As some of you know I am building a Gibson GA-100 amp. Like the originals mine will have a remote mounted control panel. I am looking for suggestions on connectors to allow for easy removal of the chassis.
Here is what will be remote mounted:
Stand By switch - Shorts the grids together
Piot lamp
Play lamp
Input Jacks
Tone Stack and Volume Control
Compressor Switch
Remote Mounting Control Panel
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
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gingertube
- Posts: 531
- Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 2:29 am
- Location: Adelaide, South Oz
Re: Remote Mounting Control Panel
Nothing there which requires high voltage but quite a few connections which will need to be shielded audio leads.
I would suggest that you use a 9 pin 'D' connector which has pins 1 to 5 across the top row and pins 6 to 9 across the bottom row.
That way you can arrange things such as:
pin 1 - audio feed with its shield on pin 6
pin 2 - audio feed with its shield on pin 7
etc.
Keep the AC? feeds for the lamps at the other end of the connector away from the audio pins - if in doubt use shileded twisted pair for these feeds, the shield for these needs connecting at the amplifier end ONLY.
If 9 pins turned out to not be enough then go for a 15 pin 'D'.
'D' type connectors are limited to a max of about 2 Amps per pin and probably around 300V max - none of these limits are applicable to what you want to do (Use a coupling cap before the tone stack feed to keep high Voltage off the connection).
Many backshell options and screwlocks are available for 'D' series connectors.
There are of-course expensive MIL-SPEC connectors designed for a mix of shielded and unshielded wires but the above is going to be the least expensive and most readily available.
Other commonly available options are:
1) Multiple XLR (3 or 4 off)
2) Multiple 5 pin DIN (probably 2 off)
Cheers,
Ian
I would suggest that you use a 9 pin 'D' connector which has pins 1 to 5 across the top row and pins 6 to 9 across the bottom row.
That way you can arrange things such as:
pin 1 - audio feed with its shield on pin 6
pin 2 - audio feed with its shield on pin 7
etc.
Keep the AC? feeds for the lamps at the other end of the connector away from the audio pins - if in doubt use shileded twisted pair for these feeds, the shield for these needs connecting at the amplifier end ONLY.
If 9 pins turned out to not be enough then go for a 15 pin 'D'.
'D' type connectors are limited to a max of about 2 Amps per pin and probably around 300V max - none of these limits are applicable to what you want to do (Use a coupling cap before the tone stack feed to keep high Voltage off the connection).
Many backshell options and screwlocks are available for 'D' series connectors.
There are of-course expensive MIL-SPEC connectors designed for a mix of shielded and unshielded wires but the above is going to be the least expensive and most readily available.
Other commonly available options are:
1) Multiple XLR (3 or 4 off)
2) Multiple 5 pin DIN (probably 2 off)
Cheers,
Ian
Re: Remote Mounting Control Panel
What about some sort of molex connector?
-
gingertube
- Posts: 531
- Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 2:29 am
- Location: Adelaide, South Oz
Re: Remote Mounting Control Panel
You could use a Molex Connector but they really do have serious reliability issues for most folk. I actually use them in the day job for equipment which is airborne but then I have (or my work has) a A$350 Mil Spec crimping tool to work with to make sure every pin/socket connection is pristine.
For one off builds and anywhere I don't have the best possible tooling readily available, I would tend to stay away from any crimp or insulation displacement style connector.
Cheers,
Ian
For one off builds and anywhere I don't have the best possible tooling readily available, I would tend to stay away from any crimp or insulation displacement style connector.
Cheers,
Ian
Re: Remote Mounting Control Panel
I use a lot of D-connectors at work, but I'd be wary of them for this purpose, as they aren't mechanically very strong.....
Although the price is probably 10-fold, I would go for a Mil.spec bayonet type, - maybe something like this:
http://www.souriau.com/fileadmin/Souria ... df/UTP.pdf
or this in metal:
http://www.amphenol-aerospace.com/pdf/12-070.pdf
Mouser part ( chassis plug - 8 pin) :
http://www2.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Am ... 52bmQNA%3d
Believe me - although a bit spendy, it will save you a LOT of aggravation.....
If you look around Mouser or Digikey, for circular Mil.spec connectors, you'll find other pin no's, sizes and pin/socket and chassis / plug combinations...
Although the price is probably 10-fold, I would go for a Mil.spec bayonet type, - maybe something like this:
http://www.souriau.com/fileadmin/Souria ... df/UTP.pdf
or this in metal:
http://www.amphenol-aerospace.com/pdf/12-070.pdf
Mouser part ( chassis plug - 8 pin) :
http://www2.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Am ... 52bmQNA%3d
Believe me - although a bit spendy, it will save you a LOT of aggravation.....
If you look around Mouser or Digikey, for circular Mil.spec connectors, you'll find other pin no's, sizes and pin/socket and chassis / plug combinations...