide of sorts on the web that said, referring to soldering wires on a DB25, "If you can do this, you can do anything!" I wish I had seen that before I embarked on this step. Better yet, SteppIR could have explained the purpose of their device a bit more clearly so us non-technical non-engineering types would figure out and buy one, saving all of this! When I ordered all the stuff to re-do this pre-owned antenna, I wondered what this was.

[KO6WB]

As time goes by so do steady hands and eyes and just about everything else. What I have done on occasion is buy a cable that has the connectors on it. Cut the cable and splice it to my other cable. That I can do, still. I dread the day I would have to make an interface cable for any new rig I get. I find myself looking at all the photos of the rigs especially the rear panel. I am looking for easy to connect units. My rig plugs into my amplifier with just a RCA phono jack. Some of them don't do that. Little tiny connectors, oh the horror!!!.
73
Gary

[WB2WIK]

Why do they use a DB-25 when the control cable is specified as 4-conductor, shielded? What do the other 21 pins do?

Anyway, you can buy preassembled DB-25 cables in any length you want. 50 footers are off the shelf at Fry's for a lower price than this, but this is what they look like: http://www.connectworld.net/cgi-bin/ccc/M2259-50