Step 4:  Adding the Connector Pins

Believe it or not, the cable is almost complete!  All we need to do is place out 4 connector pins in place and add a few more heat shrinks.

You should have 4 wires at roughly equal lengths with about 1/4″ of exposed wire at the ends.  We’re going to do the same thing for each of these ends.  Twist the exposed wire so it’s straight and uniform, and insert it carefully into the bottom of the connector.  If you examine the clip closely, you’ll see 2 places that can be crimped.  We want to place it on the end of the wire so that the bottom crimp will crimp around the wire casing, and the middle crimp will crimp around exposed wire.  Use the pliers to squeeze the clips shut, but be carefully not to squeeze the wire out.  It’s easier to do it from the top, and it’s very important to have a solid, tight crimp around the wire casing.

All connector pins added. No solder.

If you happen to be an expert with the soldering iron, you could at this point put a small bit on the exposed wire just inside the middle clips.  My advice is to not even try as it’s very easy for excess solder to run down into the connector and clog up the entire thing.

Should a connector break or otherwise bend into some unusable shape, just use another one.  There’s no point in trying to salvage a managed connector pin.

All 4 wires with connector pins and heat shrinks.

When all 4 cords have been topped off in this fashion, we need to put small heat shrinks on each.  Use 1/8″ tubes that cover the entire clamped area and go half to two thirds of the way up the connector.  Trim to fit if necessary.  This whole section of cord may feel a little flimsy, but all the connections should be stable as long as the cable isn’t constantly jerked on or put under constant pressure.  Electrical tape can be used to fortify the wires somewhat, especially when you know exactly how much length you’ll need to plug it into the TG-16.  If any bits of metal are exposed besides the very ends of the connectors we just added, be sure to cover it with a heat shrink or electrical tape.

Now that the cord is done, we need to connect it!

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