What are the JST pin only sizes & associated crimping tools

maxi-model

maxi-model

UK/US/ROW steam narrow gauge railways 1:1
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While I could just solder these JST pins (see image below) up to their wires I wonder if anybody could tell me which type/make of crimper I would need to buy to assemble these as intended dry jointed ? I suppose I could just ask one of the suppliers, e.g. Fosworks, that use them but I thought I might get a wider range of responces here. I have seen some tutorials on YouTube but they don't specify the actual tool used. I have worked out how to extract the pins a long time ago but not how to properly assemble them, from new, in the first place.


Sub question - It dawned on me while searching around the WWW that the JST pins are of a standardised design, if not size. Could I use the same pins to "refresh" those used in multi pin connectors used in Bachmann locos like 3 truck Shay and others ? That 8 pin connector between loco and 3rd truck/tender. Wires break off after time (I did not get the message of dropping some silicon in) and my soldered rejoining, while perfectly servicable, is not ideal to my tidy mind. If I can what would be the way of identifying size/type of pin (only) to order the correct replacement ?

20210410_094756.jpg
 
I cheat - I buy them with leads already connected and just solder the leads.

We come from Eidelburg, and are known as the Eidelburgers :cool::cool:
 
Rhinochugger said:
I cheat - I buy them with leads already connected and just solder the leads.

We come from Eidelburg, and are known as the Eidelburgers :cool::cool:
Click to expand...
Yes that is how I got my last lot in a bag of 50 I think, wish I could find them now!
 
I have a pair of IWISS crimps from evilbay about £20.00, but you need to ensure you have the correct terminal type and wire size. Mine do AWG 28 - 20, and are for SN-01BM. I bought them for JST-XH connectors, but they do work with JST-RCY which your photo is of.
 
Please understand that JST is a company that makes many DIFFERENT connectors. So without a part number, asking the size of a "JST connector" is non-specific.

In the USA, many train people call this a JST connector:
1089.Jpg


This connector has flat pins.

Turns out that Aristo often used this connector on their older motor blocks:
1082.Jpg


But also later converted to these:
4pin_aristo_motor.JPG
 
:):):):) Nobody loves a smart a**e but ................

Picture 2 - is what I have previously bought pre-wired and have used satisfactorily.

Picture 1 - following Greg's posting of a piccy of this connector a while ago, is what I have bough recently for frequent connection / disconnection and everything is sweetness and light so far.

Not too keen on the myriad versions of picture 3 for train related use :(
 
Unfortunately, I have had to "collect" quite a few variations of multi pin connectors, as my policy is to leave as much of the original wiring undisturbed as possible. I used one decoder that had about 6 sockets, each one a different size... good news is almost impossible to plug in something wrong, bad news is "stocking" 6 different connectors!

(6th and 7th connectors on other side)

qsi_revolution_pic.jpg
 
I have a very old Waldom MT1919 wire stripper/crimping tool for Molex connectors (from what I can see, Molex are very similar to JST). It has an "A" and a "B" crimping position. I use the "B" slot to crimp the typical LGB sockets whose tabs look like those in the original post. I tried finding the MT1919 on the web but it is no longer made. If this is the tool Jimmy is referring to post #4, Deutsch Terminal Open Barrel Crimper Electrical Plier Molex Wire Tool Crimping 600685977347 | eBay, it should work fine as it has many different size crimping positions that are configured like the crimper I have. I'm guessing the slot size designations are actually standardized. Use of the crimper is not intuitive. The key is putting the socket/pin in the crimper the correct way so the tabs curl back around into the wire strands and strain relief tabs curl back into the wire insulation.
 
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Seems like I have possibly opened a can of worms here. Yes, I realised that JST is much like the term Hoover or Xerox - a generic term. Hence my inclusion of the picture or the ones I am using right now on my current track to battery power conversion program. Perhaps the hobby needs a handy resource to enable the identification of these ubiquitous and vital connections. Perhaps a listing already exists, on an electronics hobby or trade site. Anybody know any links out there ?

The second bit of my question reffers specifically to the the 8 pin plug and socket used on the Bachmann 3 truck Shay, to link the main loco to its 3rd truck/tender. See picture below. Or more importantly the plug's metal individual socket/female parts. Just wondering if anybody knew the part # or description to aid sourcing them ? There are no visible identification marks discernable on any element of the plug. There must be a whole family of connectors using the same metal hardware, stands to reason. The pin spacing is 3 mm by the way. - I'm not after the actual plastic plug or socket though. Just a matter of my tidy mind wanting to clean this rewiring job up. And possibly being forearmed if the inevitable happens with other connectors using the same socket size.

Thanks for the info Jimmy, now I know the type of JST's Fosworks and others are supplying with their "plug and play" kits - RCY. Max

20210411_093311.jpg
 
Max,
These are JST-XH leads..
Most commonly seen used for balance-charging Lithium battery packs.

Always go by the housing, when defining which half of a connector - pair is 'male' (how long before we have to use gender - neutral terms to describe connectors?) :rolleyes:
So the part on the body is female.

You can buy balance leads made-up with silicon-insulated wires, 200mm long, so it is easier to cut one of these, than invest in tooling you will not get a return on..
A good 'wrinkle', is when soldering to the back of the female connector (the one with the pins in) plug the mating connector into it first. - it dissipates some of the heat, and if you do get it to hot, holds the pins in alignment.

PhilP
 
PhilP said:
Max,
These are JST-XH leads..
Most commonly seen used for balance-charging Lithium battery packs.

Always go by the housing, when defining which half of a connector - pair is 'male' (how long before we have to use gender - neutral terms to describe connectors?) :rolleyes:
So the part on the body is female.

You can buy balance leads made-up with silicon-insulated wires, 200mm long, so it is easier to cut one of these, than invest in tooling you will not get a return on..
A good 'wrinkle', is when soldering to the back of the female connector (the one with the pins in) plug the mating connector into it first. - it dissipates some of the heat, and if you do get it to hot, holds the pins in alignment.

PhilP
Click to expand...

You will have to excuse me Phil but your post is confusing me a little, though very helpful if I have got it right. JST-HX - I assume you are reffering to the white ones, pictured in post #10, as apparently used extensively on Bachmann locos, or the red ones supplied by Fosworks/RCS/Brian Jones in post #1? Like this ? Lipo Balance Extension Charger Cable Lead 7s (8-Pin) JST-XH (7 cell, 25.9V) | eBay. So all I would have to do is cut the set in two and solder up the wires to the existing ones. I think I might do an audit of my various locos needs and order in some spares, hopefully they will be mostly HX type of various pin numbers.

Just need clarifying - Male = pins, Female = socket ? You seem to be saying the reverse if you are referring to the picture with the white connectors. The one on the body has 8 pricks, sorry pins, so I assume it is male. We it and I were the last time I looked :D Max
 
maxi-model said:
You will have to excuse me Phil but your post is confusing me a little, though very helpful if I have got it right. JST-HX - I assume you are reffering to the white ones, pictured in post #10, as apparently used extensively on Bachmann locos, or the red ones supplied by Fosworks/RCS/Brian Jones in post #1? Like this ? Lipo Balance Extension Charger Cable Lead 7s (8-Pin) JST-XH (7 cell, 25.9V) | eBay. So all I would have to do is cut the set in two and solder up the wires to the existing ones. I think I might do an audit of my various locos needs and order in some spares, hopefully they will be mostly HX type of various pin numbers.

Just need clarifying - Male = pins, Female = socket ? You seem to be saying the reverse if you are referring to the picture with the white connectors. The one on the body has 8 pricks, sorry pins, so I assume it is male. We it and I were the last time I looked :D Max
Click to expand...
Max,
Go by the Housing..
On the Bachmann:
The connector in free-air (has female receptacles, but a MALE body/housing) - It plugs into the FEMALE connector (which has pins in!) fastened to the loco..

NOTE :
JST - XH not as you have written JST-XH.

The same with the red 2-pin JST-RCY connectors :
The MALE connector, is the slim one, with holes in, and the FEMALE connector is the larger one with pins..

PhilP
 
PhilP said:
Max,
Go by the Housing..
On the Bachmann:
The connector in free-air (has female receptacles, but a MALE body/housing) - It plugs into the FEMALE connector (which has pins in!) fastened to the loco..

NOTE :
JST - XH not as you have written JST-XH.

The same with the red 2-pin JST-RCY connectors :
The MALE connector, is the slim one, with holes in, and the FEMALE connector is the larger one with pins..

PhilP
Click to expand...

Thank you Phil. Slip of the pen on the XH/HX front. Male/Female a bit counter intuitive but I get it now. Max
 
When I get to this point, I go to Digikey or Mouser and order the correct part.... you need the dimensions to work backwards. Once you find a manufacturer and part number then you can get it again. There are so many connector variations, it takes some work to get what you want.

Unless the manufacturer (of the loco) sells replacement parts, you have a treasure hunt.... I work in this industry.

Greg
 
Greg Elmassian said:
When I get to this point, I go to Digikey or Mouser and order the correct part.... you need the dimensions to work backwards. Once you find a manufacturer and part number then you can get it again. There are so many connector variations, it takes some work to get what you want.

Unless the manufacturer (of the loco) sells replacement parts, you have a treasure hunt.... I work in this industry.

Greg
Click to expand...
I think the UK equivalents would be RS Components or Maplins on-line offerings. Then again Ebay has some handy uk based sellers. Looks like we have a fix on the Shay's problematic 8 pin connector, thanks Phil. And by chance also the K-27's, and possibly C-19's tender to loco connector, quite possibly an SM, thanks to The Shed for the link that contained that one.

My real concern with old Bachmann products, that have elements that require regular separation, is their their attendent connectors and the risk of breakage of wire connections, less so the housing themselves. That's the problem with "JST" type connectors, they are really designed for rapid assembly by crimping not solder. It's the devil's work to separate the old wire ends from the crimp and reuse as a soldered joint and get them all back together again. I had to do a partial rewire a while back on my Connie. There the connectors between tender and loco were fried but I got a couple of near matches from Maplin as their type was not critical. Some with part soldered to PCB's are.

Hence, if one can source the original components type unassembled then one can go about mod'ing to allow a neat soldered joint of wire and terminal. Just ordered some 8 pin XH's JST-XH connector plug (Male, Female, Crimps) Lipo 7s Balance Extension 8 PIN PCB | eBay I'll see how that goes. Max
 
Plug for another supplier. No connection(sorry) other than a satisfied customer, Componentshop.co uk They are based in North Wales.
 
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