I have decided on using Sunon 40 x 20 24 V fans to replace the hotend fans I currently have. These seem to have a good reputation for being reliable but not as quiet as Noctua. The 20 MM thick fans are needed for the new fan shroud I have. The fun part is to find the right connectors or pairs of replacement connectors (free hanging in-line type) to hook them up. I want to use these instead of soldering the wires together so I can disconnect the fans (at the shroud) so the shroud assembly can be completely removed from the hotend. The Sunon information sheets quotes the connectors as Molex type but doesn’t state a part number that is compatible with Digi-key part numbers. I can use completely new connectors (male and female) but again trying to navigate through all the Digi-key connectors and get mating parts, male and female plastic housings and the male and female wire connectors that go inside (they apparently sell these separately) is a frigging nightmare if you are not familiar with them. Digi-key and Mouser seem to be the only game in town any more, there isn’t anyone else left around here anyway…
Is anyone familiar with these things that can help. As an alternative (last choice driven by desperation) can male and female audio jacks be used, the power requirements are low. 24volts and less then 1 watt power.
Can you share pictures of the connectors? They should be pretty standard (If on 0.1"/2.54mm centres then you’re looking at Dupont or JST connectors - if they’re on 2mm centres then you’re looking at PH2.0). The big issue for me was finding the right crimper (I’m using an Engineer PA-09 now).
If you haven’t used these before, then I recommend going to Amazon and looking for a kit of connectors. They’ll set you back about $20 to $50 and often include a crimper, but they’re usually crap (I’ve got a few from kits I’ve bought over the years).
Stick with the 3D printer standards and don’t go off using things like audio connectors.
I second the use of the use of the Engineer PA-09 crimper any others have been crap.
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They would work and anything similar.
A quick hack would be something like this 2 Pin JST-XH Extension Cable (29 cm) – 3D Printing Canada
Cut in half and splice to the fan wires if you don’t want to get into crimping but are ok with soldering wires.
I don’t know if I’d recommend this approach - splicing together wires with soldering (and then putting on heat shrink tubing/electrical tape) is a lot more difficult than crimping on new connectors.
Crimping is a new skill, but you can learn it in five minutes or so (with four or five ruined connectors) and if you make a mistake on polarity, it’s easy to fix.
Hey there,
I have a couple of sunon fans in my switchwire. They are definitely not as quiet as the noctuas but they are far more quiet than most other fans, they also put out a very nice amount of air. I have had them for a couple years now and apart from a bit of dust they perform like brand new! I agree with everyone here about using some dupont or JST connectors for a quick detach. I ended up doing this to a bunch of my printers and it is a big help.
Crimping connectors has always been a hard task for me, I have improved over time but I just kind of taught myself so I have no clue if there is anything severely wrong I am doing. But in my case I just ordered like 10000 connectors online, so if I mess up I can just grab another one and try again. The nice thing about crimping as opposed to soldering too is that it doesn’t involve a super hot iron and lead fumes. I still always prefer soldering but I know some people that prefer crimping for that reason.
Hopefully this helps!
Matthew
Either method is okay with me depending on my circumstance. I’ve been soldering and crimping wires for 40+ years at work and with my hobbies. I have used that hack when I didn’t have connectors available so I thought I would mention it. Jst connectors are getting a little hard on the eyes though. This device is handy for splicing wires. Soldering Fingers by mistertech - Thingiverse
This is what I designed for solder splicing:
I think this would be the simplest way to go since I don’t have a crimp tool and probably wouldn’t use it again. Also I don’t have a problem soldering or using shrink tube I have done both many times. They also have the same thing but with Dupont connectors. Are they any good, I have read somewhere that they tend disconnect at times.
Hey there,
I have always preferred crimping with Dupont connectors, they have just been easier for me. The one big disadvantage that you have though is that they don’t lock into place like their JST counterparts.
Usually if I need to make sure they aren’t going to come undone I will just wrap some electrical tape around them, seems to hold pretty good!
Thanks,
Matthew
As long as the wires are secured at the DuPont connectors and the size are not too large you should be good to go. The just connectors are smaller and do lock.
They may not “lock into place” but they should have a pretty good friction fit and if you get them from they’ll meet MIL-STD-202 and MIL-STD-1344 if you get them from Amphenol the testing of which includes holding in an environment that involves temperature swings, vibration and humidity extremes. They’ve been used in spacecraft (not to mention fighters, submarines, etc.) since the 1960s.
You don’t need (and probably shouldn’t) wrap electrical tape around them or use hot melt glue to hold them in place. They’re very good at staying their on their own - If you are doing it because there is stress on the wire then you’ll have the same problems with things pulling apart with JST/PH connectors, it will just take longer and you’ll have to recrimp the connector. Put your strain relief on the wires.
Like you, I prefer something that clicks in place like JST2.54/PH2.0, but that doesn’t mean they’re better than the old Dupont connectors.
I wasn’t trashing the trusty old DuPont’s, they are still my favorite connector of them all!
I rarely have to secure them together, generally I will only secure them together if I have had continuous troubles. But 99.5% of the time they work beautifully with no troubles whatsoever.
Ultimately comparing these connectors seems kind of like comparing different pets, they all accomplish the same thing, so it ends up boiling down to preference. Some people like dogs, some people like cats, some people like lizards. One is not necessarily superior to the others, just depends on the individual.
Matthew
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