Welcome to the SeeMeCNC Community

Howdy all.
Was just wondering if anybody has come up with a better way to wire the black Rambo power connector....the one with all the jumpers.

Got my V2 put together last night, got all the way through the calibration procedure and was getting pretty excited that everything seemed
to be working properly. Then, went to operate the extruder motor and nothing....yes, the hotend and bed were both heated to operating temp.

So, I power down the printer, unplug it and open the side and take the rambo out to see if I missed something. Well, the 12AWG power wire from the PSU
to the rambo came out of the power connector (black one shown on pg 35 of the assembly guide). Can't seem to get it all put back together and would love to find a better solution.

Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

Make sure the terminal is open all the way. There's plenty of room in there for the 12ga wire and the 18ga jumper.

g.

They're definitely connectors that take a knack to get right. We use them all the time at work, so I know the pitfalls to watch out for, but they're probably French to others.

The 3 biggest things that I've seen people do wrong on Phoenix connectors like this are:
1. Stripping off too much wire and having exposed copper protruding out of the back of the connector.
2. Inserting the wire too far and clamping down on the insulation instead of the copper.
3. Not tightening the screws enough. This is a fine line, because you can also mangle the setscrew with too much torque.

A little attention to detail, and a second pass of inspection/torque will go a long way on a captive screw connector.

Make sure to doublecheck your non-removable connectors as well (heat and fans) as a bad or loose connection on any of them can cause a meltdown.

The best way to terminate wires connected to the Phoenix connectors like what is used on the Rambo is to terminate the wire with pin connectors that are
crimped to the wires with special crimpers.

The pin connectors.........
Search Amazon.com for the pins you need......Wire Crimp Insulated Ferrule Pin

The crimpers........
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ODS ... _i=desktop

These type of pins were covered by MHackney in a different thread but the idea is to insert the stripped wire through the insulated part of the crimper and the stripped part into the metal portion then crimp the metal portion with the crimpers.
No more wire "hairs" that don't end up under the screw. Works well and was designed for the phoenix screw type of connector. The pins are sized to the AWG of the wire, the crimpers will handle to 10AWG.
One other benefit is that the added colors help your printer to look pretty.

I used these for my Duet upgrade on Blue Max. THEY'RE AWESOME.

g.

geneb wrote:I used these for my Duet upgrade on Blue Max. THEY'RE AWESOME.

g.

Didn't know you were running duet, that is my next upgrade. Already have the parts but I want the 7" screen.
Saving my pennies now!

I didn't want the added expense of the display, so I skipped it. You really don't need it if you're talking to the printer via the network. Being able to control Blue MAX from any web browser it cool. It even works on my tablets.

g.

Thanks guys. I worked out a solution.

Eaglezsoar wrote:The best way to terminate wires connected to the Phoenix connectors like what is used on the Rambo is to terminate the wire with pin connectors that are
crimped to the wires with special crimpers.

Commonly known as "bootlaces" in the game.

We use them for multistrand wire into screw connectors in automation systems where things need to be quickly changed. When done right, they are pretty good, but you can get them wrong too: crimp onto the insulation, don't crimp tight enough, crimp too tight and crack the tube etc etc can all lead to intermittent connections. And now that you're relaxed and confident in your bootlaces, they become the last thing you check - so it can lead to a long and frustrating bug hunt.

Note the quickly changed bit: they are mostly about constraining the wire strands and providing a rigid insert into screw blocks and so on. I'm not sure I'd be using them in the back of a connector myself - especially when things are tight because they make it even tighter (wall thickness of the tube, bell size of the insulated back).

Captain Starfish wrote:

Eaglezsoar wrote:The best way to terminate wires connected to the Phoenix connectors like what is used on the Rambo is to terminate the wire with pin connectors that are
crimped to the wires with special crimpers.

Commonly known as "bootlaces" in the game.

We use them for multistrand wire into screw connectors in automation systems where things need to be quickly changed. When done right, they are pretty good, but you can get them wrong too: crimp onto the insulation, don't crimp tight enough, crimp too tight and crack the tube etc etc can all lead to intermittent connections. And now that you're relaxed and confident in your bootlaces, they become the last thing you check - so it can lead to a long and frustrating bug hunt.

Note the quickly changed bit: they are mostly about constraining the wire strands and providing a rigid insert into screw blocks and so on. I'm not sure I'd be using them in the back of a connector myself - especially when things are tight because they make it even tighter (wall thickness of the tube, bell size of the insulated back).

Agreed but if you have the room they are better then just putting the stranded wire under the screw. Thanks for passing on your knowledge Captain.

I dunno, Eaglezsoar...

Personally I think they introduce extra steps (ie chances of stuffing it up), time and expense without much advantage for permanent connections like this. I'd rather take a little longer making sure my Phoenix screw connection onto twisted wire was solid, without strays or exposed wire because I'd stripped it correctly, twisted it correctly, installed it correctly and tightened it correctly than spend the same amount of time ginning around with bootlaces. Particularly on the thicker connections.

Horses for courses though