Notice: I've finished my pin cutting 
machine and can cut about 2,000 pins
an hour.  So now instead of spending 
$1,500 for 10k pre-cut gold pins, I spend 
$280 for a roll and cut them myself 
here in my little shop. Please let me
know if you find a better price for 
these pins:  jump here to learn more.) thanks!

Technical things, ideas, problems, et cetera., oh and some history too.

Jump down to PINS - problems, solutions, can you help?

Don't miss the amazing DIY eTrax connectors! people are making.

We worked hard from 1/2000 to 6/2000 to find spring pins like Garmin uses. We finally found them, and then discovered they are not the best thing to use! Test probe spring pins are designed to be compressed vertically only, not horizontally! And on top of that, they cost about $0.50 each in large quantity's! I'm talking 100,000 units per order quantities! Like I'm going to spend $50,000.00 on a 3 pound box of pins. That'll be the day. Maybe someone was trying to tell us something these many months of searching. Maybe we should not copy Garmin but instead create our own design? And guess what? It could be possible that, with all the help I've been getting from some very smart people around the world (see list at the bottom of page), we can make not just the only U-install etrex/emap connector, but maybe one actually better, in some ways anyway, than Garmin's? At least it will be a U-install plug which will let people make many more different kinds of cables for many different needs, that will in the end contribute to the success of the Garmin products! Customers have more choice, Garmin sells more units so they get more market share and can make better and better units for lower costs because of volume, so ... everyone (except Garmin competetors) wins! I love it!

Spring pins are out! Flat leaf spring type terminal pins are in! Thanks goes to everyone who helped me find the spring pins. When we get this connector going, remind me that you helped so I can send you some free connectors. Sometimes the best highest quality solution is also the simplest and least expensive!

I also want to thank the spring pin companies, IDI, ECT, CCCP, and others, for samples, pricing, and specifications.

Here is the spring pin used in the Garmin cable (which we won't use)

We will not use this type pin. It's designed to be compressed vertically. I've heard from many experts in the field around the world about this type spring loaded pin technology, and they agree it's not the best way to go for this application. We will use leaf spring style terminal pins. We now will begin our search for the best one! 6 months and we're back to ground zero except a little bit wiser. Truth is, the spring pins are fine. It's just not the best choice for a Pfranc plug. The official Garmin plug is made and assembled by professionals in a factory and insert molded in a factory and are of excellent quality! They cost a lot because the spring pins are very expensive and distribution channels are expensive.

The cable is placed under the unit and slid upward. The pins are not pressed in vertically but compressed because of the horizontal movement of the plug. They first hit the curved part of the plastic case of the eMap below the receiver, which is actually the battery door. It hits at about a 45 degree angle which causes both a vertical and horizontal force on the pin at the same time. The vertical force causes the pins to compress as the plug is further slid into the receiver. The horizontal force can cause the pin to wear, bind, bend, or break. (note: 9/2006 Thank you Jacob Anawalt for pointing out that I spelled wear ware - funny how this internet thing works and how people are, it took about 10 years for someone to bother to tell me about this error so I could fix it and maybe go forward in my life a little bit less embarrassed about my spelling problem - I wish notepad had a spell checker! - ah, but "ware" spell checks ok.) My eTrex has little round buttons with 90 degree sharp edges that the pins must ride up over. It may be just my unit. But, when the spring pins encounter the sharp edge, it reminds me of hitting a 80 degree 4" high curb with my bicycle. Yeah, I'd make it onto the sidewalk but would often bend a spoke or two.

Planned Improvements -- POP #2 (Purple Open Project)

   status   name          description   
   ------   ---------     ----------------------------------------------

#0) done!     GOLD-PINS  -  We finally found individual (cut from the roll) gold plated pins!  
			They cost from $250 to $1100 more 
			than they cost by the roll so I am still going
			to make a pin cutter!  

#1) (#1b is done),  Gap-dip   - The base does not 
		pull up to the midsection well without making the screw
                    real tight which causes a dip in the base which amplifies problem #2.
                 Reason: I did not make provision in the midsection for the
                     tiny clips on top of each pin.
                 Solution (part 1): Add four 0.035"dia core pins to mold.
                 Also (part b): done 09/30/00 -- extend the inside cap 
			screw sheath/housing to the parting line so
                       the screw can be pulled tighter without causing a sag in the base.

#2) done 8/28/00   Loose-fit -- It is not fit very tight in the eTrex and comes out too easy.
                  Reason: Garmin design?  The Garmin cable is the same, very tight
                       fitting in the eMap and very loose in the eTrex. Catch 22. What can I do?
                   Solution: I added a "tang" to the base that snaps into the hole just
                       below the eTrex socket. Upgrade #4, and others will further improve
                       the fit on the eTrex.  eMap users just snip off the tang. 
		A more descriptive name for it is tongue. 

#3) done 3/01 - but walls need to be wider and stronger...
               Walls -  Some are worried that the pins can short too easy. 
                  Reason:  I made slots in 
		the midsection to allow pins to be attached to
                 the wires prior to pushing thought the midsection.
              Solution: Make walls on the base that stand up through the midsection
                 slot to separate pins.  


#4) done 3/01 - Cost me $1200 to make this change!  Another lesson in life.
		PinPosition - I made an error in my 
		drawings which caused the pins to be positioned
            about 0.035" back from the front edge.  They land on the 1st 1/3 of the
           eTrex pads. (not an issue with the eMap)  I wanted them to land on the 
           2ed 2/3rds of the pads. Bummer!  People tell me it's OK, but...  I will need to
             make extensive complex changes to the midsection mold cavity and it must
             be done before I do #1 and #3 improvements or I'll just have to redo
             them after!  Argh! --- update --- getting close to making this change! 
		It's a big one!  But demand is high so I'll --- do mybest!

#5) tbd    Snap -  It should be easier to assemble if the base and midsection snapped together.

#6) tbd    cap-pin  - I need one more alignment pin on the top of the midsection to lock the
                    cap into position so it can't slide back towards the cable exit slot.

#7) done    IN/OUT  - mark "IN" or "OUT" on the bottom of base to ID the pins.  Notice I have
                  now two round shiny disks on the OUT pin because I errored and market it
               "IN" by misake! ( how many mistakes can I possibly make? )
		solution:  I wiped out the "in" with 2 ugly round shiny disks, maybe someday I
				can make it look better.

#8) tbd    pin-keeper  -  make a little thing that can be used to hold 4 pins inside the cap
                   to reduce Pfranc labor in packaging the pins for shipment of individual
                        ePlugs.

#9) cancle this idea --- It's a good thing to be able to pull the pins up and out                               so you can "reset" the spring tension and position.  I tested pulling
                'em up and back about 50 times before they break off, so don't worry.
                 old idea was:    slot-covers  -  close off about 0.030" of the front 
                 of the pin slots near the bottom surface of the bottom part 
                 so the tips of the pins are tucked under and cannot
                bend backwards out of the slots.  Can be tapered, thicker at the front.
                Can also close off some in the back of the slots also, after #4 is done.

#10) tbd   Chamfer - Make a large flat spot on the cap so the eTrex sits nicely on a desk
                while connector is installed.  This will be difficult because I have
                replaceable inserts in that area for custom logos/names. I'm told that
                cables made with my connector actually sit nicer on the desk than the
                Garmin cable.  This change could cost $1500.

#11) tbd   Strain-1  -  Make a small part that fits in the 
			cable exit slot that helps hold tight
                      small diameter wire.  If someone can 
			draw it, maybe I can make it.  I'm thinking
                      something that straddles the square 
			on the midsection with 3 prongs sticking up
                      so one, two, or all three could be cut 
			off for different size cable.  We could
			then ship a one-connector-fits-all-size-cable connector.

#12) tbd  -------- let me know!  I'll do these the best I can and based on what you guys
                   tell me is most important to you, so send me an email and let me know.


           
                  
 
           mybest, 
           larry,   

7:30PM Saturday Night in Murphy Oregon, August 5th, 2000, I test ran this new mold , (which cost as much as a new car in 1990!) and here is what it made. Yes. It's an ePlug! I think it looks great, but, there are a few problems to fix. Notice I screwed up and put the "IN" label on the out pin. Lucky it's an "innie" (the plastic goes in which means the metal sticks out and can be removed very easy). The keyway slot is way deeper than we need so I'll reduce that which will help support the side with the + on it. Then there is the insides where the latest idea and change messed up the original ideas and caused a problem with the screw being so close to the pins that it could easily cause a short circuit. That one is fairly easy to fix too by removing some metal in just the right places. And there are a few other things that needs doing before it's ready for full production. Hope I don't screw it up! If I turn the crank the wrong way there could be another weeks delay. As it is, we will need more in-the-field testing and if all goes well we may start shipping quantities by mid August.

03-Aug-2000: Still no word from Eldon the mold maker. Guess it's not done yet!!!! Does anyone know where I can find Molex pin cutting machines?

30-July-2000: Eldon had some problems and the mold will not be ready for testing until Wednesday, the 2ed. AND, Tammy for some reason did not get the pins shipped on Monday like they should have been but were shipped Friday. More news Wednesday.

14-July-2000: Just got off the phone with TAMMY PIERCE from FORCE Electionics, the largest Molex distributor in the world and located in Beaverton Oregon. (1-877-588-9071) Molex is the best! Tammy is awesome! We got some great pricing! GOLD Terminals! Not gold flash, like the ones made in China that rubs or flakes off. No. We're talking Made-in-the-USA, the right plating, on proper materials, with a real 15u of gold. And she let me order just one reel of 10,000. It will ship Monday.

I talked to Eldon the mold maker today. He's got two solid weeks of work in it and it's starting to look almost like a mold. I think one more week will do the trick. Eldon is one of the best mold makers in the world. I am in awe of his work. He showed me a few of the things he's done for the likes of HP, GM, IBM, etc. Chances are if you have a GM car, when you push the button to open the window, the button came from a mold Eldon has made. We'll keep doing things the Pfranc way, but this time we'll be doing it with the best molds and materials the world has to offer!

3-July-2000: I finished the mold design and contracted with a world class professional plastic injection mold maker to make the mold! This guy makes molds for HP, IBM, GE, etc. It will be done before Aug-1-2000! All this was made possible because of the success of POP #1 and the simple thing that we are proving, that men will honor their pledge. My pledge to you is this: To get a connector to you fast and easy - for just a pledge.

Mid June-2000: I decided to design the connector to use Molex crimp terminals, probably the most common leaf spring type terminal in use. This was a major decision and could make or break this project and the future of Pfrancdom itself!

Inserted notation (05/25/02) --- I received this today - guess it was posted
on a news group somewhere: ... 

Wolfgang Rupprecht wrote:
> 
> Talk about serendipity.  Just the other day there was a raging
> discussion about emap/etrex connector pins and pfranc flat-sliding
> vs. garmin spring-loaded-plunger pins.
> 
> Some mechanical designer at garmin must have been laughing themselves
> into a stupor.  Why?  Garmin saw the problems with the old plunger
> pins and redesigned the cables to use flat leaf-spring shaped
> contacts.  I just got one of these new-style cables yesterday.
>
------------- end of inserted notation ------------

I will use this  Molex terminal pin 
   You can solder or crimp the wires to the pins.

The success of this project hinges on finding a good source (and price) 
    for these pins!  Here is what I know so far: (8/10/2000) -- updated (11/2/00)

Molex part number:  (tin or gold over brass base)  SERIES 2759
  roll- tin:  08-50-0113
  cut - tin:  08-50-0114   (ah ha! Just add one to part # for individual pins.)
  roll- gold: 08-55-0101
  cut - gold: 08-55-0102

Prices for 10,000 pins as of 10-Aug-2000
-----------------------------------------
   Digikey.com  part # WM2200 (cut-tin) $437.

   Force-Elec.com  roll-gold $280 (I bought 1 but I can't cut them! Help!)

   Sager.com  cut-tin $500,  cut-gold: $900  ( no stock of cut-gold )

   Alliedelec.com   cut-gold -----> $1,500.00  ( absolutely insane!!! -- as of 11/2/00 ) 
                    cut-tin ---> $258  stock #863-0920 100/bag  (surprise!)


   em.Avnet.com --- $480. cut-gold! 2,000 per bag, yuk, we will have to count them!
			  These cost $200 more than a roll? Why? Just because they are cut.
			Oh well, while we try to figure that out, I ordered 10,000
		              OK, we got gold now!  Finally!!!  Still I'll continue
                           to work on my pin cutter because I think it's crazy to pay
			$200 more for individual pins (which we have to count!) 
			How can anyone pay Allied an extra $1,220 to cut the
			pins from the roll?   I think someone is getting screwed!
			Ah!  I know how!  Other peoples money!  And --- who cares?
				Ha! I care because I'm spending my money!

Here are what the pins look like:


If you can help, please e-mail me:larry@pfranc.com     Thanks.

Here is my pin cutting machine so far.  I have about 35 hours into it 
starting 10/1/00 to now ( 10/30/00.)  I'm using a 5/16" dia. drill 
rod for the punch and two 1/4" tool steel squares to make the dies.  
A new friend told me how to heat treat the drill rod, just
heat to a red glow and quench in water or oil depending on which type it is.


The shaft above the plunger (with ball bearing on top) will hold a
3" diameter wheel/cam that will sequence the steps, advancing the pins,
clamping one above the die, bending it, cutting it, and lastly removing
it from the die.  I'll add the bodine motor tonight.  This thing just
may actually work!

Update: 11/2/00 -- I've been working hard everyday on the pin cutter.  It's really 
working neat.  I successfully cut the cam on my Bridgport CNC mill using G codes!!!!
It took me all day to figure out what worked and what didn't with the G codes.  Very
spooky stuff and I think full of bugs.  I stoped using cutter compensation, G41, and things
started working right.  I'm learning a lot about making machines!  I love it!  I think
I found yet another thing I really like to do, make machines that make things.

Update: 11/13/00 -- The pin cutting machine is working!  I've cut 10,000 pins.
I can cut 100 pins in one minute.  It's pretty amazing to see and hear it run, at
least to me.  Next step is to add the pin bender, then the auto pin bagger.
I'm not sure it's worth all the work.  I run the machine for one minute, save
$2 and save Ardel the time and effort to count out and bag 100 pins.  Well, it was
very fun to make and it's still fun to run.


USING THE PINS.....
------------------
Hand crimp tools  by Molex
   You want #2 (series 2759). Tool order number: 011-01-0185.  
   If you are going to do any volume, don't mess around, get good tools!  
   The European order No. 69008-0955 (confirmed in Sweden). 
   There is a Japanese flavor also, I don't have a order number yet.

The wire:
   Gauge: 22-30AWG  (0.35-0.50 sq.mm)
   Insulation diamater: 2.54-3.17mm ( 0.100-0.125" )
   Strip length: 1.57mm (0.062") max.
   Profile A:  22-24
   Profile B:  26-30     

Go here to see  to see a good crimp!
And here for everything you want to know about  crimping 

Any other useful info, let me know and I'll add it here, thanks.

larry,

The Bourns pins are out! They are too wide, too fat, and no way will they fit, - bummer. .... and anyway they cost too much! Why do these companies charge so much for little plastic things?

(old news): Don Branham pointed me to this Bourns connector which looks like the perfect pins! But, alas they did not work out.

mybest,
larry,

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