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Got Jumper wires?

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triform
(@triform)
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Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 324
Topic starter  

@macoofer

I have tried to find good cheap Duponts from sellers.  The issues with the Chinese sellers in Shenzen buy from a lot of vendors in the market I think.  I'll get wires in the same order in different colours, quality and build.  

@bunnykiller

I have had the rounded ones pull out of the molded end some as well, and they can be loose in a breadboard. 


   
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(@oldcodger)
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Joined: 4 years ago
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If you are still having problems crimping the DuPont connectors try this YouTube video.


   
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(@dronebot-workshop)
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It's not just the cheap jumper wires that are the problem. Cheap solderless breadboards are no bargain either. 

I'm guilty of buying a lot of cheap breadboards, getting three full-sized units for 10 bucks on Amazon really sounded like a great idea at the time.  But, as usual, you get what you pay for.  I've spent more time than I'd like to admit troubleshooting circuits that were wired correctly but, because of a flaky breadboard socket, would not work.

So I've started buying better ones, I picked up one from Jameco Electronics as I remember buying stuff from them when I was much younger and it was all pretty good. And I have to say, the quality difference is really amazing. I'll be purchasing a few more.

As for jumpers, I used to only use 22 gauge hookup wire for them, as it probably is the best choice. The only issue is that if you just strip copper wire and do nothing to it, it will eventually oxidize and make poor connections.

Tinning the ends with solder can help with that.

I've bought a few of those breadboard wire kits, you get a few bad ones in each package but most of them have been OK. I just wish I could get more of the longer ones, and that I could select the colors - I always run out of red and black as I use them for power and ground.

And, on the crimping front, I picked up an Engineer PA-09 crimper last year to do the Dupont connections, and it's fabulous.  Works a lot better than those "ratchet ones" (I have those too) and it's really high quality  - definitely worth the price.

😎

Bill

 

"Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window." — Steve Wozniak


   
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(@oldcodger)
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@dronebot-workshop

Hi,

I don’t usually have problems with bad connections on my breadboards, once they are in they are fine.

The problem with some of my breadboards is that the spring connector and the hole don’t always line up.  So getting the wire in the hole isn’t always a one shot deal.  

With the smaller ones I have fixed them either by poking around with a fine pointed device I have or taking the back off and sorting them out.   The 400 point breadboard just gets overlooked.  😂😂


   
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(@dronebot-workshop)
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@oldcodger

There are actually at least three problems with cheap breadboards:

  1. The contacts tend to "expand" if you insert a part with thicker leads, such as an Arduino Pro Mini with Dupont pins.  After that, the contact is essentially useless.
  2. They are all held together with a backing that is really just a piece of two-sided tape. I've actually had some of the 400-pin ones come apart on me.
  3. Some of them warp, I received a few that were already warped. And when they do that good luck getting an IC to stay in place and make good contact!

 

The higher quality breadboards use better contacts and they use an insulated metal backplane. Much stronger and also provides some RF shielding if you ground it.  And they don't exhibit the effect you describe, which I have also observed.

After using the Jameco board it will be had to go back to the other ones, you can "feel" the difference when you insert the components.

If you want to see the breadboard I'm talking about I used it to wire up the "3-state logic" demo in my last video. I first tried to wire it up on one of my cheaper breadboards and it was very sketchy. Took out the multimeter and was getting readings like 20-30 ohms between the power pins on the TTL IC's, and just wiggling the wires made the reading fluctuate wildly.  On the Jameco board, all those readings were close to zero ohms, as they should be.

I'm sure that Jameco doesn't actually manufacture the breadboard themselves, I'd like to find another source for them and pick up about a dozen.

And then maybe I can build some kind of cool sculpture with my other breadboards!

😎

Bill

"Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window." — Steve Wozniak


   
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(@oldcodger)
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If you find the actual manufacturer of the breadboard let everyone know.

i’m sure we all suffer from these issues 😁


   
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(@oldcodger)
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Having said I didn’t have a real problem with breadboards I found it very difficult to connect up a project.  So I decided to find out what was really wrong with my 600 point + breadboard.

on one side I had 3 clips with broken connectors on the other there was on clip with 2 broken connectors.   25% or more were badly bent !!

i used a .63 mm feeler gauge to get the bent ones back in to shape and put the broken ones at the ends and marked them with a Red marker pen.

When I put them back in they were a bit sloppy so I made a hand vice and reshaped them.  The open ends of the clips were more or less closed so I shaped the hand vice and made the ends bend out.  Because I bent the ends out, when I put them back in to the slots the slot walls pushed them together.  They unbroken ones are now damn near perfect.

It did take a while though.  I also put a Perspex base plate on.  I’ve attached a few photos of the clips and the vice.

54A29408 A0BC 4486 A1F3 0FC340CC664E
EEAFE364 AB96 4CC0 BF34 4D275A1A90D2
2274F184 8A1C 4749 8FA6 1CD07A2B35A6
CEC5DE84 917D 4E0D 8D36 82DCBEFB68CC
6627D026 5D88 4D00 8550 2499E15D2538

 


   
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(@dronebot-workshop)
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@oldcodger

Yes, I think the quality of the contacts is the big difference between cheap breadboard and quality ones, just as it is with IC sockets and other connectors.  I'm sure they must really use very thin tin to make the ones on the cheap breadboards that I have been buying, otherwise, how could they sell them for so little?

That's a great job of resurrecting your breadboard, not sure I'd be willing to go through that for all of my boards!

 

😎

Bill

"Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window." — Steve Wozniak


   
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WolfgangW
(@wolfgangw)
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@dronebot-workshop

hello Bill,

I have same troubles like you and most probably all others do. That is why I send that post few weeks ago about "High quality Equipment and where to get it". I still think that would be good for all of us.

Have a great day there

Wolfgang

If I am not here, then I am most probably somewhere else


   
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(@oldcodger)
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Hi Bill,

I agree about the quality of the metal used on these cheap ones.   A couple on this breadboard were slightly rusty on the outside.  This could account for the broken ones too.

This particular one was part of a kit.  Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever actually bought a breadboard, they’ve all come with kits 😁

The one I “fixed” is the largest I have.  It did take a while and even though it was worth it, I don’t think I’ll be doing the others unless I have to 😂😂


   
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