Better way to mount relays?

[moonrock]

I've finished my initial build and am tweeking to taste. I had a question regarding relay mounting. I did mine a couple ways: 1. Drilled my own into the board then soldered wires to the small pins (2) soldered into some perf board I purchased from radio shack. I'm not satisfied with either. I've looked at the sockets from mouser and they allow you to remove the relay but you still have the same challenge of wiring up with that tight .1" spacing. Does anybody have any tricks to simplify this? I've done the search but haven't really found anything. Thanks!
Bruce

[heisthl]

I like using sockets (clip the unused pins) on top of turrets - that way you can do lots of soldering to the relay connections and not worry about having the relay any where near heat. There is enough room to get a tie wrap through the turrets to secure the relay in the socket. On the current project I'm doing now (Vibro-Champ Clone) I used turrets but soldered the relays directly to the bottom side of the board so they double as standoffs. The turrets allowed for all the connections to be made on top of the board. I should be posting some pics of this build in the next couple of days. In the meantime here's a picture of a raw board ready for sockets.

[moonrock]

Thanks for the reply! How do you manage the .1" spacing with turrets? Or are you using a bigger relay?
Bruce

[Bob-I]

Relay mounting is a real pain. If you really want to mount it properly your best bet is to have PCB's made and solder in sockets.

What I've been doing is drilling out holes for the pins, solder on smoe 22awg wire and epoxy the relay to the board. You can then wire to the turrets or eyelets.

[Funkalicousgroove]

You can always get one of my PCB sets, they are ready to go......

[mlp-mx6]

I've just been putting turrets in the correct location and soldering the relay pins in the turrets. I have to do this with the relay board not in the amp because I have to do this soldering with the relay on its side. I connect the relay turrets to "external" turrets from underneath the turrets, putting the convenient row of terminals in a line next to the relay.

I use TurboCadLE (it's old, but free) to do my layout, and it took a little while to get the turret layout to match the relay, but it works great.

[heisthl]

Thanks for the reply! How do you manage the .1" spacing with turrets? Or are you using a bigger relay?
Bruce

I made a drill pattern by forcing a piece of paper over the relay pins and using the pin holes as the guide, drilled out a pattern on some scrap phenolic.

[Funkalicousgroove]

Most of the relays available have the spacing in 1/10" incriments.

[BobW]

I used turrets but soldered the relays directly to the bottom side of the board so they double as standoffs. The turrets allowed for all the connections to be made on top of the board.

Heisthl that's a good idea. the turrets used for the relay look smaller, do you have a part #? thanks bob

[davewalker]

Is there anything wrong with just sticking them upside down on the board and wiring them point to point?
In the few amps I've built, which have all been two or three channels, I've always used "White-Tack" (its putty for putting up posters etc, and sets hard) to hold the relay pins up on the board, and soldered components straight to the pins (or used flying leads where necessary). Thing is, I've never seen it done like this, and I was wondering if there's anything wrong with it. It seemed like the simplest solution to me.

[Funkalicousgroove]

If you are going that route you could easily use the larger type relays that have actual solder lugs. I personally would use silicone to hold them, I don't think I'd trust the poster stuff....JMHO

[heisthl]

I used turrets but soldered the relays directly to the bottom side of the board so they double as standoffs. The turrets allowed for all the connections to be made on top of the board.

Heisthl that's a good idea. the turrets used for the relay look smaller, do you have a part #? thanks bob

Mouser # for 1/16" thick circuit board single style turret is 534-1540-2
I use them for the trim pots too.
I like the larger double style turrets for board connection points that have more leads than an eyelet can handle PN 534-1509-2

[moonrock]

Wow. Thanks for all of the replies.

Funk, I'd be interested in your relay board. I saw in a previous post from you that you only sell the PCBs by the set. Call me strange but I like building the other boards myself. You mentioned the larger relays with solder lugs. Are those from mouser. I've looked all through that catalog and I eventually settled on the signal reed relay. They all seem to be similar sized: small.

[tomrasdf]

Radio Shack has some big and medium sized relays. Last time I was in, they had some pretty sizable one's with lugs. And I believe they were of the 12v variety.

[ODwan]

Hello,
here's another neat way to mount relays. It's done with tiny eyelets you normally put on the end of stranded wires in home installation. Don't know the proper word in english, though!
Greetings,
Timo