How screwless panel mount terminals are wired?

[frets]

Hi Guys😺,

I’m having a problem with a panel Mount screwless spring terminal and wiring it appropriately to a board.  It is guitar related, it’s one of my infamous contraptions.

Anyway,  on these panel Mount screwless terminals, they have two pins per slot.


I assumed that both pins were there to hold the dang terminal to the board and that both pins would be “hot”.   But now I’m not so sure.  I designed a pcb board where both pins have a trace from each pair to a respective via.  I’m not getting any signal out from any of the slots.

Does anybody know which - the  front or back pins on the terminal - are hot?
Thanks!

[unreg]

hi frets! 🙂

Ummm… I feel that maybe you could do something like Method #2 on this page:

leetsacademy.blogspot.com/2018/04/how-to-test-potentiometer.html?m=1

Forget the potentiometer; if you hooked a nine volt battery up to the pins, and one pin was hot you’d have a circuit. You could measure the voltage on either of the two pins… whatever pin registers voltage, that would be the hot pin right? Sorry, this is just theory; don’t have any experience finding hot pins, but thought maybe this may help.


EDIT: If no voltage can be measured, then reverse the “ground” and “hot” wires from the 9volt battery on the pins?

[frets]

Hi Unreg😻😻,

Great idea. I think it should make no difference; I.e., both on each slot are hot, but my board is no working. I’m going to try your method!! Thanks!

[unreg]

You’re welcome frets! 😊

Hope it works for you mam. Both pins being hot would not allow for a circuit, it seems to me at least. But, you know tons about guitar electronics… maybe you could test part of your circuit board with the battery wires; though, you could also just measure resistance… bc super low resistance means high conductivity! 😀

[unreg]

frets, what does your infamous contraption do?

[frets]

It’s for a quick connect Solderless harness I’m developing.

[unreg]

May 7, 2021 18:02:13 GMT -5 frets said:

It’s for a quick connect Solderless harness I’m developing.

Ooooh? Does “harness” mean you are developing multiple wirings (each with their own pots) and you’ll be able to quickly, but not instantaneously, and drastically change how your guitar sounds?

[b4nj0]

Although it's superficially similar, it's not a DIP switch right? So irrespective of whether one or both tags is connected to the conductor (wire) input socket, you just need to ring out between that spring contact (wire in) socket and each PCB tag in turn? If neither tag shows continuity to the input socket then file it under G for garbage. Given your many notable achievements and insight that eclipse my efforts Frets, I can't bring myself to believe that you were thinking along the lines of extracting switching functionality from that terminal block as with a DIP switch? I am referring to when you mentioned no voltage output which made me jump to the conclusions that I've expressed above. Forgive me if I've got this all wrong but I struggled to understand a part of your OP and I contented myself to watch how the thread went to try and understand better.

e&oe ...

[newey]

I'm with b4nj0, not really following the problem here. unreg suggested a 9V battery to test it, but that's what the battery in your multimeter does (i.e., applies a voltage across the probes). So, pin to pin, test for continuity, make a chart of what connects to where . . .am I missing something here?

[Deleted]

As B4nj0 said continuity test, make sure power can flow via the points of entry and exit. AKA the Beep Test

www.enika.cz/data/files/KF141R-2_54.pdf

I would of said this block was two Pins to hold it in place and some clamp to hold the cable in place, 24-18AWG wiring. So if its smaller it might not make contact (small peg in a big hole)

[frets]

Thanks guys,

I found these terminals for 32 cents a piece and am fearing they are junk.  I’m going to do the beep test.  I just wish I hadn’t designed the board surrounding this terminal.  The whole idea is to allow guys to quickly switch out pickups on their Strats.  The terminal would sit between the switch and pots on a pcb board.  Using the screwless terminal, a guy could quickly switch their pickups out.

[newey]

Something like this??




Hey, they're on sale for $6. Granted, that's not 32¢, but consider your time/trouble . . .

www.guitarfetish.com/Plug-N-Play-Main-Connector-Buss-Three-Pickups_p_6646.html

[frets]

Thanks Newey,

Im still looking for a cheaper variety.  Here’s the idea



   

[newey]

Nice, neat wiring. Now we just have to figure out why it won't work . . .

[unreg]

May 8, 2021 7:17:01 GMT -5 newey said:

unreg suggested a 9V battery to test it, but that's what the battery in your multimeter does (i.e., applies a voltage across the probes). So, pin to pin, test for continuity, make a chart of what connects to where . . .am I missing something here?

Doh 😱 … yes continuity… 😵‍💫


Sry frets for forgetting that continuity tests a voltage received transmission. 😔
—-
How do your wires appear so nice? You must have something to hold the wires while soldering. I have a RadioShack “Helping Hands with Illuminated Magnifier”, but it’s kind of bulky; though, your soldering is done away from a guitar cavity. And your guitars all have pic guards. Sigh, I don’t mean to change the subject.

[newey]

May 9, 2021 1:04:56 GMT -5 unreg said:

How do your wires appear so nice? You must have something to hold the wires while soldering. I have a RadioShack “Helping Hands with Illuminated Magnifier”, but it’s kind of bulky; though, your soldering is done away from a guitar cavity. And your guitars all have pic guards

The "third hand" thing is useful. I don't know what frets does, but I make a cardboard template of the cavity, make holes to mount the pots/switches temporarily, then solder over the cardboard. After the soldering is done, pull the completed harness out of the cardboard and mount it into the guitar. The only soldering done in the cavity is the jack connection and bridge ground.

But my wiring still doesn't look as nice as frets does!

[frets]

Ooo, that’s one of my messier ones, but I appreciate the compliments.

I too have a big 3rd hands contraption but I only use it for the illuminated magnifying glass.  

I use copper alligator clips like these.




These are great because you can drop the pot right in the middle (shaft down), clip the pot on both sides and solder away.  The copper acts as a heatsink too.  You want the battery charger clips.  You can find them in the auto section at Walmart.

I find these work better than the 3rd hands doohickeys.

[frets]

Hi Unreg😸,

The plates I had made by a local metal fabricator. They’re shielding plates. But I’ve seen them sold on EBay if you wanted to get some. A lot of techs use them.

[unreg]

Thank you frets! 😁

The copper alligator clips look very useable AND they take away heat too! That’s a great idea! 👍😀 But to use those I’d have to create an entire harness outside of the cavity like you and newey do. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

I have a giant floor tile that I solder on/over.

[stevewf]

May 8, 2021 15:31:06 GMT -5 frets said:

Im still looking for a cheaper variety.  Here’s the idea

Hey frets, I'm interested in how you attach the internal wires to the terminal block. It looks like you've got a small PCB in there; if so, what and how? Custom PCB? Got any pictures of that particular bit?

PS - by the way, with the terminal blocks I've got - appearing very similar to the ones pictured here - both sets of pins are connected. And more: the sets of pins are 5.08mm apart. On a breadboard, that means there's one blank row of holes between the two rows of pins. Not the most convenient spacing for breadboard, but hey, it'll attach your leads. Ideally, you'd want either only a single row of pins (for economizing breadboard real estate) or 7.62mm (to span the gap in a typical breadboard).

PPS - also, the blocks are modular and can be resized. We can sorta see that in the first post of this thread. Based on that, I deduce that the guitar in that pic is a HSH (ten pickup leads); otherwise the block could be made smaller. Just need one "end cap" piece per block to keep that last modular terminal from falling apart.

[Deleted]

1) Neck +
2) Neck -
3) Middle +
4) Middle -
5) Bridge +
6) Bridge -
7) GROUND from Tremlo
8) Ground to Jack
9) Hot to Jack
guess 10) a spare Ground.. as i would look at it

[stevewf]

Jul 2, 2022 10:04:09 GMT -5 @angellahash said:

1) Neck +
2) Neck -
3) Middle +
4) Middle -
5) Bridge +
6) Bridge -
7) GROUND from Tremlo
8) Ground to Jack
9) Hot to Jack
guess 10) a spare Ground.. as i would look at it

Oops, I forgot to count the stuff other than the pickups! Duh.

[Deleted]

I know shes trying to keep the cost down and make it simple
I so want to put Strip pins to Link one to another and to Ground

One strip of Pins to GROUND
and another strip to each CONNECTION block
So if the First one is +N i leave Blank
and if the Second is -N I put a Jumper from Connection block Pin to Ground
If the Third is the SOUTH Pole of the Neck i would then Put a Jumper from -N (North side) to +N (South Side) and then the Forth Connection Block to Ground Jumper

Guess 11 Might be better as that would cover HH set up as well but then again you can Maybe Double up a GROUND if needed

Im just shocked how much space, mine looks like RATS nest

[frets]

Yes Steve,
The block has a pcb on the back of it with vias for the pickups, jack, ground. For a Strat it takes 9 connections for the Solderless wiring. The 10th slot is just for an extra ground, like a cavity ground.

[frets]

Steve,

One more thing, I'm moving over to drop in pcb's.  I'll still use the green panel mount ones for my mods; but, on routine upgrades, I'm using this.

[stevewf]

Jul 2, 2022 12:45:58 GMT -5 frets said:

Steve,

One more thing, I'm moving over to drop in pcb's.  I'll still use the green panel mount ones for my mods; but, on routine upgrades, I'm using this.

Frets, wherever it is that you do your work, I'm sure you're building some brand loyalty! That there is a custom job with a factory look.

[frets]

Thanks Steve. It is appealing to guys because it gives them the opportunity to swap out pickups in the guitar.

But I’m not the only one that does this. I also have drop ins for Les Paul and Les Paul 50’s. I design my own boards.