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Alternative to soldering decoder connections

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  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Saturday, April 18, 2020 12:01 PM

John-NYBW
Does anyone know and can they tell me where I might buy more of them. 

Life Like calls them PCB clips.  Athearn calls them wire locks.  Not sure if all manufacturers use the same size.

Do a search for the clips, I found the Athearn clips I needed on Ebay.

You might also give Walthers a call, since this is a P1K loco.

Mike.

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  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
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Posted by tstage on Saturday, April 18, 2020 11:37 AM

John,

I don't know the name of them but they are most likely available from large electronic supply vendors like Digi-key or Mouser.  However, you'd probably have to buy them in large quantities - e.g. 1000 or >.

That said, they are still no substitute for soldering.  Better to invest in a good, inexpensive, temperature controlled-soldering station like Xytronics.  (See current thread about them.)  It will make soldering easier and more enjoyable AND give you a better electrical connection between your locomotive and your Lok5 decoders than the plastic slide-on clips.

Not the answer you wanted to hear, I'm sure...

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • 2,572 posts
Alternative to soldering decoder connections
Posted by John-NYBW on Saturday, April 18, 2020 10:59 AM

This morning I was going to install a pair of LokSound 5 decoders into a pair of DC P1K C-Liners. When I removed the shell, I discovered the existing wiring was connected to the circuit board not with soldered connections but with small plastic rectangular clips that snap in place over the tabs after the wire is threaded through the small hole. After my misadventure trying to solder a decoder into an Atlas RS-1, this seemed like a great alternative for me. Unfortunately there were only 7 such connectors and since I am installing speakers I will have more connections than I have clips. I'd like to order more of these but I don't know what these clips are called. Does anyone know and can they tell me where I might buy more of them. 

For now I am going to use the clips from the second C-Liner so I will have enough for one installation but naturally I want to do both.  

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