I just kind of like it. Connector inspections – something every geophysicist learns to be anal retentive about if they last long enough.

  • ThePyroPython@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    Oooh, electronics engineer chiming in here, those connectors are pretty cool and expensive. I’ve worked with them at a previous aerospace company. They’re great for wiring up because they’re keyed for only one way and the key is off-centre so you’d have to be an idiot to fuck up when following the wiring diagram. The trick is to not let an idiot draw the wiring diagram.

    Source: have been that idiot at times.

    • Troy@lemmy.caOPM
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      4 days ago

      Have you had to do the soldering portion before, or has it always been technicians? If I was a junior technician doing a replacement on one of these, what advice would you give?

      • ThePyroPython@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        I didn’t do the soldering on it, though I would have liked to as an escape from my former boss (that’s another story), but I did watch the technicians doing it and from what I remember:

        • First, double check your wiring diagram at both ends. Had a right fun time explaining to my boss the reason for the days of delay was whomever did the connector on the motor/gen socket had wired it up backwards because they hadn’t flipped the wiring diagram. And disassembling that was a bitch.

        • Triple check the orientation you’re working from and it’s always better to borrow a second pair of eyes than redoing it.

        • Make a spreadsheet with the connections and print it out large on A3 paper (or US equivalent size).

        • Read the connector documentation a few times and have a go at disassembly then reassembly without the pins.

        • Cut your wires to the required length and bundle them together into a harness using kapton or electrical tape.

        • Make sure any glands that need to go over the end of the connector are slid over your wiring bundle

        • Work from the centre out, it makes pin insertion much easier.

        • Double check before inserting a pin until it clicks, they’re more difficult to remove than insert.

        • Check both ends using continuity on your multimeter after each insertion (if that’s possible) and mark off the connection on your A3 sheet using a highlighter.

        • Run a continuity check after you’ve inserted the last pin.

        • Finally, slide the gland fittings and thread into place.

        Please verify this advice yourself as it’s been more than 4 years since I’ve worked with these connectors and you should never blindly trust strangers on the internet, let alone those giving advice.

        Happy wiring 😊

    • MY_ANUS_IS_BLEEDING@lemm.ee
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      5 days ago

      A kindred spirit. I’ve also been that guy drawing lines on a screen designing wiring harnesses but in the automotive world.

    • Troy@lemmy.caOPM
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      5 days ago

      They are mil spec outdoor connectors for signalling cables. In a geophysics context, we use them to connect a line of sensors (things like seismic sensors or similar). It’s a $200 connector on a $2000 cable.

    • MY_ANUS_IS_BLEEDING@lemm.ee
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      5 days ago

      I’ve seen them on JCBs connecting two different wiring harnesses together, but I think they’re just general use ones designed by a particular supplier.